Buyer's or seller's housing market? Zillow's new rating for 250 major markets
Want more housing market stories from Lance Lambert's ResiClub in your inbox? Subscribe to the ResiClub newsletter.
Zillow economists use an economic model known as the Zillow Market Heat Index to gauge the competitiveness of housing markets across the country.
This model looks at key indicators—including home price changes, inventory levels, and days on market—to generate a score showing whether a market favors sellers or buyers.
Higher scores point to hotter, seller-friendly metro housing markets. Lower scores signal cooler markets where buyers hold more negotiating power.
According to Zillow:
Score of 70 or above = strong seller's market
Score from 55 to 69 = seller's market
Score from 44 to 55 = neutral market
Score from 28 to 44 = buyer's market
Score of 27 or below = strong buyer's market
Nationally, Zillow rates the U.S. housing market at 55 in its May 2025 reading, published this week.
That said, Zillow's reading varies significantly across the country.
Among the 250 largest metro area housing markets, these 10 are the HOTTEST markets, where sellers have the most power:
Rochester, NY → 145
Buffalo, NY → 110
Syracuse, NY 100
Charleston, WV → 99
Albany, NY → 97
Hartford, CT → 89
Lansing, MI → 85
Anchorage, AK → 83
Springfield, MA → 82
Manchester, NH → 81
Among the 250 largest metro area housing markets, these 10 are the COLDEST markets, where buyers have the most power:
Macon, GA → 23
Jackson, TN → 24
Brownsville, TX → 27
Gulfport, MS → 27
Naples, FL → 27
Longview, TX → 27
Daphne, AL → 29
Punta Gorda, FL → 29
Beaumont, TX → 30
Cape Coral, FL → 31
Does ResiClub agree with Zillow's assessment?
Directionally, I believe Zillow has correctly identified many regional housing markets where buyers have gained the most power—particularly around the Gulf—as well as markets where sellers have maintained (relatively speaking) somewhat of a grip, including large portions of the Northeast and Midwest.
Based on my personal housing analysis, I consider Southwest Florida the weakest/softest chunk of the U.S. housing market. Not too far behind are pockets of Texas, Colorado, and Arizona markets where there's built up unsold spec inventory.
In my view, many West Coast markets are softer right now than Zillow's analysis suggests—in particular, the areas that have recently seen big jumps in active inventory for sale.
What did this Zillow analysis look like back in spring 2021 during the Pandemic Housing Boom? Below is Zillow's May 2021 reading—published in June 2021.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
26 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Chocolate company recalls product nationwide for undeclared allergen
NEW YORK (PIX11) — Chocolate products have been recalled nationwide due to potential undeclared milk allergens, according to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. The Pennsylvania-based distributor, Weaver Nut Company, Inc., has recalled its semi-sweet chocolate nonpareils with white or Christmas colored seeds, the advisory from the FDA says. More Local News People who have an allergy or severe sensitivity to milk could face serious or life-threatening allergic reactions if they consume the impacted products, the FDA warns. So far no illnesses have been reported. The issue was discovered through a wholesale customer who filed a complaint saying the shipment was misaligned with the product specifications. Lab tests confirmed the presence of milk in the product. More: Latest News from Around the Tri-State Consumers who have purchased the recalled product are urged not to eat it if they have a milk allergy and return it to the place of purchase for a full refund. Below is the list of lot codes for the affected chocolates. 47518 – Nonpareil, Semi-Sweet Chocolate (Christmas Seeds) 204206 204207 204208 204209 204212 224225 D2645 – Nonpareils, Semi-Sweet Chocolate (White Seeds) 204214-RL 204214 204215 224221 224222 224223 135215 135216 135217 135220 135221 145204 145205-1 145207-1 145210-1 Dominique Jack is a digital content producer from Brooklyn with more than five years of experience covering news. She joined PIX11 in 2024. More of her work can be found here. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Bloomberg
27 minutes ago
- Bloomberg
Ether Leads Crypto Selloff as US Attacks Nuclear Sites in Iran
Ether fell sharply while Bitcoin held steady after President Donald Trump said American bombers and missiles had struck Iran's three main nuclear sites. The second-ranked token fell as much as 7.7% on Sunday morning in Asia to about $2,200, its lowest intra-day level since May 9. Bitcoin briefly dipped below $101,000 but pared losses to trade relatively evenly in the aftermath of the attacks.
Yahoo
27 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Workiva Inc. (WK) Appoints Astha Malik to Its Board of Directors
Workiva Inc. (NYSE:WK) is one of the 11 Best Tech Stocks to Buy On the Dip. On May 29, Workiva Inc. (NYSE:WK) announced the appointment of Astha Malik, Chief Business Officer of Braze, to its board of directors. Malik brings 25 years of experience in driving growth and scaling high-growth SaaS companies. The company also released its Q1 2025 results on May 1. The revenue of $206 million grew 17% year-over-year driven by a 20% increase in subscription and support revenue. Both of these financial indicators surpass management's guidance despite a challenging environment characterized by a cautious buying environment and flat professional services revenue. A software engineer debugging a compliance code on a laptop in a modern office setting. After the earnings release, analyst Alexander Sklar from Raymond James maintained an Overweight rating on Workiva Inc. (NYSE:WK) lowering the price target from $125 to $105. The analyst noted the company showed strong bookings in Q1 however, the tough macroeconomic environment led to a conservative outlook by Raymond James. Regardless, Workiva Inc. (NYSE:WK) maintained its full-year revenue guidance at $864 million to $868 million. Workiva Inc. (NYSE:WK) is a technology company that operates a cloud-based platform that enables organizations to streamline and automate financial, sustainability, and compliance reporting processes. Its SaaS platform combines ERP, HCM, and CRM applications, supporting real-time collaboration and integrated reporting across teams. While we acknowledge the potential of WK as an investment, we believe certain AI stocks offer greater upside potential and carry less downside risk. If you're looking for an extremely undervalued AI stock that also stands to benefit significantly from Trump-era tariffs and the onshoring trend, see our free report on the best short-term AI stock. READ NEXT: The Best and Worst Dow Stocks for the Next 12 Months and 10 Unstoppable Stocks That Could Double Your Money. Disclosure: None. Melden Sie sich an, um Ihr Portfolio aufzurufen.
