Raising the roof

Austin nails down No. 2 spot on new index of emerging housing markets

Austin ranks second.

Photo by Phillip Spears/Getty Images

It’s no secret that the Austin housing market is on fire. Fanning those flames is a new ranking from The Wall Street Journal and Realtor.com.

In the inaugural WSJ/Realtor.com Emerging Housing Markets Index, Austin appears at No. 2. The index gauges the return on investment and the livability of the country’s 300 most populous metro areas. Coeur D’Alene, Idaho, rises to the top of the list.

The index takes into consideration a metro area’s real estate market (50 percent) and economic health (50 percent). Among the ranking factors are real estate supply and demand, median list price, unemployment rate, and daily commute times.

“While other market-by-market comparisons focus only on housing metrics, the WSJ/Realtor.com Emerging Housing Markets Index also looks at non-housing indicators to help identify places that are not only good places to invest, but also where you are likely to enjoy living,” the WSJ reported April 27.

Surprisingly, no other Texas metro area broke into the top 25 of the index. Among the state’s major metros, Dallas-Fort Worth lands at No. 98, San Antonio at No. 216, and Houston at No. 262.

Here’s how other Texas metros fared:

Killeen-Temple, No. 42
Tyler, No. 110
Amarillo, No. 116
Lubbock, No. 129
Abilene, No. 139
Wichita Falls, No. 163
Laredo, No. 214
Longview, No. 236
Texarkana, No. 237
Bryan-College Station, No. 247
El Paso, No. 252
Brownsville-Harlingen, No. 265
Corpus Christi, No. 267
McAllen-Edinburg-Mission, No. 269
Beaumont-Port Arthur, No. 271
Midland, No. 285
Odessa, No. 300

lists rankings

hottest headlines of 2024

Top Austin real estate stories of 2024 unlock hot suburbs, lavish homes

Photo by Mack Ramirez on Unsplash

It seems like everyone is hoping for lower housing prices as we move into 2025.

Editor's note: As 2024 comes to a close, we're looking back at the stories that defined Austin this year, including the red-hot topic of real estate. Austin's real estate market has seen some dramatic swings this year, but that's not all that happened. From Austin's suburbs continuing to boom to lavish estates hitting the market, here's a look at the hottest real estate headlines of 2024.

1. Annual Outdoor Living Tour returns for 2024 in Austin's 8 best backyards. The 2024 tour spanned a wide geography across Austin, including Travis Heights, Rollingwood, Allandale, and more.

2. Austin suburb's ZIP code stands out on new list of hottest U.S. housing markets in 2023. This Leander ZIP code was the 13th hottest market, showing that interest in the suburbs is as popular as ever.

3. Texas chef's Old West Austin home hits the market for $1.65 million. This home was originally built as a guest house in 1947, but has since been completely renovated with modern style.

1002 Baylor Street, Old West Austin, home for sale, Chef Lou Lambert The home is located above the street for privacy. Photo courtesy of James H Ruiz Photography

4. 5 Austin neighbors lauded as best small cities in America. Leading the pack were the northwest Austin suburbs of Leander and Cedar Park.

5. Drake suspected new owner of $15 million Dos Brisas ranch in Texas. Drake was reportedly the latest rap icon that can proudly say he's a Texan after purchasing this acclaimed 313-acre ranch in Washington, Texas.

6. 3 Austin neighbors shine on new list of America's safest suburbs. Cedar Park, Georgetown, and Round Rock have earned high praise for their livability and growth in recent years.

7. 6 hot Austin-area ZIP codes for first-time homebuyers in spring 2024. A local real estate expert shared his insight into the ZIP codes – from Kyle to Pflugerville – that received the most attention from first-time buyers.

8. South Austin 'entertainer's paradise' hits the market for $4 million. This 10,343-square-foot property comes with an expertly designed game room, a trendy golf simulator, an outdoor kitchen and lounge, a light up three-car carport, and much more.

9. This $4.85 million Hill Country ranch with its own lazy river is going wild on social media. The Lazy River Ranch in Boerne makes a splash with its many extravagant amenities.

227 Seewald Road, Boerne, Lazy River Ranch The Lazy River Ranch is at 227 Seewald Rd., Boerne. Photo courtesy of Kuper Sotheby's

10. Historic Greek mansion near Austin hits the market for just under $1 million. This Greek Revival mansion in Lockhart, built in 1907, was looking for a new owner to cherish its rich past.