Suburbs far outpace urban areas in home value growth

The urban real estate market has been running hot in the U.S. since last summer. But the suburbs have been even hotter, according to an analysis from Zillow Group Inc. From January 2013 through June 2021, urban homes have generally been gaining dollar value more quickly. But a switch happened after July 2021 as the economy recovered from the pandemic: Home values in suburban zip codes rose faster on annual basis, fueled by the widespread shift to remote work that spurred millions Americans to look for greener locales and bigger homes. Zillow economist Nicole Bachaud compared the recent trend to one world-class sprinter edging out another.

“While urban home value gains have continued to accelerate, the suburbs are even hotter, showing just how strong demand is for limited suburban inventory,” Bachaud said in a press release.

Some urban areas remain exceptionally attractive to buyers — more so than their suburbs. Among them are San Jose, Silicon Valley’s biggest city, and Austin, a place that has seen among the biggest gains in home prices during the pandemic.