Looking for an affordable home in a midsize town with good job prospects? You might do well to start with Rockford, IL, named by Zillow as the nation’s most popular housing market for 2025 after moving on up from second place last year.
In addition to parks and cultural facilities, Rockford offers proximity to Chicago, about 90 minutes away, attracting interest from outside its immediate area. Houses typically go under contract in just five days, according to the housing marketplace.
Indeed, cities in the Midwest dominate Zillow’s list of the top 10 cities in the U.S. Most of them in this group had home values under $350,000 and an affordable cost of living, growing job access or locations along key commuter corridors.
Toledo, OH emerged as the most popular large city in the country, defined as having a population of at least 250,000. Other popular large cities were Lincoln, NE and Anchorage, AK.
Kailua, HI took pride of place among coastal cities, along with South Portland, ME and Santa Cruz, CA.
The small-town winner was Lake Forest, IL, known for its historic charm.
Portland, ME emerged as the most popular vacation town, meaning that the city had a population of at least 50,000 and more than 33% of the housing units were not primary residences. Residents are lured by the area's food, arts scene and historic architecture.
In the battle for the most popular college town, Normal, IL, home to Illinois State, triumphed over State College, PA, home to Penn State, and Lawrence, KS, serving the University of Kansas.
Older folks made Bullhead City, AZ, the nation’s top retirement town, beating out The Villages, FL and Lake Havasu City, AZ.
By region, Albany, NY, came out ahead in the Northeast, Berkeley, CA in the West, Abilene, TX, in the Southwest, High Point, NC, in the Southeast and Nampa, ID, in the mountain region.
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