The US Has a Record-high 550 'Million-dollar' Cities

Staff Report From Georgia CEO

Wednesday, April 3rd, 2024

The U.S. has a record-high 550 "million-dollar" cities — cities where the typical home is worth $1 million or more — a new Zillow® analysis shows. That is 59 more million-dollar cities than a year ago,1 reversing losses from when home values were wobbling this time last year.

"Affordability is still a big challenge for buyers, but that hasn't stopped prices from growing," said Anushna Prakash, an economic research data scientist at Zillow. "Buyers this spring are going to see more options to choose from, but they'll also see a lot of other buyers wandering through the same open houses. Competition will stay fierce, especially for the most attractive and well-priced homes. If mortgage rates drop later this year, as many expect, we may see a surge in million-dollar cities as even more buyers jump in and drive prices higher."

While million-dollar cities were affected more than the typical U.S. city when home values fell in late 2022, they have generally tracked with the national market over the past year. The typical U.S. home is worth 4.2% more than it was a year ago. In current million-dollar cities, the median year-over-year home value growth is 4.6%.

California is home to 210 million-dollar cities, more than the next five states combined. New Jersey has added the most million-dollar cities over the past year, gaining 14.

Florida, Texas and Delaware are the only states to have a net loss in million-dollar cities over the past year. Florida lost three million-dollar cities — Siesta Key, Santa Rosa Beach and Sanibel — while adding one, the Village of Palmetto Bay, near Miami. Texas lost two million-dollar cities in the Austin area, Sunset Valley and Volente, and added Bellaire, outside of Houston. The typical home in Delaware's Dewey Beach fell below the million-dollar cutoff.

The New York City metro area, which includes parts of New Jersey and Pennsylvania, has the most million-dollar cities with 106 — 24 more than a year ago. San Francisco is next with 69, followed by Los Angeles with 63. Other than the New York City metro area, Los Angeles gained the most million-dollar cities over the past year, adding seven. Boston added four during that time, and San Diego, Chicago and San Luis Obispo each added three.

Whether a buyer or renter is searching for a home in a million-dollar city or somewhere with home values closer to average, Zillow has tools that can help.

An affordability calculator can help a buyer better understand what they can afford and set a budget. Buyers can then use Zillow to search for homes filtered for a monthly cost they are comfortable with, instead of only by list price. Buyers can also find and connect with a knowledgeable real estate professional and loan officer on Zillow to help guide them through the home-buying process.

Million-Dollar Cities by State

State

$1 Million Cities – February 2024

$1 Million Cities – February 2023

California

210

198

New York

66

54

New Jersey

49

35

Florida

32

34

Massachusetts

31

27

Colorado

21

21

Washington

18

16

Hawaii

17

16

Texas

14

15

Maryland

10

8

Virginia

7

5

South Carolina

6

6

Connecticut

6

5

Minnesota, Utah

6

4

Illinois

6

3

Missouri

5

5

Nevada, North Carolina, Wyoming

4

4

Montana

4

3

Arizona

4

2

Idaho, Tennessee

3

3

New Hampshire

3

2

Ohio

2

2

Pennsylvania

2

0

Delaware

1

2

Georgia, Kansas, Maine, Michigan, Rhode Island, Wisconsin

1

1

Metro Areas With the Most Million-Dollar Cities

Metro Area

$1 Million Cities
– February 2024

$1 Million Cities
– February 2023

New York, NY

106

82

San Francisco, CA

69

69

Los Angeles, CA

63

56

Boston, MA

23

19

San Jose, CA

18

18

Seattle, WA

17

15

MiamiFort Lauderdale, FL

17

16

Washington, DC

14

12

San Diego, CA

10

7

Santa MariaSanta Barbara, CA; Santa Rosa, CA

9

9