Where are the healthiest housing markets?

The U.S. housing market has a whole seems to be on the mend. But which U.S. cities feature the healthiest markets?

The U.S. housing market seems to be on the mend. But which metropolitan areas feature the healthiest markets?

WalletHub compared 25 of the country’s largest metropolitan areas across 10 key metrics – including down payment percentage, access to financing and percentage of underwater mortgages – to find out which metropolitan areas had the healthiest housing markets.

WalletHub ranked metro areas identified as the largest in the nation by the U.S. Census Bureau. According to the survey, the 10 healthiest U.S. housing markets are:
  • Boston, Mass.
  • Oklahoma City, Okla.
  • Northern New Jersey, N.J.
  • Hartford, Conn.
  • Austin, Texas
  • New York, N.Y.
  • Rochester, N.Y.
  • Philadelphia, Penn.
  • Houston, Texas
One of the biggest indicators in whether a housing market is healthy is access to financing. Right now, however, experts say that access is too tight nationally, a result of a stricter regulatory environment.

“It is unclear what the stance of mortgage lending regulations is. The majority of loans today fall under the CFBP’s definition of a standard mortgage contract,” James Thompson, chair and professor of finance at the University of Akron, told WalletHub. “However, the direction of mortgage lending regulation appears to be towards more strict standards which could be a drag on housing markets as the recovery of the housing sector continues.”