Youngest US Metros Revealed—Where Median Age of Consumers Is 27 and Birth Rates Are High

The nation’s capital for new home buyers is a booming valley in central Utah, according to new data.

The Provo-Orem suburb—south of Salt Lake City near Utah Lake—had the lowest median age of home buyers in the country in 2024, at 27, according to the National Association of Realtors®.

This trend is driven by high birth rates, many young families, and a market dominated by first-time renters, young professionals, and growing families. Metros with a younger age profile typically experience stronger rental demand, more home construction, and a longer-term demand for starter homes, NAR said.

That’s a good thing in a national housing market marked by pessimism from young homebuyers.

Becca Summerspresident-elect of the Utah Central Association of Realtors, bought his first home in Provo when he was 20 years old. Today he says younger buyers, usually singles or dual earners, are coming to the area looking to invest.

“It’s not as expensive as up north, so a lot of people can afford to buy in the Provo or Orem area,” Summers said. “But there are a lot of universities as well, so that brings them to Utah in general, and there’s a lot of similarities in the area.”

Homebuyers are succeeding—even when the market is overpriced

Provo and Orem are not cheap by any means.

Data from the Utah Central Association of Realtors shows the median price of a home in the city grew from $277,850 in 2019 to $467,231 in 2025.

The number of homes sold in Provo peaked at 1,185 in 2021, but dropped to 769 in 2025. Orem saw 1,083 in 2021 and 630 homes sold last year.

Summers admits the place is expensive. Affordability challenges aren’t unique to Provo-Orem, and he found that homebuyers can still succeed if they’re prepared.

He suggests buyers sit down with an agent to talk about their plans “sooner than they think they’re ready.” Many times they are unaware of the programs available to them. Or, consumers don’t know about things like mortgage insurance or down payment options.

Best of Provo

In a video posted Monday, the Provo Mayor Marsha Judkins he said home accessibility and affordability is the city’s No. 1 priority for 2026.

Judkins, a 40-year resident of Provo, said the city prioritizes owner-occupied housing in new development.

“While cities cannot and should not control all aspects, we will work to build strong partnerships, protect local control over zoning decisions, remove unnecessary barriers, and pursue creative and sustainable solutions,” said Judkins.

Summers said banks and financial institutions have contributed to the success of the area. Local lenders offer discount programs and loans with longer amortization schedules.

Utah also offers builder incentives, most notably a first-time buyer incentive that provides up to $20,000 in cash to help purchase a home up to $450,000. The government is considering ways to make it easier to build first homes.

“It’s a team effort in our government, with lenders, with consumers,” Summers said.