Would-be buyers of starter homes in larger cities will have the best luck in cities like Columbus, Indianapolis, Minneapolis-St. Paul and Nashville, while feeder cities in the Washington D.C., Indianapolis, Denver, and Raleigh metros are among the nation's best overall for the property type. 

"In most big U.S. cities, it's practically impossible to realize the American dream as a first-time homebuyer, including for millennials, who now make up the largest generational cohort interested in homeownership," says StorageCafe's Matei Idu in a new analysis. "There is, however, a silver lining, and that comes with urbanization and the rapid growth of suburbs and feeder cities that can now easily compete with gateway cities in providing premier lifestyles plus access to affordable homes."

StorageCafe also notes that the enduring WFH trend has made it even more possible for would-be buyers to change cities, rather than being tied to a specific location. Idu notes that the size of new home builds is shrinking, suggesting buyers may be eschewing McMansions in favor for a more manageable footprint. StorageCafe's analysis of home size from 2011 to 2020 reveals that the largest homes of the decade — roughly 2,687 square feet — were built in 2015, and hit an average of 2,480 for new-builds in 2020.