Small Cities Lead The Way In Q3

Thanks to high housing costs and remote-work opportunities small cities lead the way in the Q3 Wall Street Journal/Realtor.com Emerging Housing Markets Index…(WSJ)

  • Elkhart, Ind., which bills itself as the RV capital of the world, topped the housing index for Q3 2021.
  • Rapid City, S.D., came in at number two followed by Topeka, Kan., Raleigh, N.C., and Jefferson City, Mo.

NOTE: The index identifies the top metro areas for home buyers seeking an appreciating housing market and appealing lifestyle amenities.

Double-digit growth is the norm for the markets in the top 20. The median home-sale price in Elkhart County rose 12.3% in August from a year earlier to $209,900

  • Median listing prices in the top 20 have risen an average of 13.4% in the past year. This is more than double the 6.6% rise in all 300 areas.

NOTE: North Carolina had three metro areas in the top 20 of this quarter’s ranking: Raleigh, Burlington and Durham-Chapel Hill. Wilmington was up this quarter to #33.