Is now a good time to buy a home in the US?
The typical home value in US is $372K as of Aug 2026 (Zillow Home Value Index), up 1.8% from a year earlier. Over five years prices have compounded at +4.1% a year. Prices are 9.3% below their 10-year trend line.
US price trend & forecast
States ranked by buy-timing score
| State | Typical value | 1Y change | 5Y CAGR | 12M outlook | Signal | Buy-timing |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Idaho | $482K | +2.4% | +1.0% | +1.1% | ACCUMULATE | 74/100 |
| Florida | $376K | -0.7% | +3.4% | +0.1% | ACCUMULATE | 72/100 |
| Arizona | $418K | -0.9% | +1.3% | -0.6% | ACCUMULATE | 71/100 |
| Utah | $537K | +1.2% | +2.2% | +0.1% | ACCUMULATE | 66/100 |
| Colorado | $535K | -1.1% | +1.1% | -0.1% | ACCUMULATE | 64/100 |
| Hawaii | $838K | +1.6% | +2.9% | +0.9% | ACCUMULATE | 64/100 |
| Nevada | $442K | -1.8% | +2.5% | -0.7% | ACCUMULATE | 64/100 |
| California | $768K | +0.8% | +2.5% | +0.7% | ACCUMULATE | 63/100 |
| New York | $529K | +5.8% | +5.3% | +3.9% | BUY | 61/100 |
| Georgia | $331K | -0.6% | +3.7% | -0.9% | WAIT | 60/100 |
| Montana | $472K | +2.1% | +4.1% | +0.1% | WAIT | 60/100 |
| Oregon | $498K | +0.2% | +1.2% | -0.0% | ACCUMULATE | 60/100 |
| Washington | $594K | -0.4% | +1.9% | -0.6% | WAIT | 60/100 |
| District of Columbia | $573K | -0.5% | -2.0% | +0.4% | ACCUMULATE | 59/100 |
| Texas | $300K | -1.3% | +1.8% | -1.1% | WAIT | 59/100 |
| New Mexico | $319K | +1.7% | +4.5% | -0.1% | ACCUMULATE | 58/100 |
| Tennessee | $334K | +0.7% | +4.2% | -0.9% | WAIT | 58/100 |
| Alabama | $242K | +2.0% | +3.1% | +0.1% | ACCUMULATE | 57/100 |
| New Hampshire | $519K | +3.0% | +6.3% | +0.8% | ACCUMULATE | 57/100 |
| Oklahoma | $224K | +2.7% | +4.6% | +0.6% | ACCUMULATE | 57/100 |
| South Carolina | $306K | +1.0% | +4.2% | -1.0% | WAIT | 57/100 |
| New Jersey | $583K | +4.1% | +6.2% | +2.0% | ACCUMULATE | 56/100 |
| North Carolina | $335K | -0.2% | +3.9% | -1.5% | WAIT | 56/100 |
| Virginia | $416K | +2.2% | +4.2% | +0.8% | ACCUMULATE | 56/100 |
| Wyoming | $373K | +1.2% | +4.5% | +1.7% | ACCUMULATE | 56/100 |
| Indiana | $261K | +3.0% | +5.1% | +0.4% | WAIT | 55/100 |
| Kansas | $251K | +3.6% | +5.3% | +1.7% | ACCUMULATE | 55/100 |
| Maine | $415K | +1.7% | +4.7% | -0.5% | WAIT | 55/100 |
| Missouri | $269K | +3.5% | +4.7% | +0.7% | ACCUMULATE | 55/100 |
| Rhode Island | $514K | +3.6% | +6.0% | +1.2% | ACCUMULATE | 55/100 |
| Connecticut | $453K | +5.1% | +7.1% | +2.9% | ACCUMULATE | 54/100 |
| Delaware | $407K | +1.3% | +3.9% | +0.1% | ACCUMULATE | 54/100 |
| Arkansas | $228K | +3.6% | +3.7% | +0.2% | ACCUMULATE | 53/100 |
| Kentucky | $233K | -0.1% | +4.4% | -0.4% | WAIT | 53/100 |
| Massachusetts | $665K | +2.5% | +4.6% | +0.5% | ACCUMULATE | 53/100 |
| Nebraska | $282K | +3.0% | +4.7% | +0.5% | WAIT | 52/100 |
| Pennsylvania | $291K | +2.2% | +4.1% | +0.4% | WAIT | 52/100 |
| South Dakota | $322K | +2.3% | +4.2% | -0.3% | WAIT | 52/100 |
| Maryland | $429K | -0.1% | +2.5% | -0.7% | WAIT | 51/100 |
| Ohio | $250K | +3.3% | +5.3% | +0.7% | WAIT | 51/100 |
| Iowa | $240K | +3.4% | +4.7% | +1.2% | WAIT | 49/100 |
| Minnesota | $352K | +2.2% | +2.6% | +0.0% | WAIT | 49/100 |
| Vermont | $398K | +1.0% | +3.1% | -1.1% | WAIT | 49/100 |
| Wisconsin | $342K | +5.2% | +5.5% | +0.8% | WAIT | 49/100 |
| Mississippi | $198K | +2.4% | +2.1% | -0.6% | WAIT | 48/100 |
| Alaska | $399K | +5.2% | +3.1% | +0.9% | ACCUMULATE | 47/100 |
| Michigan | $267K | +3.8% | +4.4% | -0.1% | WAIT | 47/100 |
| Illinois | $300K | +5.4% | +5.2% | +1.4% | ACCUMULATE | 46/100 |
| Louisiana | $218K | +2.1% | +0.2% | -0.3% | WAIT | 46/100 |
| West Virginia | $180K | +2.6% | +4.3% | -0.1% | WAIT | 45/100 |
| North Dakota | $293K | +4.9% | +3.6% | +0.7% | ACCUMULATE | 41/100 |
Frequently asked questions
Is it a good time to buy a home in the US?
It depends on the market. Across 3,000 US cities (data to Aug 2026), the median price change is +1.8% year over year and the buy-timing signals split 1508 ACCUMULATE, 1286 WAIT and 206 BUY. The most attractive timing today: Englewood, FL (93/100), Port Charlotte, FL (92/100) and Altadena, CA (91/100).
Will home prices drop in 2027?
Not everywhere. 1286 of 3000 markets currently carry a WAIT or CAUTION signal (a dip or correction is projected), while the median market is +1.8% year over year. Weakest right now: Nevada (-1.8%), Texas (-1.3%), Colorado (-1.1%), Arizona (-0.9%) and Florida (-0.7%).
Which states have the best buy-timing right now?
Idaho (74/100, ACCUMULATE), Florida (72/100, ACCUMULATE), Arizona (71/100, ACCUMULATE), Utah (66/100, ACCUMULATE) and Colorado (64/100, ACCUMULATE).
Where are home prices rising fastest?
New York (+5.8%), Illinois (+5.4%), Alaska (+5.2%), Wisconsin (+5.2%) and Connecticut (+5.1%).
Popular markets
Source & method
Data: Zillow Home Value Index (ZHVI) — all homes, mid-tier, raw monthly, monthly, latest Aug 2026. Page regenerated 2026-10-08 22:04 PDT. Signals combine valuation vs the long-run trend, momentum and a damped-trend forecast with seasonal adjustment; the “best price window” is the lowest point of the projected path. BUY = prices projected to rise and not stretched; ACCUMULATE = near fair value; WAIT = a dip is projected; HOT = running well ahead of trend; CAUTION = stretched with fading momentum.