Home to Kansas State University and nestled in the Flint Hills, \u201cThe Little Apple\u201d has been named a top \u201cup-and-coming\u201d city for new homebuyers.<\/p>\n
To find the country\u2019s best markets for first-time homebuyers<\/a> in 2026, home loan lender Neighbors Bank looked at 97 mid-sized metropolitan areas \u2014 \u201cplaces big enough to offer good job markets and amenities, but below the threshold where competition has already priced most first-time buyers out.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201c … demand is building in a set of mid-sized metros that most buyers aren\u2019t looking at yet,\u201d Neighbors Bank said when publishing the study. \u201cThese are places where home prices are still reasonable relative to local wages, buyer competition hasn\u2019t peaked, and economic growth is creating real momentum.\u201d<\/p>\n Considering Zillow\u2019s Market Heat Index, price-to-income ratio, average home value, three-year employment growth, three-year pay growth and three-year establishment growth, Manhattan was ranked the No. 9 city for new homebuyers.<\/p>\n Manhattan also ranked No. 1 in three-year job growth (+41.8%) since 2021 and No. 1 in three-year new business growth (+43.3%) since 2021.<\/p>\n \u201cThese are markets where jobs, paychecks, and businesses are all moving in the right direction,\u201d Neighbors Bank said.<\/p>\n The study found that Manhattan has an average home value of $258,965, far below the national median sales price<\/a> of $440,600.<\/p>\n