The number of U.S. cities where a starter home costs at least $1 million has reached a record 242, according to a Zillow analysis. That figure has nearly tripled from 80 in February 2020, reflecting how pandemic-era housing pressures continue to reshape affordability. Zillow defines a starter home as one in the lowest third of home values in a given region, and while the typical starter home nationwide is still worth $198,649, million-dollar entry-level homes are spreading well beyond traditional high-cost coastal markets. A total of 26 states now have at least one such city, up from nine before the pandemic, with California leading at 105 cities, New York at 41, and New Jersey at 26. The New York City metro area has the most million-dollar starter home cities at 63, followed by San Francisco with 37 and Los Angeles with 33.