The 20 best cities for millennials who want to buy a home, where housing is affordable and jobs are strong

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The 20 best cities for millennials who want to buy a home, where housing is affordable and jobs are strong

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Inland cities are some of the best places for millennials to buy homes.

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Millennials are delaying homeownership, but they might find house keys in their hands sooner rather than later depending on where they live.

Clever Real Estate recently looked at the best cities for millennials to buy a home - with a focus on cities that are both affordable and appealing - by using data from the US Census, Bureau of Labor Statistics, and Zillow. To determine this list, it ranked the 100 most populated metro areas in the US against four key metrics: job opportunity, home affordability, livability, and housing market forecast.

Read more: Here's how much it costs to rent a one-bedroom apartment in 15 major US cities

In order to create a list that prioritized cities that are affordable and fun, Clever Real Estate gave livability and home affordability more weight in the ranking. It then determined the weighted average across all four categories to establish each metro's final score.

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Turns out, inland cities are the best places for millennial homebuyers. Cities in North Carolina - like Durham - and Ohio - such as Dayton - made the list multiple times.

Below, see the best places for millennials to buy homes, ranked. Median hourly wages are based on Bureau of Labor Statistics data, median home value is sourced from Zillow, and population estimates are based on metro area data from the US Census Bureau.

Generation Z from Business Insider Intelligence

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20. Durham, North Carolina, has a population of 506,660.

20. Durham, North Carolina, has a population of 506,660.

Median hourly wage: $21.94

Median home value: $243,700

19. Chattanooga, Tennessee, has a population of 528,150.

19. Chattanooga, Tennessee, has a population of 528,150.

Median hourly wage: $16.55

Median home value: $158,900

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18. Buffalo, New York, has a population of 1,135,614.

18. Buffalo, New York, has a population of 1,135,614.

Median hourly wage: $18.27

Median home value: $159,300

17. Provo, Utah, has a population of 526,885.

17. Provo, Utah, has a population of 526,885.

Median hourly wage: $16.79

Median home value: $356,400

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16. Kansas City, Missouri, has a population of 2,009,341.

16. Kansas City, Missouri, has a population of 2,009,341.

Median hourly wage: $18.88

Median home value: $192,900

15. Indianapolis, Indiana, has a population of 1,888,085.

15. Indianapolis, Indiana, has a population of 1,888,085.

Median hourly wage: $18.15

Median home value: $166,800

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14. Wichita, Kansas, has a population of 630,923.

14. Wichita, Kansas, has a population of 630,923.

Median hourly wage: $17.20

Median home value: $132,900

13. Winston-Salem, North Carolina, has a population of 640,537.

13. Winston-Salem, North Carolina, has a population of 640,537.

Median hourly wage: $16.87

Median home value: $146,400

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12. Greensboro, North Carolina, has a population of 723,885.

12. Greensboro, North Carolina, has a population of 723,885.

Median hourly wage: $16.78

Median home value: $136,000

11. Madison, Wisconsin, has a population of 605,449.

11. Madison, Wisconsin, has a population of 605,449.

Median hourly wage: $20.56

Median home value: $257,700

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10. Cincinnati, Ohio, has a population of 2,114,659.

10. Cincinnati, Ohio, has a population of 2,114,659.

Median hourly wage: $18.45

Median home value: $169,900

9. Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, has a population of 549,468.

9. Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, has a population of 549,468.

Median hourly wage: $18.90

Median home value: $177,300

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8. Columbus, Ohio, has a population of 1,902,007

8. Columbus, Ohio, has a population of 1,902,007

Median hourly wage: $18.89

Median home value: $192,000

7. Akron, Ohio, has a population of 703,203.

7. Akron, Ohio, has a population of 703,203.

Median hourly wage: $18.03

Median home value: $141,900

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6. Syracuse, New York, has a population of 662,620.

6. Syracuse, New York, has a population of 662,620.

Median hourly wage: $19.10

Median home value: $135,000

5. Grand Rapids, Michigan, has a population of 988,940.

5. Grand Rapids, Michigan, has a population of 988,940.

Median hourly wage: $17.33

Median home value: $194,100

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4. Dayton, Ohio, has a population of 799,268.

4. Dayton, Ohio, has a population of 799,268.

Median hourly wage: $18.28

Median home value: $124,100

3. Omaha, Nebraska, has a population of 865,347.

3. Omaha, Nebraska, has a population of 865,347.

Median hourly wage: $18.46

Median home value: $177,200

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2. Des Moines, Iowa, has a population of 569,632.

2. Des Moines, Iowa, has a population of 569,632.

Median hourly wage: $19.69

Median home value: $188,800

1. Rochester, New York, has a population of 1,079,697.

1. Rochester, New York, has a population of 1,079,697.

Median hourly wage: $18.86

Median home value: $146,600

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