Posted by: Richie Bernardo

Whether you’re joining the real-estate business or just looking for a place to call home, it’s important to get a handle on the housing markets you’re considering before investing in a property. With unemployment falling and house prices rising, the market as a whole has been in a boom. But while home values are rising, up almost $16,000 on average just in the first quarter of 2018, fewer homes are being built and bought because mortgage rates are rising. However, home prices and rental rates vary widely across the U.S. based on supply and demand.

If you aim for long-term growth, equity and profit, you’ll need to look beyond tangible factors like square footage and style. Those factors certainly drive up property values. From an investor’s standpoint, though, they hold less significance than historical market trends and the economic health of residents.

To determine the best local real-estate markets in the U.S., WalletHub compared 300 cities of varying sizes across 22 key indicators of housing-market attractiveness and economic strength. Our data set ranges from median home-price appreciation to home sales turnover rate to job growth. Read on for our findings, expert insight from a panel of researchers and a full description of our methodology.

1. Main Findings
2. Rankings by City Size
3. Ask the Experts
4. Methodology

Main Findings

  Embed on your website<iframe src="//d2e70e9yced57e.cloudfront.net/wallethub/embed/14889/geochart-housemarket1.html" width="556" height="347" frameBorder="0" scrolling="no"></iframe> <div style="width:556px;font-size:12px;color:#888;">Source: <a href="https://ift.tt/2LY21c0>  

Best Places to Buy a House

Overall Rank (1 = Best)	City	Total Score	‘Real-Estate Market’ Rank	‘Affordability & Economic Environment’ Rank
1	Frisco, TX	75.06	8	1
2	McKinney, TX	74.60	7	2
3	Allen, TX	73.93	11	3
4	Santa Clara, CA	73.79	1	247
5	Durham, NC	72.45	5	60
6	Murfreesboro, TN	72.40	10	7
7	Richardson, TX	72.29	12	10
8	Seattle, WA	72.16	3	171
9	Bellevue, WA	72.14	4	142
10	Denton, TX	71.98	9	23
11	Sunnyvale, CA	70.71	2	276
12	Carrollton, TX	70.17	16	24
13	Denver, CO	70.16	6	132
14	Cary, NC	69.39	41	4
15	Fort Worth, TX	69.34	13	88
16	Roseville, CA	69.20	18	37
17	Thornton, CO	69.11	21	30
18	Fort Collins, CO	68.96	19	38
19	Boise, ID	68.95	23	40
20	Aurora, CO	68.86	15	102
21	Irving, TX	68.45	24	62
22	Arvada, CO	68.17	22	82
23	Colorado Springs, CO	68.12	33	26
24	Renton, WA	67.83	17	149
25	Nashville, TN	67.77	29	66
26	Grand Rapids, MI	67.74	25	95
27	Irvine, CA	67.58	40	27
28	Charlotte, NC	67.49	35	42
29	Overland Park, KS	67.41	32	69
30	Longmont, CO	67.32	20	161
31	Kent, WA	67.25	26	113
32	Gilbert, AZ	67.24	52	5
33	Spokane Valley, WA	67.00	37	72
34	Greeley, CO	66.88	43	35
35	Salem, OR	66.82	46	21
36	Austin, TX	66.69	50	31
37	San Jose, CA	66.65	14	239
38	Lexington, KY	66.64	27	155
39	Grand Prairie, TX	66.64	47	49
40	Lincoln, NE	66.63	31	145
41	Garland, TX	66.19	42	97
42	Hillsboro, OR	66.00	59	12
43	Vancouver, WA	65.93	36	137
44	Plano, TX	65.61	66	17
45	Wilmington, NC	65.36	44	139
46	Fort Wayne, IN	64.99	48	123
47	Eugene, OR	64.86	58	36
48	North Charleston, SC	64.82	45	172
49	Henderson, NV	64.79	78	13
50	Madison, WI	64.74	53	98
51	Hayward, CA	64.68	28	244
52	Fremont, CA	64.68	39	208
53	Raleigh, NC	64.60	62	57
54	Ann Arbor, MI	64.58	49	138
55	Tuscaloosa, AL	64.43	55	114
56	Everett, WA	64.42	34	231
57	Minneapolis, MN	64.34	54	126
58	Elk Grove, CA	64.23	84	19
59	Westminster, CO	64.19	61	85
60	Reno, NV	64.17	65	55
61	Centennial, CO	64.09	77	47
62	Clovis, CA	63.96	88	11
63	Sterling Heights, MI	63.86	60	105
64	Beaverton, OR	63.81	69	70
65	Peoria, AZ	63.80	74	63
66	Chandler, AZ	63.79	76	58
67	Richmond, CA	63.56	38	257
68	Atlanta, GA	63.47	70	80
69	Pueblo, CO	63.39	63	127
70	Antioch, CA	63.21	51	213
71	Tacoma, WA	63.18	56	188
72	Santa Monica, CA	62.95	72	115
73	Charleston, SC	62.91	81	90
74	Oakland, CA	62.84	30	291
75	Lakewood, CO	62.56	75	135
76	Athens-Clarke, GA	62.53	72	148
77	Columbus, OH	62.42	94	59
78	Sacramento, CA	62.38	83	128
79	High Point, NC	62.37	64	191
80	Roswell, GA	62.37	112	28
81	Temecula, CA	62.32	125	6
82	Concord, CA	62.04	57	235
83	Ontario, CA	61.94	86	112
84	Dallas, TX	61.85	80	160
85	Sandy Springs, GA	61.84	118	29
86	Arlington, TX	61.69	79	178
87	Yakima, WA	61.66	89	119
88	Portland, OR	61.56	96	96
89	Greensboro, NC	61.42	85	170
90	Chesapeake, VA	61.24	122	51
91	Manchester, NH	61.23	67	248
92	Livonia, MI	61.20	128	34
93	Spokane, WA	61.11	100	110
94	Vacaville, CA	61.09	108	78
95	Gresham, OR	60.99	95	140
96	Murrieta, CA	60.94	147	15
97	Kenosha, WI	60.86	107	120
98	Laredo, TX	60.80	137	41
99	Surprise, AZ	60.80	163	9
100	Federal Way, WA	60.57	91	187
101	Davie, FL	60.56	151	43
102	Winston-Salem, NC	60.52	116	109
103	Omaha, NE	60.50	120	92
104	Orlando, FL	60.49	133	65
105	Glendale, CA	60.49	103	143
106	Rancho Cucamonga, CA	60.48	145	32
107	Corona, CA	60.43	144	33
108	North Las Vegas, NV	60.36	148	39
109	Mesa, AZ	60.31	138	64
110	Santa Rosa, CA	60.24	114	124
111	Chico, CA	60.10	131	61
112	Mesquite, TX	59.99	99	189
113	Phoenix, AZ	59.98	158	50
114	San Mateo, CA	59.94	68	279
115	Richmond, VA	59.91	111	163
116	Riverside, CA	59.89	139	81
117	Tempe, AZ	59.82	153	68
118	Escondido, CA	59.82	82	253
119	Fontana, CA	59.81	160	45
120	Burbank, CA	59.75	71	278
121	Port St. Lucie, FL	59.70	162	16
122	Santa Clarita, CA	59.69	129	131
123	Moreno Valley, CA	59.58	157	67
124	Warren, MI	59.54	150	93
125	Carlsbad, CA	59.51	119	158
126	Fairfield, CA	59.50	142	74
127	Orange, CA	59.48	104	207
128	Santa Ana, CA	59.45	87	251
129	Augusta, GA	59.38	193	94
130	Huntsville, AL	59.35	124	153
131	Broken Arrow, OK	59.30	190	22
132	Boulder, CO	59.27	134	129
133	San Diego, CA	59.24	110	210
134	Vista, CA	59.03	93	250
135	Pomona, CA	59.01	98	238
136	Anaheim, CA	58.97	101	234
137	St. Paul, MN	58.97	152	122
138	Savannah, GA	58.94	117	204
139	Louisville, KY	58.92	121	195
140	Wichita, KS	58.82	146	147
141	Gainesville, FL	58.78	105	243
142	Kansas City, MO	58.74	130	184
143	Tampa, FL	58.66	176	73
144	Springfield, MO	58.66	126	198
145	Ventura, CA	58.65	109	237
146	Las Vegas, NV	58.62	177	75
147	Oceanside, CA	58.45	113	236
148	Westminster, CA	58.40	90	281
149	Modesto, CA	58.40	143	166
150	Chula Vista, CA	58.39	149	162
151	Santa Maria, CA	58.39	132	200
152	Fresno, CA	58.38	164	125
153	Visalia, CA	58.36	180	46
154	Boston, MA	58.32	92	270
155	Stockton, CA	58.17	140	194
156	Daly City, CA	58.12	97	272
157	Garden Grove, CA	58.10	115	246
158	Mission Viejo, CA	57.93	172	133
159	Naperville, IL	57.89	201	44
160	Norman, OK	57.88	196	54
161	Rialto, CA	57.86	178	116
162	San Francisco, CA	57.78	102	277
163	Salt Lake City, UT	57.78	186	118
164	Fullerton, CA	57.73	136	225
165	Alexandria, VA	57.71	184	134
166	Lancaster, CA	57.65	156	199
167	Lakeland, FL	57.53	202	56
168	Norwalk, CA	57.53	141	223
169	Pembroke Pines, FL	57.52	211	48
170	Glendale, AZ	57.43	191	91
171	Cambridge, MA	57.43	165	174
172	Lansing, MI	57.37	161	201
173	San Antonio, TX	57.35	228	25
174	Cape Coral, FL	57.26	223	8
175	Carson, CA	57.23	170	183
176	Honolulu, HI	57.11	171	190
177	Palmdale, CA	57.05	174	181
178	Cedar Rapids, IA	57.00	168	202
179	Green Bay, WI	56.99	175	175
180	Los Angeles, CA	56.95	106	287
181	Des Moines, IA	56.94	200	100
182	Victorville, CA	56.86	207	77
183	West Covina, CA	56.82	173	203
184	Oxnard, CA	56.76	154	242
185	South Gate, CA	56.57	135	268
186	Simi Valley, CA	56.51	181	196
187	Knoxville, TN	56.42	188	169
188	Oklahoma City, OK	56.40	194	130
189	Huntington Beach, CA	56.38	182	205
190	Pittsburgh, PA	56.35	187	186
191	Sunrise, FL	56.29	205	111
192	Long Beach, CA	56.24	155	259
193	Pasadena, CA	56.12	166	241
194	Davenport, IA	56.03	183	216
195	Washington, DC	55.97	179	229
196	Inglewood, CA	55.90	126	289
197	Plantation, FL	55.84	224	53
198	Costa Mesa, CA	55.83	159	267
199	Miramar, FL	55.76	235	18
200	Bakersfield, CA	55.72	216	89
201	El Monte, CA	55.55	123	293
202	Jacksonville, FL	55.54	226	52
203	San Bernardino, CA	55.34	208	176
204	Tallahassee, FL	55.19	209	165
205	El Paso, TX	55.12	238	71
206	Jersey City, NJ	55.06	199	215
207	Torrance, CA	55.06	195	222
208	Fort Smith, AR	55.02	212	154
209	Scottsdale, AZ	55.02	242	20
210	El Cajon, CA	54.83	169	282
211	Thousand Oaks, CA	54.82	204	214
212	Quincy, MA	54.79	198	232
213	Tucson, AZ	54.75	215	157
214	Compton, CA	54.71	185	265
215	Houston, TX	54.71	206	219
216	Vallejo, CA	54.70	213	156
217	Palm Bay, FL	54.68	231	76
218	Cincinnati, OH	54.64	189	254
219	Memphis, TN	54.62	217	164
220	Salinas, CA	54.58	197	245
221	St. Petersburg, FL	54.45	236	85
222	Coral Springs, FL	54.35	239	79
223	Akron, OH	54.31	225	146
224	Berkeley, CA	54.27	167	286
225	Aurora, IL	54.27	232	99
226	Boca Raton, FL	54.17	252	14
227	Clearwater, FL	53.91	234	101
228	Milwaukee, WI	53.77	219	206
229	Downey, CA	53.77	214	230
230	Columbus, GA	53.76	220	185
231	Santa Barbara, CA	53.61	222	173
232	Lowell, MA	53.58	203	273
233	Pompano Beach, FL	53.56	241	108
234	Providence, RI	53.52	192	285
235	Anchorage, AK	53.39	218	224
236	Virginia Beach, VA	53.24	244	83
237	Indianapolis, IN	53.13	229	192
238	Stamford, CT	53.03	233	177
239	Little Rock, AR	52.95	243	103
240	Yuma, AZ	52.74	227	211
241	Elgin, IL	52.69	245	104
242	Amarillo, TX	52.64	246	144
243	Hialeah, FL	52.27	221	255
244	New Orleans, LA	52.21	251	106
245	Springfield, IL	52.15	240	182
246	Dearborn, MI	52.13	279	84
247	Albuquerque, NM	52.07	255	121
248	Hampton, VA	51.87	248	150
249	Roanoke, VA	51.63	237	228
250	Waukegan, IL	51.59	250	159
251	Hollywood, FL	51.56	257	117
252	Norfolk, VA	51.51	253	167
253	Buffalo, NY	51.47	210	294
254	Lynn, MA	51.37	230	262
255	Allentown, PA	51.27	247	180
256	Fort Lauderdale, FL	50.96	259	136
257	Joliet, IL	50.46	264	107
258	Philadelphia, PA	50.45	249	217
259	West Palm Beach, FL	50.28	267	87
260	Baton Rouge, LA	49.67	263	168
261	St. Louis, MO	49.40	258	233
262	Shreveport, LA	49.33	254	256
263	New Haven, CT	48.89	261	227
264	Worcester, MA	48.74	262	220
265	Newport News, VA	48.41	272	141
266	Miami, FL	48.28	256	280
267	Mobile, AL	48.12	260	260
268	Miami Gardens, FL	47.98	266	218
269	Toledo, OH	47.84	277	151
270	Springfield, MA	47.75	270	193
271	Tulsa, OK	47.66	265	240
272	Portsmouth, VA	47.00	282	152
273	Baltimore, MD	46.95	278	212
274	Chicago, IL	46.70	274	226
275	Albany, NY	46.45	268	258
276	Brockton, MA	46.17	271	264
277	Corpus Christi, TX	46.07	292	179
278	Fayetteville, NC	45.95	281	209
279	Montgomery, AL	45.58	276	261
280	Erie, PA	45.10	272	283
281	New York, NY	44.95	280	274
282	Jackson, MS	44.55	275	288
283	Hartford, CT	44.44	269	295
284	Rockford, IL	44.20	285	252
285	Yonkers, NY	44.19	283	269
286	Birmingham, AL	42.96	284	290
287	Fall River, MA	42.63	289	275
288	New Bedford, MA	42.62	290	266
289	Rochester, NY	42.48	286	292
290	Bridgeport, CT	42.27	293	249
291	Waterbury, CT	41.19	295	221
292	Miami Beach, FL	40.99	296	197
293	Flint, MI	40.98	287	296
294	Cleveland, OH	40.16	288	299
295	Paterson, NJ	39.94	291	297
296	Elizabeth, NJ	39.43	294	284
297	Peoria, IL	38.46	297	271
298	Dayton, OH	35.62	299	263
299	Newark, NJ	32.94	298	298
300	Detroit, MI	29.65	300	300

 

Rankings by City Size

Overall Rank (1 = Best)	Large Cities	Overall Rank (1 = Best)	Midsize Cities	Overall Rank (1 = Best)	Small Cities
1	Seattle, WA (72.16)	1	McKinney, TX (74.60)	1	Frisco, TX (75.06)
2	Denver, CO (70.16)	2	Durham, NC (72.45)	2	Allen, TX (73.93)
3	Fort Worth, TX (69.34)	3	Cary, NC (69.39)	3	Santa Clara, CA (73.79)
4	Aurora, CO (68.86)	4	Fort Collins, CO (68.96)	4	Murfreesboro, TN (72.40)
5	Colorado Springs, CO (68.12)	5	Boise, ID (68.95)	5	Richardson, TX (72.29)
6	Nashville, TN (67.77)	6	Irving, TX (68.45)	6	Bellevue, WA (72.14)
7	Charlotte, NC (67.49)	7	Grand Rapids, MI (67.74)	7	Denton, TX (71.98)
8	Austin, TX (66.69)	8	Irvine, CA (67.58)	8	Sunnyvale, CA (70.71)
9	San Jose, CA (66.65)	9	Overland Park, KS (67.41)	9	Carrollton, TX (70.17)
10	Lexington, KY (66.64)	10	Gilbert, AZ (67.24)	10	Roseville, CA (69.20)
11	Raleigh, NC (64.60)	11	Salem, OR (66.82)	11	Thornton, CO (69.11)
12	Minneapolis, MN (64.34)	12	Grand Prairie, TX (66.64)	12	Arvada, CO (68.17)
13	Atlanta, GA (63.47)	13	Lincoln, NE (66.63)	13	Renton, WA (67.83)
14	Oakland, CA (62.84)	14	Garland, TX (66.19)	14	Longmont, CO (67.32)
15	Columbus, OH (62.42)	15	Vancouver, WA (65.93)	15	Kent, WA (67.25)
16	Sacramento, CA (62.38)	16	Plano, TX (65.61)	16	Spokane Valley, WA (67.00)
17	Dallas, TX (61.85)	17	Fort Wayne, IN (64.99)	17	Greeley, CO (66.88)
18	Arlington, TX (61.69)	18	Eugene, OR (64.86)	18	Hillsboro, OR (66.00)
19	Portland, OR (61.56)	19	Henderson, NV (64.79)	19	Wilmington, NC (65.36)
20	Omaha, NE (60.50)	20	Madison, WI (64.74)	20	North Charleston, SC (64.82)
21	Mesa, AZ (60.31)	21	Hayward, CA (64.68)	21	Ann Arbor, MI (64.58)
22	Phoenix, AZ (59.98)	22	Fremont, CA (64.68)	22	Tuscaloosa, AL (64.43)
23	Riverside, CA (59.89)	23	Elk Grove, CA (64.23)	23	Everett, WA (64.42)
24	Santa Ana, CA (59.45)	24	Reno, NV (64.17)	24	Westminster, CO (64.19)
25	San Diego, CA (59.24)	25	Peoria, AZ (63.80)	25	Centennial, CO (64.09)
26	Anaheim, CA (58.97)	26	Chandler, AZ (63.79)	26	Clovis, CA (63.96)
27	Louisville, KY (58.92)	27	Tacoma, WA (63.18)	27	Sterling Heights, MI (63.86)
28	Wichita, KS (58.82)	28	Ontario, CA (61.94)	28	Beaverton, OR (63.81)
29	Kansas City, MO (58.74)	29	Greensboro, NC (61.42)	29	Richmond, CA (63.56)
30	Tampa, FL (58.66)	30	Chesapeake, VA (61.24)	30	Pueblo, CO (63.39)
31	Las Vegas, NV (58.62)	31	Spokane, WA (61.11)	31	Antioch, CA (63.21)
32	Fresno, CA (58.38)	32	Laredo, TX (60.80)	32	Santa Monica, CA (62.95)
33	Boston, MA (58.32)	33	Winston-Salem, NC (60.52)	33	Charleston, SC (62.91)
34	Stockton, CA (58.17)	34	Orlando, FL (60.49)	34	Lakewood, CO (62.56)
35	San Francisco, CA (57.78)	35	Glendale, CA (60.49)	35	Athens-Clarke, GA (62.53)
36	San Antonio, TX (57.35)	36	Rancho Cucamonga, CA (60.48)	36	High Point, NC (62.37)
37	Honolulu, HI (57.11)	37	Corona, CA (60.43)	37	Roswell, GA (62.37)
38	Los Angeles, CA (56.95)	38	North Las Vegas, NV (60.36)	38	Temecula, CA (62.32)
39	Oklahoma City, OK (56.40)	39	Santa Rosa, CA (60.24)	39	Concord, CA (62.04)
40	Pittsburgh, PA (56.35)	40	Richmond, VA (59.91)	40	Sandy Springs, GA (61.84)
41	Long Beach, CA (56.24)	41	Tempe, AZ (59.82)	41	Yakima, WA (61.66)
42	Washington, DC (55.97)	42	Fontana, CA (59.81)	42	Manchester, NH (61.23)
43	Bakersfield, CA (55.72)	43	Port St. Lucie, FL (59.70)	43	Livonia, MI (61.20)
44	Jacksonville, FL (55.54)	44	Santa Clarita, CA (59.69)	44	Vacaville, CA (61.09)
45	El Paso, TX (55.12)	45	Moreno Valley, CA (59.58)	45	Gresham, OR (60.99)
46	Tucson, AZ (54.75)	46	Augusta, GA (59.38)	46	Murrieta, CA (60.94)
47	Houston, TX (54.71)	47	Huntsville, AL (59.35)	47	Kenosha, WI (60.86)
48	Memphis, TN (54.62)	48	Pomona, CA (59.01)	48	Surprise, AZ (60.80)
49	Milwaukee, WI (53.77)	49	St. Paul, MN (58.97)	49	Federal Way, WA (60.57)
50	Virginia Beach, VA (53.24)	50	Springfield, MO (58.66)	50	Davie, FL (60.56)
51	Indianapolis, IN (53.13)	51	Oceanside, CA (58.45)	51	Chico, CA (60.10)
52	New Orleans, LA (52.21)	52	Modesto, CA (58.40)	52	Mesquite, TX (59.99)
53	Albuquerque, NM (52.07)	53	Chula Vista, CA (58.39)	53	San Mateo, CA (59.94)
54	Philadelphia, PA (50.45)	54	Garden Grove, CA (58.10)	54	Escondido, CA (59.82)
55	St. Louis, MO (49.40)	55	Salt Lake City, UT (57.78)	55	Burbank, CA (59.75)
56	Miami, FL (48.28)	56	Alexandria, VA (57.71)	56	Warren, MI (59.54)
57	Tulsa, OK (47.66)	57	Lancaster, CA (57.65)	57	Carlsbad, CA (59.51)
58	Baltimore, MD (46.95)	58	Pembroke Pines, FL (57.52)	58	Fairfield, CA (59.50)
59	Chicago, IL (46.70)	59	Glendale, AZ (57.43)	59	Orange, CA (59.48)
60	Corpus Christi, TX (46.07)	60	Cape Coral, FL (57.26)	60	Broken Arrow, OK (59.30)
61	New York, NY (44.95)	61	Palmdale, CA (57.05)	61	Boulder, CO (59.27)
62	Cleveland, OH (40.16)	62	Des Moines, IA (56.94)	62	Vista, CA (59.03)
63	Detroit, MI (29.65)	63	Oxnard, CA (56.76)	63	Savannah, GA (58.94)
		64	Knoxville, TN (56.42)	64	Gainesville, FL (58.78)
		65	Huntington Beach, CA (56.38)	65	Ventura, CA (58.65)
		66	San Bernardino, CA (55.34)	66	Westminster, CA (58.40)
		67	Tallahassee, FL (55.19)	67	Santa Maria, CA (58.39)
		68	Jersey City, NJ (55.06)	68	Visalia, CA (58.36)
		69	Scottsdale, AZ (55.02)	69	Daly City, CA (58.12)
		70	Cincinnati, OH (54.64)	70	Mission Viejo, CA (57.93)
		71	Salinas, CA (54.58)	71	Naperville, IL (57.89)
		72	St. Petersburg, FL (54.45)	72	Norman, OK (57.88)
		73	Akron, OH (54.31)	73	Rialto, CA (57.86)
		74	Aurora, IL (54.27)	74	Fullerton, CA (57.73)
		75	Columbus, GA (53.76)	75	Lakeland, FL (57.53)
		76	Providence, RI (53.52)	76	Norwalk, CA (57.53)
		77	Anchorage, AK (53.39)	77	Cambridge, MA (57.43)
		78	Little Rock, AR (52.95)	78	Lansing, MI (57.37)
		79	Amarillo, TX (52.64)	79	Carson, CA (57.23)
		80	Hialeah, FL (52.27)	80	Cedar Rapids, IA (57.00)
		81	Norfolk, VA (51.51)	81	Green Bay, WI (56.99)
		82	Buffalo, NY (51.47)	82	Victorville, CA (56.86)
		83	Fort Lauderdale, FL (50.96)	83	West Covina, CA (56.82)
		84	Baton Rouge, LA (49.67)	84	South Gate, CA (56.57)
		85	Shreveport, LA (49.33)	85	Simi Valley, CA (56.51)
		86	Worcester, MA (48.74)	86	Sunrise, FL (56.29)
		87	Newport News, VA (48.41)	87	Pasadena, CA (56.12)
		88	Mobile, AL (48.12)	88	Davenport, IA (56.03)
		89	Toledo, OH (47.84)	89	Inglewood, CA (55.90)
		90	Springfield, MA (47.75)	90	Plantation, FL (55.84)
		91	Fayetteville, NC (45.95)	91	Costa Mesa, CA (55.83)
		92	Montgomery, AL (45.58)	92	Miramar, FL (55.76)
		93	Jackson, MS (44.55)	93	El Monte, CA (55.55)
		94	Yonkers, NY (44.19)	94	Torrance, CA (55.06)
		95	Birmingham, AL (42.96)	95	Fort Smith, AR (55.02)
		96	Rochester, NY (42.48)	96	El Cajon, CA (54.83)
		97	Newark, NJ (32.94)	97	Thousand Oaks, CA (54.82)
				98	Quincy, MA (54.79)
				99	Compton, CA (54.71)
				100	Vallejo, CA (54.70)
				101	Palm Bay, FL (54.68)
				102	Coral Springs, FL (54.35)
				103	Berkeley, CA (54.27)
				104	Boca Raton, FL (54.17)
				105	Clearwater, FL (53.91)
				106	Downey, CA (53.77)
				107	Santa Barbara, CA (53.61)
				108	Lowell, MA (53.58)
				109	Pompano Beach, FL (53.56)
				110	Stamford, CT (53.03)
				111	Yuma, AZ (52.74)
				112	Elgin, IL (52.69)
				113	Springfield, IL (52.15)
				114	Dearborn, MI (52.13)
				115	Hampton, VA (51.87)
				116	Roanoke, VA (51.63)
				117	Waukegan, IL
				118	Hollywood, FL
				119	Lynn, MA
				120	Allentown, PA
				121	Joliet, IL
				122	West Palm Beach, FL
				123	New Haven, CT
				124	Miami Gardens, FL
				125	Portsmouth, VA
				126	Albany, NY
				127	Brockton, MA
				128	Erie, PA
				129	Hartford, CT
				130	Rockford, IL
				131	Fall River, MA
				132	New Bedford, MA
				133	Bridgeport, CT
				134	Waterbury, CT
				135	Miami Beach, FL
				136	Flint, MI
				137	Paterson, NJ
				138	Elizabeth, NJ
				139	Peoria, IL
				140	Dayton, OH

Ask the Experts

Economic indicators point to a strong housing market, but does that mean it’s a good time to buy a home? We consulted a panel of experts for their insight. Click on the panelists’ profiles below to read their bios and thoughts on the following key questions:

1. Is now a good time to buy a home? What economic indicators should potential buyers watching?
2. Are foreign buyers driving up the cost of U.S. real estate? Which cities are most affected?
3. How likely is it that the Federal Reserve will increase interest rates in the coming months? How will this impact the housing market?
4. Why are Millennials still sitting out of the housing market? What can be done to increase homeownership rates for this cohort?
5. In evaluating the healthiest housing markets, what are the top five indicators?

< >

• Howard Ways AICP – Associate Professor and Program Director, MS in Real Estate Development, Jefferson University
• John J. Betancur Professor, University of Illinois at Chicago

Methodology

In order to determine the best real-estate markets, WalletHub compared 300 cities across two key dimensions, “Real-Estate Market” and “Affordability & Economic Environment.”

We evaluated those dimensions using 22 relevant metrics, which are listed below with their corresponding weights. Each metric was graded on a 100-point scale, with a score of 100 representing the healthiest housing market.

Finally, we determined each city’s weighted average across all metrics to calculate its overall score and used the resulting scores to rank-order our sample.

Each city in our sample was categorized according to the following population-size guidelines:

• Large cities: More than 300,000 people
• Midsize cities: 150,000 to 300,000 people
• Small cities: Fewer than 150,000 people

 

Real-Estate Market – Total Points: 80

• Home Value Forecast: Full Weight (~5.33 Points)Note: This metric is based on Zillow’s Home Value Forecast, which predicts the Zillow Home Value Index one year from June 2018.
• Median Home-Price Appreciation: Full Weight (~5.33 Points)
• Average Number of Days Until a House Is Sold: Full Weight (~5.33 Points)
• Share of Homes Selling for a Gain: Full Weight (~5.33 Points)
• Share of Listings with Price Cuts: Full Weight (~5.33 Points)
• Share of ‘Underwater’ Homes: Full Weight (~5.33 Points)Note: This metric measures the percentage of homes with negative equity.
• Home Sales Turnover Rate: Full Weight (~5.33 Points)
• Ratio of Rent Price to Sale Price: Full Weight (~5.33 Points)
• Foreclosure Rate: Full Weight (~5.33 Points)
• Share of Delinquent Mortgage Holders: Full Weight (~5.33 Points)
• Number of Bank-Held Homes: Full Weight (~5.33 Points)Note: This metric refers to unsold Real Estate Owned, or REO, housing units.
• Vacancy Rate: Full Weight (~5.33 Points)Note: This metric was calculated as follows: Vacant Housing Units / Total Housing Units.
• Buy vs. Rent Breakeven Horizon: Full Weight (~5.33 Points)Note: The “breakeven horizon” is defined by Zillow as the point, in years, at which buying a home becomes less expensive than renting the same home.
• Share of Young Homes: Full Weight (~5.33 Points)Note: “Young Homes” refer to housing units built between 2010 and 2016.
• Building-Permit Activity: Full Weight (~5.33 Points)Note: This metric measures the number of unit permits pulled per 1,000 residents.

Affordability & Economic Environment – Total Points: 20

• Housing Affordability: Double Weight (~5.00 Points)Note: This metric measures home price as a percentage of income.
• Maintenance Affordability: Full Weight (~2.50 Points)Note: This metric measures maintenance costs as a percentage of income.
• Population Growth Rate: Full Weight (~2.50 Points)
• Job Growth Rate: Full Weight (~2.50 Points)
• Unemployment Rate: Full Weight (~2.50 Points)
• Underemployment Rate: Full Weight (~2.50 Points)
• Median Credit Score: Full Weight (~2.50 Points)

Image: Andy Dean Photography / Shutterstock.com

 

Sources: Data used to create this ranking were collected from the U.S. Census Bureau, Bureau of Labor Statistics, Council for Community and Economic Research, Zillow, TransUnion, Chmura Economics & Analytics and Renwood RealtyTrac.

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