Where Millennials Are Entering the Homebuying Market

LendingTree ranks the most popular cities for Millennial homebuyers.

1 minute read

March 25, 2017, 1:00 PM PDT

By James Brasuell @CasualBrasuell


Park Fountain

Joe Gough / Shutterstock

"Millennials in Pittsburgh, Washington D.C., and Des Moines, are pursuing home ownership more than their counterparts in any of the nation’s 100 largest cities," according to a news release by Megan Greuling to announce the results of a study by LendingTree.

The study "analyzed mortgage requests and offers for borrowers aged 35 years and under between August 1, 2016 and February 1, 2017, along with requests from the total population of mortgage-seekers based on the location of the property to be mortgaged." The results of the analysis rank the 100 largest cities as "Most Popular" for Millennial homebuyers.

According to LendingTree, the young people pursuing mortgages in Pittsburgh, D.C., and Des Moines "are at the forefront of a growing nationwide trend of young buyers returning to the housing market." Meanwhile, at the bottom of the list, Fayetteville, North Carolina came in at #100, preceded by three cities in Florida.

For more insight into the Millennial effect at work in the real estate market, see also a study of Millennial emigration by Apartment List from November 2016.  

Friday, March 24, 2017 in LendingTree

portrait of professional woman

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching. Mary G., Urban Planner

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching.

Mary G., Urban Planner

Cover CM Credits, Earn Certificates, Push Your Career Forward

Aerial view of town of Wailuku in Maui, Hawaii with mountains in background against cloudy sunset sky.

Maui's Vacation Rental Debate Turns Ugly

Verbal attacks, misinformation campaigns and fistfights plague a high-stakes debate to convert thousands of vacation rentals into long-term housing.

July 1, 2025 - Honolulu Civil Beat

Logo for Planetizen Federal Action Tracker with black and white image of U.S. Capitol with water ripple overlay.

Planetizen Federal Action Tracker

A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.

July 9, 2025 - Diana Ionescu

Map of Haussmann's redesign of Paris in the 1850s through 1870s under Napoleon III.

In Urban Planning, AI Prompting Could be the New Design Thinking

Creativity has long been key to great urban design. What if we see AI as our new creative partner?

June 30, 2025 - Tom Sanchez

Green vintage Chicago streetcar from the 1940s parked at the Illinois Railroad Museum in 1988.

Chicago’s Ghost Rails

Just beneath the surface of the modern city lie the remnants of its expansive early 20th-century streetcar system.

30 minutes ago - WTTV

Red and black pavilion with visitor information in public park in Knoxville, Tennessee.

Baker Creek Pavilion: Blending Nature and Architecture in Knoxville

Knoxville’s urban wilderness planning initiative unveils the "Baker Creek Pavilion" to increase the city's access to green spaces.

2 hours ago - Dezeen

Adult holding hands of two children, all wearing winter coats, in crosswalk in New York City during holidays with trees decorated with lights in background.

Pedestrian Deaths Drop, Remain Twice as High as in 2009

Fatalities declined by 4 percent in 2024, but the U.S. is still nowhere close to ‘Vision Zero.’

4 hours ago - Streetsblog USA