BALLWIN, Mo. — A city in St. Louis County has earned second place on Realtor.com's "Hottest ZIP Codes in America" rankings for 2024.
Ballwin, Missouri, earned 10th place on that same ranking last year but moved up to second place this year, the website announced Tuesday.
"While we've seen big changes in the housing market, such as a growing number of homes for sale, this year's hottest ZIP codes in America show common factors are driving interest in these highly competitive areas," Realtor.com chief economist Danielle Hale said. "Although mortgage rate relief is starting to materialize, this year's hottest ZIPs reflect the focus on affordability that home shoppers have had over the last few years in the face of high housing costs."
Hale explained that Midwest and Northeast zip codes dominated the list because they "attracted highly qualified home buyers seeking more space without relinquishing proximity to urban amenities."
Here is the list for 2024:
- 43230 — Gahanna, Ohio.
- 63021 — Ballwin, Missouri.
- 01970 — Salem, Massachusetts.
- 07920 — Basking Ridge, New Jersey.
- 14609 — Rochester, New York.
- 08054 — Mount Laurel, New Jersey.
- 01453 — Leominster, Massachusetts.
- 01085 — Westfield, Massachusetts.
- 46322 — Highland, Indiana.
- 18062 — Macungie, Pennsylvania.
The report said on top of affordability, the top locations are highly competitive with homes spending an average of 13 days on the market in June 2024. It said by comparison, the national median is 45 days on the market.
The report added that the country's southern and western regions are not represented in this year's report as buyer interest has shifted away from areas that are generally unaffordable, or have become less affordable due to significant price growth during the COVID-19 pandemic.
