Housing market shift: This interactive map shows where sellers—or buyers—have more power

By Lance Lambert

September 5, 2024

In the face of strained housing affordability, some regional housing markets are shifting in buyers favor—just look at Zillow’s Market Heat Index.

A higher score indicates a hotter metro-level housing market where sellers have more power. A lower score indicates a colder metro-level housing market where buyers have more power.

According to Zillow, a score of 70 or above indicates a strong seller’s market. Meanwhile, a score from 55 to 69 is a seller’s market, and a score from 44 to 55 is considered a neutral market. On the other end of the spectrum, a score from 28 to 44 indicates a buyer’s market, while a score of 27 or below is a strong buyer’s market, according to Zillow.

Among the 200 largest metro-area housing markets, these 10 are the hottest markets, where sellers have the most power:

1. Rochester, NY: 154
2. Syracuse, NY: 102
3. Buffalo, NY: 95
4. Albany, NY: 88
5. Hartford, CT: 88
6. San Jose, CA: 84
7. Springfield, MA: 82
8. Binghamton, NY: 80
9. Norwich, CT: 79
10. Manchester, NH: 78

Among the 200 largest metro-area housing markets, these 10 are the coldest markets, where buyers have the most power:

1. Beaumont, TX: 13
2. Gulfport, MS: 14
3. Longview, TX: 23
4. Lubbock, TX: 23
5. Brownsville, TX: 26
6. Macon, GA: 27
7. Waco, TX: 30
8. Gainesville, FL: 30
9. Naples, FL: 31
10. Cape Coral, FL: 33

See More.

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