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Investing / Real Estate

How Much It Costs To Buy a Home in 2021’s Top Real Estate Markets

3 min Read
Gabrielle Olya Written by Gabrielle Olya
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Roschetzky Photography / Shutterstock.com

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The pandemic has led to housing booms in some surprising places. As more jobs are able to be performed remotely, Americans are shifting their real estate priorities from homes in major cities to homes with more living space. Given this, the “hottest” markets in 2021 may not be what you expect.

Realtor.com and the Wall Street Journal identified the top real estate markets of 2021 based on areas with strong housing demand, rising home prices, robust economies, plenty of good-paying jobs and amenities, like restaurants, bars and shops. According to Realtor.com, “the top markets are a mix of higher-end, outdoorsy, resort areas; smaller cities that have been growing at a breakneck pace; and places that provide a more affordable alternative to larger urban areas that are still just barely within commuting distance.”

Here are the top 10 emerging real estate markets of 2021 — plus, how much it will cost to live in each.

Last updated: June 9, 2021

10. Santa Cruz, California

  • Median home list price: $1.22 million

9. Manchester, New Hampshire

  • Median home list price: $419,950

8. Concord, New Hampsire

  • Median home list price: $362,450

7. Reno, Nevada

  • Median home list price: $562,000

6. Lafayette, Indiana

  • Median home list price: $297,450

5. Spokane, Washington

  • Median home list price: $434,900

4. Billings, Montana

  • Median home list price: $428,500

3. Springfield, Ohio

  • Median home list price: $144,900

2. Austin, Texas

  • Median home list price: $520,000

1. Coeur d’Alene, Idaho

  • Median home list price: $799,000

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Methodology: The Realtor.com economics team and the Wall Street Journal’s data team identified the top markets of 2021, and beyond, in the inaugural Wall Street Journal/Realtor.com Emerging Housing Markets Index. Markets are ranked based on housing demand, rising home prices, local economies, number of jobs available and local amenities. The quarterly index looked at a pool of the country’s 300 largest metropolitan areas, which include the main city and surrounding suburbs, towns and smaller urban areas. Median list prices are accurate as of March 2021.

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