This year, Zillow users showed a strong preference for Manchester, New Hampshire, making it the most popular city of 2024. The Northeast continued to capture attention, dominating Zillow’s list of most popular markets for the second consecutive year. The Midwest also performed well, while only one West Coast market managed to break into the top 10, a notable shift from its previous dominance in 2021.

The majority of this year’s most popular cities were exurbs — smaller towns situated beyond the suburbs yet within commuting distance of a major metropolitan area. The increase in hybrid work models is likely contributing, leading more people to discover hidden gem cities that they may have previously overlooked when daily commutes were standard. These communities strike a balance of affordable living and lifestyle amenities.

Zillow’s top 10 most popular markets of 2024: 

1. Manchester, New Hampshire 
2. Rockford, Illinois 
3. Stamford, Connecticut 
4. Columbia, Maryland 
5. Bridgeport, Connecticut 
6. Allentown, Pennsylvania
7. Peoria, Illinois 
8. New Haven, Connecticut 
9. Waterbury, Connecticut 
10. Sunnyvale, California

To determine the most popular markets among Zillow home shoppers, Zillow analyzed housing metrics in cities across the U.S. that reflect consumer demand, including page-view traffic, home value growth and how quickly homes sell.

Most popular on Zillow overall: Manchester, New Hampshire

Manchester, the largest city in the state, has seen growing interest among home shoppers. That has contributed to typical home values jumping 7.3% over the past year, up to $415,000. Still, Manchester remains more affordable than nearby Boston.

Manchester has garnered particular attention from potential buyers outside of its metro area, suggesting a strong interest in relocating there.

Most popular large city: Toledo, Ohio

While affordability captivated many home shoppers on Zillow, Toledo stood out as the top choice among large cities in 2024. The typical home in Toledo is worth $121,000, making it an attractive option for buyers seeking affordability. From its proximity to Lake Erie to its thriving art scene, Toledo offers rich experiences. 

Following Toledo, San Jose, California, and Wichita, Kansas, also garnered significant interest, securing their rankings as No. 2  and No. 3 respectively among the most popular large cities.

Most popular small town: Elizabethtown, Pennsylvania

Just south of Pennsylvania’s state capital, and less than a two-hour drive west of Philadelphia, lies Elizabethtown — Zillow’s most popular small town of 2024. With a population of 12,000, Elizabethtown features picturesque streets, local shops and parks, all of which are attracting the interest of Zillow surfers. Home buyers looking to settle in Elizabethtown must act fast, as homes for sale there typically go under contract within just five days.

While Elizabethtown claimed the top ranking in this category, Midwest small-town hot spots were not far behind. Vermilion, Ohio; Roscoe, Illinois; and Twinsburg, Ohio, followed closely, showcasing the region’s growing appeal.

Most popular coastal city: Milford, Connecticut

Milford emerged as the most popular coastal city among Zillow home shoppers this year. With 17 miles of coastline along Long Island Sound, the area has plenty of seaside attractions, including beaches, parks, boating and more.

Following Milford, West Haven, Connecticut, secured the second spot, while South Portland, Maine, claimed third. Rounding out the top five were Santa Cruz, California, and Barnstable, Massachusetts.

Most popular vacation town: Portland, Maine

Nestled on a peninsula that extends into Casco Bay, Portland secured its position as the top vacation city among Zillow home shoppers. As the most populous city in Maine, its appeal is clear. Renowned for its art scene, architecture and seafood, Portland draws visitors in search of a coastal getaway.

The East Coast dominated the most popular vacation towns among Zillow surfers this year. East Haven, Connecticut, and Newport, Rhode Island, edged out California cities Monterey and Santa Barbara for the second and third spots in Zillow’s ranking.

Most popular retirement city: Pahrump, Nevada

Fifty miles outside of Las Vegas, Pahrump is this year’s most popular retirement city. With a warm climate and more than one-third of its population ages 65 and older, Pahrump is an ideal community for retirees.

Pahrump bumped last year’s top retirement city — Pinehurst, North Carolina — to the second spot on this year’s list. 

Most popular college town: Normal, Illinois

Normal is home to the Illinois State University Redbirds, and is now Zillow’s most popular college town. Coming in second for the second year in a row, is Kent, Ohio, where Kent State University is located. 

Trailing close behind were San Luis Obispo, California (where California Polytechnic State University is located); Charlottesville, Virginia (home to the University of Virginia); and La Crosse, Wisconsin (the site of the University of Wisconsin–La Crosse).

Most popular cities by geographic region

From coast to coast, here’s a look at this year’s top cities for capturing the attention of home shoppers in each region:

• Northeast: Manchester, New Hampshire 
• West: Sunnyvale, California 
• Midwest: Rockford, Illinois 
• Southwest: Rio Rancho, New Mexico
• Southeast: Cary, North Carolina
• Mountain Region: Fort Collins, Colorado

Methodology and definitions

To determine the most popular city overall and most popular city by geographic region, Zillow analyzed cities with a population of at least 100,000 people, according to 2022 American Community Survey data. 

Large cities were defined as having a population of at least 250,000 people, according to 2022 American Community Survey data.

Small towns were defined as having a population of no more than 20,000 people, according to 2022 American Community Survey data.

Coastal cities were defined as areas where more than half of listing descriptions on Zillow mentioned the beach, and excluded all cities that did not feature the word “beach” in at least 50 listings on Zillow. Zillow’s analysis only considered cities having a population of at least 25,000 people, according to 2022 American Community Survey data.

Vacation towns were defined as areas where more than 33% of the housing units were designated for non-primary use, according to 2022 American Community Survey data. Zillow’s analysis only considered cities having a population of at least 25,000 people, according to 2022 American Community Survey data. Cities qualifying as college towns based on this analysis were excluded given the potential overlap in housing units designated for non-primary use.

Retirement towns were defined as areas where at least 33% of the population is older than 65 and has no children or other relatives (other than a spouse) living in the home.

College towns were defined as cities with at least 20% of the population enrolled in higher education, according to 2022 American Community Survey data. Zillow’s analysis only considered cities having a population of at least 25,000 people, according to 2022 American Community Survey data.

The most popular cities by geographic region are defined by the Northeast (CT, ME, MA, NH, NJ, NY, PA, RI, VT, DE, MD), West (WA, OR, CA, ID, NV, AK, HI), Midwest (IL, IN, IA, KS, MI, MN, MO, NE, ND, OH, SD, WI), Southwest (TX, OK, NM, AZ), Southeast (AL, AR, FL, GA, KY, LA, MS, NC, SC, TN, VA, WV) and Mountain Region (MT, WY, UT, CO).