Starter-Home Squeeze: Where First-Time Buyers Still Find a Foothold
A new Realtor.com report finds starter-priced listings have thinned nationally, with the starter-home share of active listings falling from 38.1% in August 2019 to 36.2% in August 2026 while the starter-home price threshold rose 30.8% to roughly $340,000. Condos and townhomes now make up 27.1% of starter-priced inventory, up from 18.0% in 2019, and Midwest metros like Toledo, St. Louis, and Kansas City lead in starter-home availability.
Key figures
- Starter home price 2019
- $260,000
- Starter home price 2026
- $340,000
- Starter home share 2019
- 38.1%
- Starter home share 2026
- 36.2%
- Starter home price growth
- 30.8%
AI analysis
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AI-generated analysis of a public disclosure. Not investment advice; verify against the original document.