Three Central Pa. cities ranked among nation’s top housing markets

Central Pennsylvania placed three cities among the top 27 housing markets in the U.S. for building wealth in 2025, according to a new study.

The ranking is based on Zillow‘s July 2025 data for the 200 largest metro areas. GOBankingRates analyzed 10 key housing metrics, including home value growth, sale-to-list ratios, and price cut frequency, to identify the top 30 cities where real estate is most likely to generate wealth in the coming year. The new GOBankingRates analysis examines factors such as percentage increases in home value over the past two years, the average sale-to-list ratio, and other criteria.

The study listed Lancaster 11^th, York 16^th, and Harrisburg 27^th. Per the study, the three Central  Pennsylvania cities showed strong price growth and market resilience, and all are gaining national attention as prime destinations for buyers and investors.

Key findings include the following:

• Home Values – Lancaster home values rose 4.43% over the past year, 5.19% in York, and 4.04% in Harrisburg.
• Price Cuts – 21.3% of homes saw price cuts in Lancaster, 25.7% in York, and 24.9% in Harrisburg.
• Seven Pennsylvania cities appear in the ranking, more than any other state.

Listed at No. 11, Lancaster featured the following:

• 1-year % change in home value: 4.43%
• 2-year % change in home value: 8.77%
• Average sale-to-list ratio: 102.2%
• % of listings with price cuts: 21.3%

No. 16 York was noted for the following:

• 1-year % change in home value: 5.19%
• 2-year % change in home value: 9.43%
• Average sale-to-list ratio: 100.6%
• % of listings with price cuts: 25.7%

Harrisburg, at No. 27, featured the following:

• 1-year % change in home value: 4.04%
• 2-year % change in home value: 8.10%
• Average sale-to-list ratio: 100.8%
• % of listings with price cuts: 24.9%

Other Pennsylvania cities ranked among the top 27 nationally were Reading at No. 9, Allentown at No. 19, and Scranton at No. 20. The study revealed that after Pennsylvania, the most represented states are New York and Ohio, with five entries each. Wisconsin had four cities on the list, including three in the top 10.

In addition, the study also showed that all nine of the states represented in the list are in the Rust Belt, or in historically industrialized regions. The 30 best bang-for-your buck housing markets are all located in the northern half of the U.S., east of the Mississippi River. Only two regions — the Midwest and the Northeast — are represented. Among the cities in the list, Utica, New York, saw the largest one-year increase in home value (6.2%). Rockford, Illinois, saw the largest two-year bump at 18.25%.