Connecticut Cities Struggle For First-Time Homebuyers In 2025

Ready to make the largest one-time purchase of your life? Are you ready to become a homeowner? According to a recent study, five of our largest cities here in Connecticut are among the worst for first time home buyers in 2025.

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WalletHub.com has just released their new study Best & Worst Cities for First-Time Home Buyers (2025), and according to their research noobs to the world of lawncare and mortgage payments should avoid five of our cities in particular. According to WalletHub.com a historic low of 24% of home purchases were made by first-time home buyers in 2024, down from 32% in 2023.

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In order to set their rankings WalletHub.com compared 300 cities across the US of various size - large, mid-size, and small - using 22 key indicators of affordability, market attractiveness, and quality of life. Among the 22 key indicators were: Rent to price ratio, active listings, foreclosure rate, cost per square foot, cost of homeowner's insurance, weather, quality of school system, crime rate, job market, and driver friendliness.

How Did Connecticut's Large Cities Measure Up?

Not that great. Waterbury was ranked as Connecticut's best at #195 in the rankings, despite the fact that Waterbury's real estate tax rate was #299. Stamford has the lowest median home price appreciation out of all 300 cities and landed at #197. Hartford ranked as #228, New Haven at #232, and Bridgeport at #245.

The best cities in 2025 for first-time home buyers? Palm Bay, Florida came out on top, followed by Boise, Idaho, and Tampa, Florida. Our highest-ranking city in all of New England for 2025 was Manchester, New Hampshire all the way down at #66.

Four Businesses in Waterbury That Would Survive The Apocalypse

There are just some businesses too engrained in our neighborhoods that recession, price increases, cordyceps, and even the apocalypse could kill. I spent 50 of my years in Waterbury, and these four places have not changed, nor should they.

Gallery Credit: Google Maps

Have a Look Inside the Connecticut Boxing Hall of Fame

Did you know that Mohegan Sun is home to the Connecticut Boxing Hall of Fame? I didn't, and I quite literally strolled right into it this past weekend. Mohegan Sun has played a huge role in keeping the sport alive by hosting numerous events over the past few decades, it's a perfect place to honor the best boxers to ever come from Connecticut.

Gallery Credit: Large Dave