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15 Hottest Homebuying Cities for Gen Z Veterans

Written by Tierre Banks, Senior Media Relations Specialist
Published on Nov 13, 2024

Tierre Banks helps reporters and producers tell the stories of America’s military and Veteran communities, working with reputable outlets including People Magazine, CNN Newscource, Fox Business and the Ellen DeGeneres Show.

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Main Takeaways

Gen Z Veterans and service members are on the verge of transforming the housing market. Here's a closer look at where they're starting to make homebuying waves.

The nation’s youngest Veterans are breathing life into housing markets across the country.

VA purchase loans for Generation Z Veterans and service members increased 22% in Fiscal Year 2024 over the prior year, according to an analysis of Department of Veterans Affairs data by Veterans United Home Loans.

For the second year in a row, Gen Z Veterans were the only age demographic to see a year-over-year increase in VA homebuying.

In all, Gen Z accounted for an all-time high 12% of overall VA purchase loans, triple their market share from three years ago.

Despite a challenging inventory and affordability environment, Gen Z Veterans made their emerging presence felt in communities nationwide:

  • VA purchase loans to this demographic nearly doubled from three years ago
  • Gen Z Veterans comprised 9.2% of all VA loans, up from 7.3% the year prior
  • Total VA loans to Gen Z Veterans were up 32% year over year

“Generation Z Veterans are ready to step into the spotlight and start making waves in the housing market, signaling a transformative impact in the years ahead,” said Chris Birk, vice president of mortgage insight at Veterans United. “Their significant uptick in VA loan utilization not only highlights their resilience but also underscores the enduring value of the VA loan benefit in helping younger Veterans achieve the American dream of homeownership.”

Celebrating its 80th anniversary this year, the VA loan program has made homebuying easier for generations of Veterans and service members. VA loans help buyers purchase without a down payment or the need for great credit, which are two major hurdles for many younger prospective buyers.

Much of the growth in Gen Z buying has been in military-dense communities, which are traditional VA loan strongholds. But larger metro areas and other markets are also seeing more and more Gen Z Veterans buy homes and begin to plant roots.

Here's a look at the 15 markets that experienced the biggest year-over-year growth in Gen Z VA homebuying.

15 Hottest Homebuying Cities for Gen Z Veterans

Rank Market Fiscal Year 2024 Fiscal Year 2023 % Difference
1 Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX 595 386 54%
2 San Antonio, TX 1,006 662 52%
3 Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV 555 426 30%
4 Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA 424 328 29%
5 Houston-Sugar Land-Baytown, TX 522 410 27%
6 El Paso, TX 439 360 22%
7 Pensacola-Ferry Pass-Brent, FL 424 349 21%
8 Jacksonville, FL 653 558 17%
9 Fayetteville, NC 843 723 16%
10 Hinesville-Fort Stewart, GA 386 336 15%
11 Phoenix-Mesa-Scottsdale, AZ 437 385 13%
12 Killeen-Temple-Fort Hood, TX 611 573 6.6%
13 Clarksville, TN-KY 681 639 6.5%
14 Colorado Springs, CO 610 579 5%
15 Charleston-North Charleston, SC 348 333 4.5%

Source: Department of Veterans Affairs lending statistics

By Tierre Banks, Senior Media Relations Specialist
Tierre Banks helps reporters and producers tell the stories of America's military and Veteran communities, working with reputable outlets including People Magazine, CNN Newscource, Fox Business and the Ellen DeGeneres Show. Before joining Veterans United, she was the Director of Communications for a non-profit in the St. Louis area and held editorial positions with CBS Radio and Webster University's newspaper, The Journal.

About Our Editorial Process

Veterans United is recognized as the leading VA lender in the nation, unmatched in our specialization and expertise in VA loans. Our strict adherence to accuracy and the highest editorial standards guarantees our information is based on thoroughly vetted, unbiased research. Committed to excellence, we offer guidance to our nation's Veterans, ensuring their homebuying experience is informed, seamless and secured with integrity.

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