WASHINGTON — As the NFL season gets underway, fans in Seattle, Tampa and Las Vegas have something else to cheer about: Their housing markets are among those showing the biggest improvements in home affordability over the past year.
First American Data & Analytics analyzed housing affordability in 30 NFL markets for its 2026 Housing Affordability Power Rankings, finding that affordability improved from a year earlier in 28 of them through June.
But the gains varied widely, with Seattle leading the league at an 11.2% improvement while affordability deteriorated in Milwaukee and Cleveland, according to First American.
The rankings are based on the company’s Real House Price Index, which measures home prices adjusted for changes in household income and mortgage rates.
First American’s broader June data showed housing affordability nationally was about 5% better than a year earlier, despite deteriorating for four consecutive months.
Seattle Leads the League
Seattle ranked No. 1 among NFL markets, with affordability improving 11.2% from a year earlier.
Income growth was responsible for 6.3 percentage points of that improvement, the largest income contribution among the 30 markets, while declining home prices contributed another 1.7 percentage points.
Tampa ranked second with a 10.7% improvement, followed by Las Vegas at 9.3%.
First American’s broader June data similarly found Seattle, Tampa and Las Vegas among the metropolitan areas experiencing the largest year-over-year declines in its Real House Price Index.
The NFL markets First American classified as its affordability “heavyweights” posted an average improvement of 8.2%, according to Sam Williamson, senior economist at First American Data & Analytics.
Income growth accounted for an average 4.3 percentage points of the improvement, while lower home prices contributed another 0.6 points.
Kansas City reached the upper tier differently. Income gains contributed 5.9 percentage points to affordability, enough to overcome a 3.3-point drag from rising home prices.
Middle of the Pack More Dependent on Rates
NFL markets in the middle of First American’s rankings recorded an average 4.1% improvement in affordability, about half the gain among the top-performing markets.
Those markets, however, were substantially more dependent on mortgage rates.
Changes in borrowing costs contributed about 3.3 percentage points of their affordability improvement, leaving them more vulnerable if mortgage rates rise.
That risk has increased since the June cutoff for First American’s rankings.
Freddie Mac said the average rate on a 30-year fixed mortgage reached 6.71% on Sept. 3, up from 6.66% a week earlier and 6.50% a year ago.
“Stronger income growth and softer house prices give the leaders more room to avoid the pressure, while more rate-dependent markets could lose ground as the season goes on,” Williamson said.
Milwaukee, Cleveland Lose Ground
At the bottom of First American’s NFL standings, Milwaukee experienced the largest drag from higher home prices, at 5.8 percentage points, while income growth provided little offset.
Cleveland was the only NFL market in the analysis where incomes declined while home prices increased. The combination worsened affordability by about 2% from a year earlier.
First American’s broader June analysis also identified Cleveland as one of the markets where its Real House Price Index increased most sharply, rising 2% from June 2025.
The findings suggest NFL cities are entering the season with very different conditions for prospective homebuyers. Markets such as Seattle, Tampa and Las Vegas have received support from income growth, softer home prices or both, while markets whose improvements depended more heavily on mortgage rates could see some of those gains disappear if borrowing costs remain elevated.
