America's Hottest Housing Markets

As the housing market recovered nationwide, home values rose 5.1% across the U.S. between February 2012 and February 2013. In 10 of the major markets analyzed by Zillow, values rose more than 13%. In five of those, home values rose more than 20%.

1 minute read

May 10, 2013, 11:00 AM PDT

By Jonathan Nettler @nettsj


Phoenix led the country in home value growth over the last year, shows data from Zillow, the real estate listing website. With 24% growth over the past year, the city's housing market is on its way back after bottoming out in the third quarter of 2011.

"Six of the 10 housing markets on the list are in California," notes Samuel Weigley, "which was hit harder by the housing downturn than most states. Three of the four metropolitan areas not in California — Detroit, Las Vegas and Phoenix — were also disproportionately hurt by the housing crisis. For example, in Las Vegas, home prices dropped 59% between the peak in the first quarter of 2006 and the third quarter of 2012."

"Home values do not necessarily rebound quickly after a major downturn, said Svenja Gudell, a senior economist with Zillow. However, many of the areas with the most growth in the past year, notably those around Silicon Valley, have remained desirable places to live. This has helped these areas recover at a faster clip compared to the rest of the country."

Monday, April 29, 2013 in 24/7 Wall St.

portrait of professional woman

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching. Mary G., Urban Planner

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching.

Mary G., Urban Planner

Get top-rated, practical training

Logo for Planetizen Federal Action Tracker with black and white image of U.S. Capitol with water ripple overlay.

Planetizen Federal Action Tracker

A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.

April 30, 2025 - Diana Ionescu

Close-up on Canadian flag with Canada Parliament building blurred in background.

Canada vs. Kamala: Whose Liberal Housing Platform Comes Out on Top?

As Canada votes for a new Prime Minister, what can America learn from the leading liberal candidate of its neighbor to the north?

April 28, 2025 - Benjamin Schneider

Hot air balloons rise over Downtown Boise with the State Capitol building visible amidst the high rises.

The Five Most-Changed American Cities

A ranking of population change, home values, and jobs highlights the nation’s most dynamic and most stagnant regions.

April 23, 2025 - GoodMigrations

People biking along beach path with moored ship in San Diego, California.

San Diego Adopts First Mobility Master Plan

The plan provides a comprehensive framework for making San Diego’s transportation network more multimodal, accessible, and sustainable.

May 2 - SD News

Sleeping in Public

Housing, Supportive Service Providers Brace for Federal Cuts

Organizations that provide housing assistance are tightening their purse strings and making plans for maintaining operations if federal funding dries up.

May 2 - KSL

Conductor walks down platform next to Amtrak train at station in San Jose, California.

Op-Ed: Why an Effective Passenger Rail Network Needs Government Involvement

An outdated rail network that privileges freight won’t be fixed by privatizing Amtrak.

May 2 - Streetsblog USA

Urban Design for Planners 1: Software Tools

This six-course series explores essential urban design concepts using open source software and equips planners with the tools they need to participate fully in the urban design process.

Planning for Universal Design

Learn the tools for implementing Universal Design in planning regulations.

Senior Manager Operations, Urban Planning

New York City School Construction Authority

Building Inspector

Village of Glen Ellyn

Manager of Model Development

Central Transportation Planning Staff/Boston Region MPO