Birmingham is the second best market in the U.S. for first-time home buyers in 2026, according to Zillow.

The popular housing website released the ranking earlier this month based on the 50 largest metro areas in the country.

Zillow considered four criteria that measure “whether a market is more accessible for first-time buyers” in the study:

More affordable rent: A new renter earning the median household income can spend a smaller share of their income on rent.
More homes within reach: Assuming a standard mortgage payment threshold, there is a large market share of active for-sale listings that the median earner can comfortably afford.
Less competition for affordable listings: More attainable homes per renter in an area suggests a better chance for first-time buyers to enter the market without facing intense bidding pressure.
More households in prime homebuying years: A larger share of households ages 29 to 43 signals that a metro has a large population in the life stage when first-time buying is most common.

The top spot for Zillow’s best markets for first-time home buyers in 2026 went to Jacksonville, Florida.

Following Birmingham at 3-10 in the ranking are: