Zillow released its annual list of the most popular housing markets this month and 2024 brought some surprises. The most popular housing market in the entire country was Manchester, New Hampshire, which is the largest city in the small New England state.
Though Manchester is not cheap -- home values jumped 7.3% over the past year, averaging up to $415,000, according to the report -- it's still much more inexpensive than Boston, which is about an hour away by car (and has an average home price of around $750,000).
There were also surprises when it comes to retirement cities.
According to Zillow data, this year's most popular retirement city was Pahrump, Nevada, a town 50 miles outside Las Vegas and far from the usual suspects like Arizona and Florida.
Related: Are You Actually on Track to Retire Well? A Financial Expert Reveals the Critical Milestones to Hit at Every Age -- Plus 3 Common Oversights.
One-third of Pahrump's population is 65 and older, according to Zillow.
The No. 2 most popular retirement city was Pinehurst, North Carolina, which was No. 1 last year, followed by Hilton Head Island, South Carolina.
These cities have "warm climates and golf courses galore," making them popular for retirees, according to the report, which defined retirement towns as areas where at least 33% of the population is older than 65 with no children or other relatives (other than a spouse) living in the home.
To create the full report, Zillow analyzed housing metrics, including consumer demand, page-view traffic, home value growth, and how quickly homes sell.
Related: These Are the 'Wealthiest and Safest' Places to Retire in the U.S. None of Them Are in Florida -- and 2 States Swept the List.
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