Among small cities, Clovis had an impressive showing, coming in at number 25.
"Of course, both have the favorable weather that a lot of homeowners desire," says WalletHub Analyst Chip Lupo. "The real estate market actually looks pretty good in Clovis. The best thing it has to go for is the quality of life."
The survey considered affordability, the real estate market and quality of life.
Palm Bay, Florida and Surprise, Arizona topped the list.
"It's a pretty good picture for folks in the Central Valley," Lupo said.
The historical average for first-time homebuyers is 40% of the market.
Last year, that number dipped dramatically to just 21%.
Lupo doesn't expect to see much improvement in that figure.
"Because of the prices and interest rates, a lot of first-time home buyers are finding themselves basically being priced out of the market," Lupo said.
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