North County Cities Among Worst For First-Time Homebuyers: Study

SAN DIEGO COUNTY, CA — The San Diego area is one of the worst places for people looking to buy a home for the first time, according to a new study by WalletHub.

Data analysts at the personal finance website compared 300 cities of varying sizes across 22 key indicators of market attractiveness, affordability and quality of life. The data set ranged from cost of living to real-estate taxes to property-crime rate. Each metric was graded on a 100-point scale, with a score of 100 representing the most favorable conditions for first-time home buyers.

Chesapeake, Virginia, ranked as the best city for first-time homebuyers, while Berkeley, California, ranked as the worst, according to WalletHub.

Several cities in San Diego County — including cities in North County — landed at the bottom of the list. Chula Vista came in at 231, Carlsbad at 242, Oceanside at 248, Escondido at 251, Vista at 259, San Diego at 267, and El Cajon at 272.

Here's how cities in San Diego County scored:

• Chula Vista
  • Overall rank: 231
  • Total Score: 42.52
  • Affordability: 204
  • Real-Estate Market: 214
  • Quality of Life: 215

• Carlsbad
  • Overall rank: 242
  • Total Score: 41.13
  • Affordability: 251
  • Real-Estate Market: 186
  • Quality of Life: 155

• Oceanside
  • Overall rank: 248
  • Total Score: 40.74
  • Affordability: 224
  • Real-Estate Market: 278
  • Quality of Life: 173

• Escondido
  • Overall rank: 251
  • Total Score: 40.66
  • Affordability: 244
  • Real-Estate Market: 235
  • Quality of Life: 144

• Vista
  • Overall rank: 259
  • Total Score: 39.8
  • Affordability: 229
  • Real-Estate Market: 292
  • Quality of Life: 158

• San Diego
  • Overall rank: 267
  • Total Score: 38.99
  • Affordability: 263
  • Real-Estate Market: 255
  • Quality of Life: 202

• El Cajon
  • Overall rank: 272
  • Total Score: 38.24
  • Affordability: 266
  • Real-Estate Market: 267
  • Quality of Life: 168

Best Cities for First-Time Home Buyers

1. Chesapeake, Virginia
2. Gilbert, Arizona
3. Lincoln, Nebraska
4. Cape Coral, Florida
5. Boise, Idaho
6. Hampton, Virginia
7. Peoria, Arizona
8. Virginia Beach, Virginia
9. Norfolk, Virginia
10. Surprise, Arizona

Worst Cities for First-Time Home Buyers

1. Berkeley, California (300)
2. Oakland, California (299)
3. San Francisco, California (298)
4. Santa Monica, California (297)
5. Los Angeles, California (296)
6. San Mateo, California (295)
7. Santa Barbara, California (294)
8. Glendale, California (293)
9. Burbank, California (292)
10. Boston, Massachusetts (291)

Read the full report.