The 30 Best Housing Markets To Grow Your Wealth

Real estate is one of those investments that can either be a money pit or a financial windfall. However, if you know where and when to invest your money, it can be an asset that keeps on giving. Though housing markets across the United States can be volatile, especially in times of economic uncertainty, there remains a variety of places where you can put your best foot forward when buying property. 

Many of the best places to invest are probably not for someone in the starter-home market, but that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t know where to go to get the biggest return on your buck. GOBankingRates recently conducted a study to determine the best housing markets to grow your wealth based on factors like year-over-year change in home value, list-to-sale ratio, listing price cuts and more. Here are some key findings:

• At four each, both Connecticut and California have the most housing markets in the top 20 of this list of the best real estate regions to grow your wealth. 
• San Jose, California, had the biggest one-year increase in home value at $151,218 from 2023 to 2024.
• Bridgeport, Connecticut, had the highest overall two-year increase in home value with a $73,213 appreciation.

Here are the 30 best housing markets to grow your wealth ranked by the highest two-year home value increase.

• August 2022 home value: $553,151
• August 2023 home value: $578,561
• August 2024 home value: $626,365
• 1-year home value change (%): 8.26%
• 2-year home value change ($): $73,213
• 2-year home value change (%): 13.24%
• Mean price cut: $60,172
• Share of listings with price cuts: 15.47%

• August 2022 home value: $1,494,018
• August 2023 home value: $1,411,721
• August 2024 home value: $1,562,939
• 1-year home value change: (%) 10.71%
• 2-year home value change ($): $68,921
• 2-year home value change (%): 4.61%
• Mean price cut: $79,093
• Share of listings with price cuts: 17.13%

• August 2022 home value: $361,201
• August 2023 home value: $389,573
• August 2024 home value: $423,014
• 1-year home value change (%): 8.58%
• 2-year home value change ($): $68,921
• 2-year home value change (%): 8.58%
• Mean price cut: $29,291
• Share of listings with price cuts: 12.63%

• August 2022 home value: $670,533
• August 2023 home value: $692,309
• August 2024 home value: $731,429
• 1-year home value change (%): 5.65%
• 2-year home value change ($): $60,897
• 2-year home value change (%): 9.08%
• Mean price cut: $60,848
• Share of listings with price cuts: 21.95%

• August 2022 home value: $431,445
• August 2023 home value: $455,143
• August 2024 home value: $489,533
• 1-year home value change (%): 7.56%
• 2-year home value change ($): $58,087
• 2-year home value change (%): 13.46%
• Mean price cut: $29,759
• Share of listings with price cuts: 17.39%

• August 2022 home value: $910,819
• August 2023 home value: $913,095
• August 2024 home value: $968,859
• 1-year home value change (%): 6.11%
• 2-year home value change ($): $58,040
• 2-year home value change (%): 6.37%
• Mean price cut: $110,653
• Share of listings with price cuts: 19.91%

• August 2022 home value: $885,011
• August 2023 home value: $872,580
• August 2024 home value: $942,645
• 1-year home value change (%): 8.03%
• 2-year home value change ($): $57,634
• 2-year home value change (%): 6.51%
• Mean price cut: $44,969
• Share of listings with price cuts: 26.44%

• August 2022 home value: $639,186
• August 2023 home value: $653,126
• August 2024 home value: $696,075
• 1-year home value change (%): 6.58%
• 2-year home value change ($): $56,889
• 2-year home value change (%): 8.90%
• Mean price cut: $42,575
• Share of listings with price cuts: 19.22%

• August 2022 home value: $310,247
• August 2023 home value: $333,625
• August 2024 home value: $365,085
• 1-year home value change (%): 9.43%
• 2-year home value change ($): $54,838
• 2-year home value change (%): 17.68%
• Mean price cut: $26,458
• Share of listings with price cuts: 16.54%

• August 2022 home value: $336,145
• August 2023 home value: $359,126
• August 2024 home value: $388,652
• 1-year home value change (%): 8.22%
• 2-year home value change ($): $52,508
• 2-year home value change (%): 15.62%
• Mean price cut: $41,467
• Share of listings with price cuts: 16.28%

• August 2022 home value: $309,388
• August 2023 home value: $332,870
• August 2024 home value: $361,554
• 1-year home value change (%): 8.62%
• 2-year home value change ($): $52,166
• 2-year home value change (%): 16.86%
• Mean price cut: $28,131
• Share of listings with price cuts: 18.72%

• August 2022 home value: $321,891
• August 2023 home value: $342,728
• August 2024 home value: $372,992
• 1-year home value change (%): 8.83%
• 2-year home value change ($): $51,101
• 2-year home value change (%): 15.88%
• Mean price cut: $21,209
• Share of listings with price cuts: 19.40%

• August 2022 home value: $406,865
• August 2023 home value: $425,668
• August 2024 home value: $457,399
• 1-year home value change (%): 7.45%
• 2-year home value change ($): $50,535
• 2-year home value change (%): 12.42%
• Mean price cut: $23,016
• Share of listings with price cuts: 19.88%

• August 2022 home value: $622,220
• August 2023 home value: $629,018
• August 2024 home value: $672,211
• 1-year home value change (%): 6.87%
• 2-year home value change ($): $49,991
• 2-year home value change (%): 8.03%
• Mean price cut: $50,075
• Share of listings with price cuts: 13.93%

• August 2022 home value: $438,174
• August 2023 home value: $453,172
• August 2024 home value: $487,161
• 1-year home value change (%): 7.50%
• 2-year home value change ($): $48,987
• 2-year home value change (%): 11.18%
• Mean price cut: $34,864
• Share of listings with price cuts: 19.71%

• August 2022 home value: $900,195
• August 2023 home value: $887,336
• August 2024 home value: $945,636
• 1-year home value change (%): 6.57%
• 2-year home value change ($): $45,441
• 2-year home value change (%): 5.05%
• Mean price cut: $63,274
• Share of listings with price cuts: 20.01%

• August 2022 home value: $474,046
• August 2023 home value: $497,011
• August 2024 home value: $519,024
• 1-year home value change (%): 4.43%
• 2-year home value change ($): $44,977
• 2-year home value change (%): 4.43%
• Mean price cut: $41,394
• Share of listings with price cuts: 22.49%

• August 2022 home value: $296,781
• August 2023 home value: $319,078
• August 2024 home value: $341,266
• 1-year home value change (%): 6.95%
• 2-year home value change ($): $44,485
• 2-year home value change (%): 14.99%
• Mean price cut: $15,328
• Share of listings with price cuts: 24.00%

• August 2022 home value: $445,720
• August 2023 home value: $466,709
• August 2024 home value: $489,015
• 1-year home value change (%): 4.78%
• 2-year home value change ($): $43,295
• 2-year home value change (%): 9.71%
• Mean price cut: $27,053
• Share of listings with price cuts: 22.56%

• August 2022 home value: $370,413
• August 2023 home value: $389,628
• August 2024 home value: $411,766
• 1-year home value change (%): 5.68%
• 2-year home value change ($): $41,354
• 2-year home value change (%): 11.16%
• Mean price cut: $18,684
• Share of listings with price cuts: 16.19%

• August 2022 home value: $304,940
• August 2023 home value: $325,007
• August 2024 home value: $344,930
• 1-year home value change (%): 6.13%
• 2-year home value change ($): $39,989
• 2-year home value change (%): 13.11%
• Mean price cut: $14,940
• Share of listings with price cuts: 31.68%

• August 2022 home value: $271,310
• August 2023 home value: $289,825
• August 2024 home value: $310,676
• 1-year home value change (%): 7.19%
• 2-year home value change ($): $39,366
• 2-year home value change (%): 14.51%
• Mean price cut: $17,252
• Share of listings with price cuts: 13.70%

• August 2022 home value: $308,711
• August 2023 home value: $329,413
• August 2024 home value: $347,845
• 1-year home value change (%): 5.60%
• 2-year home value change ($): $39,134
• 2-year home value change (%): 12.68%
• Mean price cut: $16,804
• Share of listings with price cuts: 16.21%

• August 2022 home value: $275,786
• August 2023 home value: $298,577
• August 2024 home value: $314,343
• 1-year home value change (%): 5.28%
• 2-year home value change ($): $38,557
• 2-year home value change (%): 13.98%
• Mean price cut: $14,783
• Share of listings with price cuts: 10.17%

• August 2022 home value: $200,786
• August 2023 home value: $215,526
• August 2024 home value: $238,689
• 1-year home value change (%): 10.75%
• 2-year home value change ($): $37,902
• 2-year home value change (%): 18.88%
• Mean price cut: $20,218
• Share of listings with price cuts: 16.23%

• August 2022 home value: $846,070
• August 2023 home value: $852,507
• August 2024 home value: $883,708
• 1-year home value change (%): 3.66%
• 2-year home value change ($): $37,638
• 2-year home value change (%): 4.45%
• Mean price cut: $58,599
• Share of listings with price cuts: 22.13%

• August 2022 home value: $393,671
• August 2023 home value: $414,640
• August 2024 home value: $429,146
• 1-year home value change (%): 3.50%
• 2-year home value change ($): $35,475
• 2-year home value change (%): 9.01%
• Mean price cut: $18,704
• Share of listings with price cuts: 29.09%

• August 2022 home value: $437,885
• August 2023 home value: $459,581
• August 2024 home value: $472,828
• 1-year home value change (%): 2.88%
• 2-year home value change ($): $34,943
• 2-year home value change (%): 7.98%
• Mean price cut: $27,495
• Share of listings with price cuts: 22.87%

• August 2022 home value: $223,821
• August 2023 home value: $239,538
• August 2024 home value: $258,227
• 1-year home value change (%): 7.80%
• 2-year home value change ($): $34,407
• 2-year home value change (%): 15.37%
• Mean price cut: $22,002
• Share of listings with price cut: 12.29%

• August 2022 home value: $321,153
• August 2023 home value: $340,468
• August 2024 home value: $354,630
• 1-year home value change (%): 4.16%
• 2-year home value change ($): $33,477
• 2-year home value change (%): 10.42%
• Mean price cut: $13,065
• Share of listings with price cuts: 21.78%

Methodology: For this piece, GOBankingRates looked at the 200 largest Metro Statistical Areas (MSA) according to real estate market and found the following 10 factors. For each MSA GOBankingRates found: (1) 1-year percent change in home value; (2) 1-year change in home value in USD; (3) 2-year percent change in home value; (4) 2-year change in home value in USD; (5) for-sale inventory; (6) mean days from listing to pending; (7) mean list to sale ratio; (8) mean days from pending to close; (9) share of listings with a price cut; and (10) mean price cut. All data was sourced from Zillow’s June 2024 data. All 10 factors were then scored and combined with the highest score being the worst housing markets. In final calculations, factors (1), (2), (9) and (10) were weighted 2x and factor (5) was weighted 0.5x. All data was collected and is up to date as of Sept. 26, 2024.