Manchester, New Hampshire, has been named Zillow’s most popular housing market of 2024. This year's list is dominated by areas in the Northeast, with the Midwest also making a strong showing and just one West Coast city cracking the top 10. Zillow says this year’s rankings highlighted the appeal of what's known as exurbs — smaller towns located beyond the suburbs yet still within commuting distance of major metropolitan areas.
In another year of higher mortgage rates, areas of affordability and opportunity were center stage in 2024,' said Zillow Chief Economist Skylar Olsen. 'With the rise of hybrid work models, more people are discovering hidden-gem cities they might have previously overlooked when daily commutes were the norm. Buyers are seeking out locations that offer the right mix of affordable living and lifestyle amenities. Zillow’s top 10 most popular markets of 2024 include: Manchester, New Hampshire, Rockford, Illinois, Stamford, Connecticut, Columbia, Maryland, Bridgeport, Connecticut, Allentown, Pennsylvania, Peoria, Illinois, New Haven, Connecticut, Waterbury, Connecticut and Sunnyvale, California. Zillow’s analysis examined metrics such as page-view traffic, home value growth and the speed of home sales