A for-sale sign is posted in front of a home in Austin, Texas, on March 19, 2024. Brandon Bell/Getty Images
Rising housing prices in the United States continue to pressure homeowner affordability, a trend most keenly felt in California, which has 105 cities listing starter homes costing more than $1 million.
Nationwide, a record 242 cities in 26 states now have starter homes listed at or above the $1 million threshold, Zillow researchers stated on June 15. Starter homes are typically smaller, lower-priced residences that meet the limited affordability requirements of first-time homebuyers. Starter home prices averaged $198,649 nationally in the first quarter, up by 1.7 percent from a year earlier, and are usually in the lower third of home values for any given region, Zillow noted.
