Where Home Prices Increased Most

Home values can reflect cost of living trends in an area, giving hopeful homebuyers as well as existing homeowners a pulse on the momentum in their local market. Between 2025 and 2026, the typical home value in large U.S. cities actually declined by 1.04%, with values dropping in 70% of cities. But the full range of changes from market to market ran the gamut from -9.1% to +5.01%, putting both hopeful buyers and homeowners in starkly different environments across the nation.

With this in mind, SmartAsset ranked 100 of the largest U.S. cities based on the one-year change in the typical local home value. Changes over the last five years and from pre-pandemic times are also reported.

Key Findings

These midwestern cities contend with San Francisco, NYC for increasing home values. Toledo, OH ranked number one for highest home value increase at 5.6% year over year, with a resulting typical home value of $126,270. Lincoln, NE ranked second with a 4.1% increase putting homes at a typical $285,359. San Francisco and New York City – among some of the priciest housing markets nationwide at a typical value of $1.3 million and $800k respectively – ranked third and fourth for price growth at 4.0% each.
Typical homes cost over $1.5 million in Irvine, CA. Of large U.S. cities, Irvine has the most expensive homes this year at a typical value of $1,541,925. Despite a -0.62% change in values year over year, Irvine maintains the largest five-year value increase at 70.1%. San Jose, CA, which has the second highest home value in 2026 at $1,435,993, experienced a larger year-over-year decline of 2.68%.
Home values fall more than 9% in this Bay Area city. Oakland, CA experienced the steepest decline in home values at -9.1% in just one year, dropping from $770,708 to $700,829. It is also the only large city where home values declined since 2019 (-6.7%). Over the past year, home values in St. Petersburg, FL (-7.5%); Naples, FL (-6.4%); Austin, TX (-6.0%); and Plano, TX (-5.1%) follow Oakland with some of the steepest declines.
Since pre-pandemic, home values increased most in Knoxville, TN. Over the last seven years, the typical home value in Knoxville increased 94.0%, nearly doubling from $187,490 to $363,688 today. On average, home values in big cities have increased 48.6% over this time period.

Top 10 Cities Where Home Values Increased Most

Toledo, OH

One year change: 5.60%
Typical home value in 2026: $126,270
Typical home value in 2025: $119,577
Five year change: 41.75%
Change since pre-pandemic: 79.48%

Lincoln, NE

One year change: 4.11%
Typical home value in 2026: $285,359
Typical home value in 2025: $274,091
Five year change: 34.15%
Change since pre-pandemic: 53.44%

San Francisco, CA

One year change: 4.04%
Typical home value in 2026: $1,299,230
Typical home value in 2025: $1,248,791
Five year change: -1.46%
Change since pre-pandemic: 2.25%

New York, NY

One year change: 3.97%
Typical home value in 2026: $812,534
Typical home value in 2025: $781,476
Five year change: 10.29%
Change since pre-pandemic: 14.53%

Milwaukee, WI

One year change: 3.69%
Typical home value in 2026: $216,278
Typical home value in 2025: $208,590
Five year change: 45.08%
Change since pre-pandemic: 83.14%

Buffalo, NY

One year change: 3.65%
Typical home value in 2026: $232,351
Typical home value in 2025: $224,159
Five year change: 42.51%
Change since pre-pandemic: 82.79%

Lexington, KY

One year change: 3.12%
Typical home value in 2026: $322,743
Typical home value in 2025: $312,974
Five year change: 41.15%
Change since pre-pandemic: 64.61%

Tulsa, OK

One year change: 2.86%
Typical home value in 2026: $212,757
Typical home value in 2025: $206,846
Five year change: 37.10%
Change since pre-pandemic: 72.06%

Louisville, KY

One year change: 2.50%
Typical home value in 2026: $259,139
Typical home value in 2025: $252,809
Five year change: 28.50%
Change since pre-pandemic: 49.20%

Virginia Beach, VA

One year change: 2.50%
Typical home value in 2026: $418,508
Typical home value in 2025: $408,317
Five year change: 30.83%
Change since pre-pandemic: 50.24%

Top 10 Cities Where Home Values Decreased Most

Oakland, CA

One year change: -9.07%
Typical home value in 2026: $700,829
Typical home value in 2025: $770,708
Five year change: -15.52%
Change since pre-pandemic: -6.65%

Saint Petersburg, FL

One year change: -7.47%
Typical home value in 2026: $345,243
Typical home value in 2025: $373,112
Five year change: 28.01%
Change since pre-pandemic: 56.47%

Naples, FL

One year change: -6.35%
Typical home value in 2026: $548,175
Typical home value in 2025: $585,350
Five year change: 43.98%
Change since pre-pandemic: 55.48%

Austin, TX

One year change: -5.93%
Typical home value in 2026: $500,627
Typical home value in 2025: $532,202
Five year change: 6.88%
Change since pre-pandemic: 32.41%

Plano, TX

One year change: -5.10%
Typical home value in 2026: $501,564
Typical home value in 2025: $528,510
Five year change: 32.43%
Change since pre-pandemic: 44.13%

Aurora, CO

One year change: -4.43%
Typical home value in 2026: $458,953
Typical home value in 2025: $480,216
Five year change: 15.40%
Change since pre-pandemic: 31.61%

Denver, CO

One year change: -4.32%
Typical home value in 2026: $530,920
Typical home value in 2025: $554,868
Five year change: 10.98%
Change since pre-pandemic: 24.67%

Atlanta, GA

One year change: -3.95%
Typical home value in 2026: $381,549
Typical home value in 2025: $397,252
Five year change: 11.15%
Change since pre-pandemic: 22.57%

Stockton, CA

One year change: -3.95%
Typical home value in 2026: $426,138
Typical home value in 2025: $443,665
Five year change: 17.14%
Change since pre-pandemic: 39.30%

Tampa, FL

One year change: -3.93%
Typical home value in 2026: $369,079
Typical home value in 2025: $384,167
Five year change: 36.35%
Change since pre-pandemic: 65.02%

Data and Methodology

This study examined home sale data for 100 of the largest metro areas in the U.S. to determine one-year and five-year price growth. Data for February, 2026, 2025 and 2021 comes from Zillow’s Home Value Index for single-family homes, condos and co-ops.

Where Home Prices Increased Most – 2026 Study