Zillow Finds Northeast Tops Most Popular Markets

(Stamford, Conn., ranked No. 3 on the list. Image courtesy of David Kanigan/pexels.com)

Zillow, Seattle, released an analysis of the most popular markets for 2024, finding that the Northeast dominated the list for the second straight year.

Zillow found users showed a particular interest in exurbs–smaller towns further out than suburbs but still in commuting range of major metro areas.

Zillow posited that may be related to the continued popularity of hybrid work, as Americans might end up in smaller cities that wouldn’t fit into a daily commute, but serve a more flexible schedule well. The popular communities tend to strike a balance of affordable living and lifestyle amenities, the firm noted.

The top market on the list was Manchester, N.H., which is more affordable than nearby Boston. However, prices have spiked in the area–typical home values grew by 7.3% over the past year.

The New England city was followed by Rockford, Ill., Stamford, Conn., Columbia, Md., and Bridgeport, Conn.

Rounding out the top 10 were Allentown, Pa., Peoria, Ill., New Haven, Conn., Waterbury, Conn., and Sunnyvale, Calif.

Looking specifically at larger cities, Toledo, Ohio, came in at No. 1. And in terms of smaller towns, Elizabethtown, Pa., took the top spot.

The most popular coastal city was Milford, Conn., and the most popular vacation town was deemed Portland, Maine.

The retirement destination gaining the most attention was Pahrump, Nev., about 50 miles outside of Las Vegas.

On the opposite end of the age spectrum, the most popular college town was Normal, Ill.

To compile the list, Zillow analyzed housing metrics in cities across the U.S. that reflect consumer demand, including pageviews, home value growth and how quickly homes are selling.