Home Value Boost Might Follow Boston or Seattle’s Championship Parade
Zillow data shows championship markets usually beat national home value growth in the year after winning football’s biggest game
Key Takeaways:
- In 13 of the past 20 years, the metro area that won the professional football championship saw home values grow faster than the U.S. average in the year that followed, according to the Zillow Home Value Index.
- On average, the typical home in a championship market gained $4,437 more than the typical U.S. home in the year after the win.
Football fans in Seattle and Boston know that winning the season’s biggest game this weekend comes with bragging rights, a parade and gaudy championship rings. An analysis of the Zillow Home Value Index shows homeowners in those markets may also get an unexpected bonus: stronger home value growth in the year that follows.
Over the past 20 years, home values in the metro area that wins the professional football championship have grown an average of $4,437 more than the national market in the year after the confetti falls. Over that span, the winning city’s housing market has beaten the U.S. average 13 times — assuming Philadelphia’s strong lead holds over the next month.
It’s highly unlikely that a championship football team is actually the driving force causing home values to grow, but this is a fun trend to dive into nonetheless.
Biggest winners, and a few losers
Some markets really ran up the score. Homeowners in the Tampa metro area saw especially strong gains after their team’s championship in February 2021, with home values rising $25,262 more than the national average in the year that followed. Denver followed its 2016 title with home values that outpaced the country by $21,459, while Boston homeowners saw an additional $15,565 in growth after the 2017 win.
Not every champion followed up its trophy win with a real estate boom. In the New York metro area, the typical home value fell $15,741 more than the national average in the year after one of its teams won the 2008 championship. Los Angeles home values did rise following its team’s 2022 win, but by $8,763 less than the typical U.S. home.
Regardless of the outcome, the housing market is moving in a healthier direction nationwide. Zillow projects 20 of the 50 largest metro areas will be affordable to buy in for a median-income household by the end of this year — the most since 2022.
| Metro Area | Year of Championship Game Win | Typical Home Value Growth in Year Following Championship | Difference Compared to National Average |
| Pittsburgh, PA | 2006 | $2,514 | -$5,003 |
| Indianapolis, IN | 2007 | $125 | $6,959 |
| New York, NY | 2008 | -$35,478 | -$15,741 |
| Pittsburgh, PA | 2009 | $3,574 | $13,240 |
| New Orleans, LA | 2010 | -$4,673 | $2,260 |
| Green Bay, WI | 2011 | -$6,563 | $60 |
| New York, NY | 2012 | $3,972 | -$3,004 |
| Baltimore, MD | 2013 | $12,373 | -$550 |
| Seattle, WA | 2014 | $22,546 | $13,667 |
| Boston, MA | 2015 | $27,069 | $14,832 |
| Denver, CO | 2016 | $32,168 | $21,459 |
| Boston, MA | 2017 | $28,962 | $15,565 |
| Philadelphia, PA | 2018 | $8,362 | -$4,083 |
| Boston, MA | 2019 | $14,363 | $2,224 |
| Kansas City, MO | 2020 | $25,320 | -$1,991 |
| Tampa, FL | 2021 | $69,867 | $25,262 |
| Los Angeles, CA | 2022 | $10,083 | -$8,763 |
| Kansas City, MO | 2023 | $14,712 | $2,514 |
| Kansas City, MO | 2024 | $10,759 | $1,765 |
| Philadelphia, PA* | 2025 | $9,392 | $8,067 |
*As of January 2026
