If you want to buy a home, go east… at least if you buy what Zillow thinks. Last Tuesday, the real estate giant dropped its annual housing market report, forecasting the 50 hottest major housing markets of 2025. It ranks these markets based on home values, sales, job growth, permits, and expected increase in “owner-occupied households.” And as luck would have it, last year’s king — Buffalo, NY — still reigns supreme.

• Despite its frigid winters, Zillow says Buffalo, NY will once again be the most in-demand housing market of 2025 — trailed by Indianapolis, IN, Providence, RI, and Hartford, CT.
• Missouri’s two largest metros, St. Louis (#6) and Kansas City (#8), also rose into the top 10 this year — both saw some of the fastest-growing rents last year, according to Zumper.

Who else made the cut? Also in the top ten were rapidly rising metros, like Philadelphia, PA (#5), Charlotte, NC (#7), Richmond, VA (#9), and Salt Lake City, UT (#10). The biggest risers on this year’s list included Virginia Beach, VA (#13, +23 spots), Oklahoma City, OK (#17, +21 spots), and Birmingham, AL (#20, +21 spots).

Who missed their invitation? Three Ohio metros made last year’s top 10 but fell off this year after hefty increases in housing development — Cincinnati (#11, -9 spots), Columbus (#11, -9 spots), and Cleveland (#14, -6 spots). Southern cities like Memphis, TN (#43, -30 spots), Atlanta, GA (#24, -18 spots), and Tampa, FL (#29, -19 spots) also experienced wholesome losses.

And how could we forget the city struggles? San Francisco (#49, -19 spots), Las Vegas, NV (#35, -23 spots), and Chicago, IL (#39, -17 spots) also suffered as job growth in their regions moderated.