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Looking to buy a home in California?
Some cities in the Golden State offer more advantages to homebuyers than others, according to a new study by Neighbors Bank.
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With home sales expected to rise nationwide, “Buying in the right market matters more than ever right now,” Ashley Harris, Neighbors Bank director of homebuyer education, wrote in an article.
That’s why the home loan lender sought out “places where home prices are still reasonable relative to local wages, buyer competition hasn’t peaked and economic growth is creating real momentum.”
By looking at job markets, home values, housing demand and other factors, Neighbors Bank ranked the best up-and-coming cities for homebuyers in 2026 — including 15 communities in California.
See which emerging California city is best for homebuyers in 2026:
What’s the best up-and-coming city for California homebuyers?
Neighbors Bank named Redding as the best up-and-coming city in California for homebuyers.
The Northern California city ranked No. 69 out of 97 U.S. metropolitan areas.
Cities that offered the most favorable environments for homebuyers had relatively average home values, high housing demand and wage growth of more than 10%, according to Neighbors Bank’s analysis.
In June, the median home sale price in Redding was $388,788, up 1.2% from the previous year, according to real estate website Redfin.
A total of 331 homes sold in June, a year-over-year increase of 21.2%, Redfin said.
Homes spent 15 median days on the market before selling, a decrease of seven days from June 2025.
These factors led the housing marketplace to give Redding a housing demand score of 78, with 100 being the most competitive market.
The average Redding home was valued at $375,654 in 2025 2026, Neighbors Bank said, noting that lower-valued homes mean more accessibility for buyers.
Neighbors Bank said wage growth can help more buyers get into the housing market, while job growth can encourage more people to move to an area and increase demand for long-term housing.
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Redding’s median household income was $70,992 in 2024, according to the most recent data from the U.S. Census Bureau.
With new businesses opening Redding at an increase of 13.9% in 2026, employment rates have steadily increased since 2016.
A total of 76,923 Redding residents were employed in June, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.
Where are top cities in California to buy a home?
Here’s how Neighbors Bank ranked up-and-coming cities in California for homebuyers in 2026:
- Redding
- El Centro
- Visalia
- Yuba City
- Modesto
- Truckee
- Eureka
- Merced
- Chico
- Vallejo
What are top 10 cities for homebuyers in the US?
Neighbors Bank said that these emerging cities were the top 10 best for homebuyers in the U.S. in 2026:
- Charleston, West Virginia
- Springfield, Illinois
- Racine, Wisconsin
- Janesville, Wisconsin
- Wausau, Wisconsin
- Jefferson City, Missouri
- Binghamton, New York
- Lansing, Michigan
- Manhattan, Kansas
- Sheboygan, Wisconsin
How did Neighbors Bank rank metro areas?
To determine the best up-and-coming cities for homebuyers, Neighbors Bank looked at 97 up-and-coming mid-sized cities across the United States by examining six metrics.
These included housing affordability relative to wages, average home value and the demand for homes compared to local supply.
Neighbors Bank also analyzed cities based on job and salary growth, as well as the number of new businesses in each city.
The national mortgage lender focused on the 100th to 400th largest U.S. metro areas by population.
Neighbors Bank relied on data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, Census Bureau and Zillow.
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