Columbus, Ohio, was ranked as the top location for homebuyers in Realtor.com’s newly published ranking of the “Most Popular Markets People Are Moving To.”
“Using Realtor.com online traffic data, we identified markets that received the most buyer interest in the past year,” said Jiayi Xu, an economist at Realtor.com. “A higher share of online traffic indicates greater interest in homes within that market, suggesting they’re more attractive to homebuyers.”
Columbus, where the median home price was $309,000, topped the new list. Xu pointed out that the city “attracted 0.9% of online traffic on Realtor.com, with views per property 2.4 times the national level. Moreover, homes in Columbus have garnered nationwide interest, reflected in a regional interest index of 0.5. This interest spans across the Northeast (13.7%), South (15.4%), Midwest (67.3%), and West (3.6%). Among out-of-state shoppers, buyers from New York exhibit the highest interest in Columbus homes, followed by shoppers from Virginia and California.”
Rounding out the list’s top 10 markets were Knoxville, Tennessee; Louisville, Kentucky; Detroit; Pittsburgh; Portland, Maine; Tampa; Charleston, South Carolina; Hartford, Connecticut; and Asheville, North Carolina.
“Markets receiving high national interest tend to face increased demand from buyers across the country, driving up prices, even beyond what local buyers can afford, which may force local residents to move,” Xu said. “In contrast, markets with more regional or local interest typically experience more moderate price increases and more stable price trends.”
However, Xu added that Realtor.com’s ranking limited selections “to one market per state to ensure greater diversity.”