5 best US cities to buy and sell a home right now, according to Zillow

Consumers searching for a home have a lot more options with conditions in the housing market beginning to trend in the right direction.

Housing affordability, mortgage rates, and the value of homes are rising, which contributes to this, and it’s giving buyers more time to plan on the next house they’re considering purchasing.

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In a new Zillow report, the online real estate marketplace released its list of the best cities to buy and sell a home in the U.S. this spring using key data metrics and its market heat index. 

5 best cities to buy and sell a home

Local perspective:

Home buyers are finding deals on homes in certain areas of the U.S. as more sellers are lowering their asking prices. However, Zillow notes that there are some cities where sellers have an advantage, with homes in these locales being sold within a week. 

5 best cities to buy a home 

1. Miami
2. New Orleans
3. Jacksonville
4. Tampa
5. Memphis

5 best cities to sell a home

1. Buffalo
2. San Jose
3. San Francisco
4. Hartford, Connecticut
5. Boston

A closer look at the best cities for buying a home

Dig deeper:

Homes in Miami were on the market for an average of 60 days with the share of housing listings with a price cut nearly 25%, per Zillow. 

Almost one-quarter of all homes for sale in Miami received a price cut in February. According to Zillow, houses in Miami take almost three times longer to sell than they do in the U.S., which gives buyers time to make sure a house is the right purchase for them long-term. 

New Orleans offers "the most for-sale options" for housing with inventory up 42% from pre-pandemic levels, and up 11.4% compared to 2024. The average home on the market is 58 days. 

Jacksonville offers home buyers affordability and options with 26% more homes on the market in the area in 2025 compared to last year. Zillow noted that sellers in Jacksonville lowered their asking price for their homes close to 30%. 

Zillow reported that almost one-third of all for-sale listings in Tampa experienced a price cut. Home values are down 3.6% from 2024, making it more affordable for consumers to afford a home. Housing inventory in Tampa is roughly 20% higher than it was in 2024. 

In Memphis, buying a home is affordable with the average mortgage payment in the city roughly $1,200 compared to the cost of renting which is $1,400. Homes in the area are on the market for an average of 29 days.