Mesa in top 20 of most affordable cities for first-time buyers

Arizona has always banked on its reputation of being an affordable place to live, and a new report backs up that some of its cities are among the best for first-time buyers.

The key to that affordability is how far away from downtown Phoenix you want to live.

Five Arizona cities cracked the top 10 most affordable for first-time buyers, with others scattered among the top 100, in a report released this week from online financial site WalletHub.

Tops on the list was Surprise, at No. 2, followed by Gilbert at No. 3, Yuma at No. 5, Peoria at No. 6 and Chandler at No. 8.

Farther down the list was Scottsdale at No. 14 and Mesa at No. 16. Phoenix came in at No. 47 and Glendale at No. 48.

Tempe finished off Valley cities at No. 63, and Tucson came in at No. 69.

The report measured each city for affordability, its real estate market and quality of life.

While first-time buyers get plenty of value, according to the report, one thing the Arizona cities don't rank high on is quality of life. Surprise, for example, ranked No. 190 out of 300 U.S. cities for quality of life. Gilbert craked the top 100 at No. 92.

Surprise and Gilbert recognized for having a high number of new building permits with a low crime rate and high housing appreciation between 2018 and 2024.

For a look at the complete list, click here.