T
he Northeast dominated Zillow's list of top markets for the second year in a row, with five cities making the top 10. Manchester, New Hampshire, was the most popular city on the site in 2024, attracting attention from potential buyers outside its metro area.

    According to Treh Manhertz, a writer for Zillow, many of this year's most popular cities were exurbs - smaller towns beyond suburbs but within commuting distance of major metropolitan areas. This shift is likely due to hybrid work models, allowing people to discover hidden gem cities they may have overlooked before. These communities offer a balance of affordable living and lifestyle amenities.

    Manchester's median home value jumped 7.3% year-over-year to $414,829, with prices increasing from $249,145 five years ago. Despite soaring home prices, Manchester remains more affordable than nearby Boston, where the median sale price for a single-family home was $600,000 in November, according to The Warren Group.

    New England markets captured five of the top 10 most popular markets on Zillow in 2024: Manchester, NH; Rockford, IL; Stamford, CT; Columbia, MD; and Bridgeport, CT. Other notable cities included Sunnyvale, CA; Toledo, OH; Elizabethtown, PA; Milford, CT; and Portland, ME.

    Zillow analyzed housing metrics to determine the most popular markets among home shoppers, including page-view traffic, home value growth, and how quickly homes sell. The site also named the most popular large city (Toledo, OH), small town (Elizabethtown, PA), coastal city (Milford, CT), vacation town (Portland, ME), retirement city (Pahrump, NV), and college town (Normal, IL).