The U.S. has a new No. 1 housing market — and it’s in Ohio.
The Wall Street Journal/Realtor.com released its spring housing market rankings for the nation, with Toledo taking over the top spot. Overall, Ohio has five communities ranked in the top 20.
“The Midwest boasts affordability, a low cost of living and climate resiliency, all of which contribute to its presence on the Housing Market Ranking list,” according to the report.
Real Estate For Sale. Tues, Dec. 31, 2024.
Wall Street Journal/Realtor.com rates the 200 largest metropolitan areas on median home prices, cost of living and other factors.
Ohio had a strong presence in the top 10, with Canton — which was No. 1 in the winter rankings — coming in at No. 5 and Akron at No. 6. The Youngstown-Warren area was a newcomer at No. 18. And Dayton was No. 19.
Columbus, which has appeared in the rankings before, fell out of the top 20.
Why did Toledo top the Wall Street Journal/Realtor.com list?
Toledo saw a considerable jump in the rankings this spring due to strong demand, quick market pace and significant price growth in the past year, according to the report.
“Toledo is mid-sized with roughly 600,000 residents, but pulled in significant buyer attention in the first quarter of 2025,” the report reads. “Almost two-thirds of listing viewers in Toledo were from outside of the metro area, highlighting the appeal of this low-priced market, especially to other Midwesterners. The median listing price in Toledo climbed 17.5% compared to one year prior in March and homes spent 37 days on the market, more than two weeks less than the national median.”
Are housing prices expected to rise in 2025?
According to a recent home value and sales forecast from Zillow, home values are predicted to drop by 1.9% this year. An earlier forecast predicted a 0.6% increase.
“The combination of rising available listings and elevated mortgage rates is signaling potential price drops by year’s end,” according to the forecast. “With increased supply, buyers are gaining more options and time to decide, while sellers are cutting prices at record levels to attract bids.”
Where are the top U.S. housing markets this spring, according to Wall Street Journal/Realtor.com?
Here’s a look at the top 20 housing markets this spring and the median listing price:
Manchester-Nashua, New Hampshire: $565,000
Rockford, Illinois: $249,000
Springfield, Massachusetts: $330,000
Canton-Massillon: $240,000
Harrisburg-Carlisle, Pennsylvania: $365,000
Hartford-West Hartford-East Hartford, Connecticut: $450,000
Milwaukee-Waukesha-West Allis, Wisconsin: $375,000
Reading, Pennsylvania: $330,000
New Haven-Milford, Connecticut: $460,000
Lancaster, Pennsylvania: $400,000
Fort Wayne, Indiana: $310,000
Appleton, Wisconsin: $426,000
South Bend-Mishawaka, Indiana-Michigan: $249,000
Worcester, Massachusetts-Connecticut: $550,000
Green Bay, Wisconsin: $490,000
Youngstown-Warren-Boardman, Ohio-Pennsylvania: $185,000
Kalamazoo-Portage, Michigan: $325,000
This story was updated to add a video.
This article originally appeared on The Repository: Top US housing market is here in Ohio: See the Wall Street Journal list