The 10 Most Stable Housing Markets

The 10 Most Stable Housing Markets

The 10 Most Stable Housing Markets.  Image courtesy of holohololand / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

The 10 Most Stable Housing Markets. Image courtesy of holohololand / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Housing markets where home values grow too rapidly can quickly turn sour. That’s why many home owners may prefer moderate, steady price growth.

“Housing market stability isn’t only good for financial health, it’s good for a home owner’s mental health too,” notes a new analysis by SmartAsset.

SmartAsset evaluated the price growth among U.S. cities to determine which ones have seen historically stable growth. The following are the markets that have seen consistent rises over the past 25 years, with few downturns:

1. Boulder, Colo.: Home prices have grown an average of 4 percent a year over the past 25 years.

2. Austin, Texas: The housing market here is one of the hottest in the country but unlike other boom-markets, prices fell just 3.4 percent here during the housing crisis.

3. Bismarck, N.D.: The average home owner who has purchased a home in Bismarck has never seen prices fall 5 percent or more there in the past 25 years.

4. Midland, Texas: Prices have risen by an average of 3.3 percent annually over the past 25 years.

5. Casper, Wyo.: Home prices have risen an average of 4.7 percent annually.

6. Anchorage, Alaska: The city has seen annual average growth of more than 3 percent since 1990 but it has not seen any significant price declines in that period.

7. Billings, Mont.: With a low unemployment rate, home prices have stayed steady over the last 25 years.

8. Walla Walla, Wash.: Home prices have increased nearly 30 percent since 2005 and only temporary losses were seen during the housing crisis.

9. Odessa, Texas: Home owners here only had 4 percent odds of seeing prices decline of 5 percent or greater over the past 25 years.

10. Houma-Thibodaux, Louisiana: The average annual price growth here has been 2.8 market.

Source: “The Best Housing Markets for Growth and Stability,” SmartAsset (July 8, 2015)