15 Counties With the Largest Home Price Increases in 2021

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Editor's Note: This story originally appeared on Inspection Support Network.

The COVID-19 pandemic has brought many changes to the economy, and one of the most profound impacts has been on the residential real estate market in the U.S.

For more than a year and a half, an unusual combination of factors has left would-be homebuyers navigating a highly competitive market with prices growing at an extremely rapid pace. One of the major challenges has been supply.

Late in 2020, the inventory of homes for sale fell to all-time low levels, while supply chain challenges and a tight labor market have made it difficult for builders to complete new homes. On the demand side, more homebuyers — many of them first- or second-time buyers of the millennial generation — have been enticed to enter the market thanks to low mortgage rates and high savings and investment returns during the pandemic.

And while recent months have shown signs that the market may be cooling off, elevated prices may be the new normal in the residential market.

The data used in this analysis is from Zillow Group’s Zillow Home Value Index (ZHVI) and the U.S. Census Bureau’s American Community Survey. To identify the counties with the largest home price increases in 2021, researchers at Inspection Support Network calculated the percentage change in the ZHVI between October 2020 and October 2021.

Here are the counties with the biggest home price increases in 2021.

15. San Diego County, CA

The skyline of San Diego, where median rent is well below median mortgage payments
Dancestrokes / Shutterstock.com
  • Previous 1-year change in price (%): +25.1%
  • Previous 1-year change in price (absolute): +$163,142
  • Median home price (October 2021): $814,289
  • Median home price (October 2020): $651,147
  • Population: 3,338,330

14. San Bernardino County, CA

San Bernardino, California
Matt Gush / Shutterstock.com
  • Previous 1-year change in price (%): +25.4%
  • Previous 1-year change in price (absolute): +$98,785
  • Median home price (October 2021): $487,026
  • Median home price (October 2020): $388,241
  • Population: 2,180,085

13. Collin County, TX

Record cold grips Dallas in February 2021.
Marouanesitti / Shutterstock.com
  • Previous 1-year change in price (%): +27.5%
  • Previous 1-year change in price (absolute): +$98,154
  • Median home price (October 2021): $455,407
  • Median home price (October 2020): $357,253
  • Population: 1,034,730

12. Gwinnett County, GA

Gwinnett,County,,Ga
Billy F Blume Jr / Shutterstock.com
  • Previous 1-year change in price (%): +27.9%
  • Previous 1-year change in price (absolute): +$75,032
  • Median home price (October 2021): $343,628
  • Median home price (October 2020): $268,596
  • Population: 936,250

11. Pima County, AZ

Marana, Arizona
Charles T. Peden / Shutterstock.com
  • Previous 1-year change in price (%): +28.0%
  • Previous 1-year change in price (absolute): +$66,907
  • Median home price (October 2021): $305,962
  • Median home price (October 2020): $239,055
  • Population: 1,047,279

10. Salt Lake County, UT

Salt Lake City, Utah
f11photo / Shutterstock.com
  • Previous 1-year change in price (%): +28.3%
  • Previous 1-year change in price (absolute): +$121,159
  • Median home price (October 2021): $548,803
  • Median home price (October 2020): $427,644
  • Population: 1,160,437

9. Hillsborough County, FL

Tampa, Florida
Ilya Images / Shutterstock.com
  • Previous 1-year change in price (%): +28.4%
  • Previous 1-year change in price (absolute): +$73,906
  • Median home price (October 2021): $334,552
  • Median home price (October 2020): $260,646
  • Population: 1,471,968

8. Wake County, NC

Raleigh, North Carolina
Sean Pavone / Shutterstock.com
  • Previous 1-year change in price (%): +28.4%
  • Previous 1-year change in price (absolute): +$92,874
  • Median home price (October 2021): $419,400
  • Median home price (October 2020): $326,526
  • Population: 1,111,761

7. Riverside County, CA

Riverside, California at night
MattGush / Shutterstock.com
  • Previous 1-year change in price (%): +28.9%
  • Previous 1-year change in price (absolute): +$123,856
  • Median home price (October 2021): $551,879
  • Median home price (October 2020): $428,023
  • Population: 2,470,546

6. Snohomish County, WA

Everett, Washington
Cascade Creatives / Shutterstock.com
  • Previous 1-year change in price (%): +29.0%
  • Previous 1-year change in price (absolute): +$155,002
  • Median home price (October 2021): $688,581
  • Median home price (October 2020): $533,579
  • Population: 822,083

5. San Joaquin County, CA

Stockton California street
Todd A. Merport / Shutterstock.com
  • Previous 1-year change in price (%): +30.0%
  • Previous 1-year change in price (absolute): +$121,054
  • Median home price (October 2021): $525,129
  • Median home price (October 2020): $404,075
  • Population: 762,148

4. Pinellas County, FL

Clearwater, Florida
Freer / Shutterstock.com
  • Previous 1-year change in price (%): +30.1%
  • Previous 1-year change in price (absolute): +$75,622
  • Median home price (October 2021): $326,623
  • Median home price (October 2020): $251,001
  • Population: 974,996

3. Lee County, FL

Fort Myers, Florida
Tono Balaguer / Shutterstock.com
  • Previous 1-year change in price (%): +31.8%
  • Previous 1-year change in price (absolute): +$81,537
  • Median home price (October 2021): $337,891
  • Median home price (October 2020): $256,354
  • Population: 770,577

2. Maricopa County, AZ

Phoenix, Arizona
f11photo / Shutterstock.com
  • Previous 1-year change in price (%): +32.3%
  • Previous 1-year change in price (absolute): +$104,345
  • Median home price (October 2021): $427,059
  • Median home price (October 2020): $322,714
  • Population: 4,485,414

1. Travis County, TX

Austin, Texas
Roschetzky Photography / Shutterstock.com
  • Previous 1-year change in price (%): +41.4%
  • Previous 1-year change in price (absolute): +$170,600
  • Median home price (October 2021): $582,776
  • Median home price (October 2020): $412,176
  • Population: 1,273,954

Methodology

A man studies financial data at his computer
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The data used in this analysis is from Zillow Group’s Zillow Home Value Index (ZHVI) and the U.S. Census Bureau’s American Community Survey.

To identify the counties with the largest home price increases in 2021, researchers calculated the percentage change in the ZHVI between October 2020 and October 2021.

In the event of a tie, the county with the larger absolute price increase was ranked higher.

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