By Daily Mail (U.S.) | Created at 2024-12-19 15:36:53 | Updated at 2024-12-19 19:24:37
4 hours ago
The gorgeous New England city where Adam Sandler grew up has been named America's hottest real estate market.
Manchester, the largest city in New Hampshire, took Zillow's top spot in its list of 2024's most popular markets.
The city of over 115,000 people has seen growing interest among buyers, which has driven average home prices up 7.3 percent over the last year, up to $415,000, according to Treh Manhertz, a senior economic research scientist with Zillow.
In nearby Boston, the biggest city near Manchester, the average home value is over $750,000.
Boston renters have likewise been intrigued by Manchester, which is in the only state in the country besides Alaska to have no income tax or a general sales tax.
Manchester became the third most popular destination for renters in Boston to search for, according to Apartment List's Renter Migration Report.
'I think Manchester is a city filled with an incredible amount of promise and potential,' Jay Ruais, who was elected the city's mayor this year, told Boston.com in January. 'We have an awful lot of great accommodations within the city.'
Manhertz also recognized the city's appeal for out-of-towners, writing: 'Manchester has garnered particular attention from potential buyers outside of its metro area, suggesting a strong interest in relocating there.'
Manchester is the largest city in New Hampshire and was Zillow's hottest real estate market in 2024. The average home appreciated 7.3 percent over the last year, jumping to $415,000
Adam Sandler and Seth Meyers are the most famous people to grow up in the Manchester area, with both of them graduating from high schools in the city
Manchester was also home to a young Adam Sandler, who grew up there from age 6 until he graduated from Manchester High School in 1984.
Fellow comedian Seth Meyers, who grew up in the Manchester suburb of Bedford, attended a different high school in Manchester, graduating in 1992.
Sandler is pictured at his high school graduation in 1984
Sandler has been known to pal around in his old stomping ground for years, with his most recent visit to Manchester coming a month ago.
He stopped in to the Puritan Backroom, a chicken restaurant he used to work at as a teen, and posed for photos with patrons and staff.
'It’s always a wonderful surprise when Adam swings by the Puritan for dinner! Thanks for stopping by last night and saying hello to all of our staff!' the restaurant wrote on Instagram on November 16.
After Manchester, Zillow ranked Rockford, Illinois, as the second hottest housing market this year.
Compared to Manchester and other cities in the northeast, homes in Rockford are a bargain, coming in at an average of nearly $157,000.
Rockford is nicknamed 'the Forest City' for the many trees that adorn its residential neighborhoods and has a slightly larger population than Manchester at over 146,000. It is roughly an hour and 45 minute drive from Chicago.
Pictured: Sandler poses for a photo with the staff of the Puritan Backroom, a restaurant in Manchester that he used to work at as a teen
Pictured: A welcome sign for the Main Street District of Rockford, Illinois, Zillow's second hottest housing market in 2024
Pictured: The Harbor Point neighborhood of Stamford, Connecticut, the third most popular place for buying homes, according to Zillow
In third place was Stamford, Connecticut, with the typical home costing more than $665,000.
Connected to New York City via the Metro-North Railroad, Stamford is a hot spot for commuters looking to get to their jobs in the country's largest metro area.
Rounding out the top five were Columbia, Maryland - a suburb of Baltimore - and Bridgeport, Connecticut.
The rest of Zillow's hottest places to buy houses were all cities with populations roughly between 100,000 and 150,000.
They included Allentown, Pennsylvania; Peoria, Illinois; New Haven, Connecticut; Waterbury, Connecticut; and Sunnyvale, California.
To determine which markets had the most interest this year, Zillow analyzed page-view traffic on listings, home value growth and the speed at which homes sell.
