Three metro areas in Wisconsin were rated among the top 20 housing markets in the country based on expected home value appreciation and quality of life.
The Summer 2025 Housing Market Ranking report, from the Wall Street Journal and real estate listings site Realtor.com, included an analysis of housing market data as well as “economic vitality” and lifestyle metrics. It looked at the 200 largest metro areas in the country.
The top-rated housing market list included Appleton at No. 8, Green Bay at No. 13 and the Milwaukee-Waukesha-West Allis area at No. 18. Several others in the top 20 were located in other Midwest states, including Illinois, Indiana, Michigan and Ohio.
Report authors note “buyers largely remained on the sidelines” across the country in late spring and early summer despite inventory levels getting a boost this year.
“This trend is evident in the dominance of Northeastern and Midwestern metropolitan areas, reflecting a shift toward more attainable housing markets,” they wrote.
The Midwest markets that ranked highly have an average population of about 500,000 people, showing many homebuyers are looking to mid-sized metro areas for balancing home prices and quality of life.
The report notes the cost of living is about 7.9% lower than the national level in these areas. And the Midwest markets on the list had an average listing price of $344,000, which is about $100,000 below the national median.
Authors also point to the influence of hybrid and remote work opportunities, which are enabling more buyers to prioritize home affordability and quality of life, “driving interest in mid-sized Midwest and Northeast cities over traditional urban centers.”
Along with the lower cost of living and related housing affordability, the list references the Midwest’s climate resiliency, contrasting it with southern California’s wildfires as well as flooding in Texas and hurricanes in Florida and North Carolina.
“Though no one can perfectly predict future weather events and be perfectly prepared, climate data can be a useful tool to understand potential risk,” authors wrote, noting the Midwest and Northeast regions have lower climate risk than the South and West, “contributing their appeal and their ranking among the top markets.”
See the top 20 list and Realtor.com’s overview on the report.
