Cities over 250,000 with a momentum score of 50+ — big-city amenities with the wind at their back.
Most big cities are coasting or correcting. The ones on this list are still showing positive composite momentum — recent price strength, sustained CAGR, and either growing or stable populations.
Big-city investing has different dynamics than suburbs — neighborhood matters more than city average. Verify the specific area before any decision.
1Fort Wayne, INFort Wayne · pop 273,20375Rising$245,993median home+2.5%home YoY 2Wichita, KSWichita · pop 400,99171Rising$204,104median home+2.8%home YoY 3Madison, WIMadison · pop 285,30071Rising$429,253median home+2.2%home YoY 4Toledo, OHToledo · pop 265,63871Rising$130,101median home+5.1%home YoY 5Chesapeake, VAVirginia Beach-Norfolk-Newport News · pop 254,99771Rising$422,528median home+3.1%home YoY 6Milwaukee, WIMilwaukee-Waukesha · pop 563,53170Rising$226,456median home+3.6%home YoY 7Lincoln, NELincoln · pop 300,61970Rising$293,233median home+4.1%home YoY 8Buffalo, NYBuffalo-Cheektowaga · pop 276,61770Rising$241,380median home+3.7%home YoY 9Winston-Salem, NCWinston-Salem · pop 255,76970Rising$265,013median home+1.1%home YoY 10Irvine, CALos Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim · pop 318,68369Rising$1,566,872median home-1.2%home YoY 11Virginia Beach, VAVirginia Beach-Norfolk-Newport News · pop 454,80868Rising$427,121median home+3.1%home YoY 12Tulsa, OKTulsa · pop 415,15468Rising$220,279median home+2.8%home YoY 13Cincinnati, OHCincinnati · pop 314,91568Rising$252,784median home+1.6%home YoY 14Kansas City, MOKansas City · pop 516,03267Rising$253,319median home+0.9%home YoY 15Greensboro, NCGreensboro-High Point · pop 307,38167Rising$265,214median home+0.3%home YoY 16Oklahoma City, OKOklahoma City · pop 712,91966Rising$207,961median home-0.2%home YoY 17El Paso, TXEl Paso · pop 681,72366Rising$235,994median home+1.5%home YoY 18Miami, FLMiami-Fort Lauderdale-Pompano Beach · pop 487,01466Rising$580,996median home-1.6%home YoY 19Bakersfield, CABakersfield · pop 417,46866Rising$396,712median home-0.3%home YoY 20Santa Ana, CALos Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim · pop 316,18466Rising$865,610median home+0.3%home YoY 21Reno, NVReno · pop 281,71466Rising$570,934median home-0.3%home YoY 22Charlotte, NCCharlotte-Concord-Gastonia · pop 943,47665Rising$399,070median home-1.2%home YoY 23Columbus, OHColumbus · pop 933,26365Rising$248,749median home-0.6%home YoY 24Fresno, CAFresno · pop 550,10565Rising$391,442median home+0.3%home YoY 25Omaha, NEOmaha-Council Bluffs · pop 489,26565Rising$297,017median home+1.3%home YoY 26Anchorage, AKAnchorage · pop 289,60065Rising$414,014median home+4.0%home YoY 27Albuquerque, NMAlbuquerque · pop 560,32664Rising$346,496median home+0.9%home YoY 28Chicago, ILChicago-Naperville-Elgin · pop 2,721,30863Rising$324,183median home+3.1%home YoY 29Anaheim, CALos Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim · pop 344,56163Rising$952,227median home+0.5%home YoY 30North Las Vegas, NVLas Vegas-Henderson-Paradise · pop 294,03463Rising$407,146median home-1.8%home YoY 31Lubbock, TXLubbock · pop 272,08663Rising$210,477median home+1.1%home YoY 32New York, NYNew York-Newark-Jersey City · pop 8,478,07262Rising$816,078median home+4.4%home YoY 33Durham, NCDurham-Chapel Hill · pop 301,87062Rising$399,509median home-2.7%home YoY 34Henderson, NVLas Vegas-Henderson-Paradise · pop 350,03961Stable$487,098median home-2.4%home YoY 35Newark, NJNew York-Newark-Jersey City · pop 317,30361Stable$482,675median home-1.3%home YoY 36Jersey City, NJNew York-Newark-Jersey City · pop 302,82461Stable$664,939median home-0.9%home YoY 37Las Vegas, NVLas Vegas-Henderson-Paradise · pop 678,92260Stable$426,069median home-2.8%home YoY 38Riverside, CARiverside-San Bernardino-Ontario · pop 323,75760Stable$648,603median home-1.1%home YoY 39Pittsburgh, PAPittsburgh · pop 307,66860Stable$240,538median home-0.5%home YoY 40Laredo, TXLaredo · pop 261,26060Stable$221,806median home+2.6%home YoY 41Philadelphia, PAPhiladelphia-Camden-Wilmington · pop 1,573,91659Stable$233,814median home+1.5%home YoY 42Raleigh, NCRaleigh-Cary · pop 499,82559Stable$435,807median home-2.2%home YoY 43Long Beach, CALos Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim · pop 450,90159Stable$862,599median home+1.0%home YoY 44Minneapolis, MNMinneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington · pop 428,57959Stable$334,719median home+1.4%home YoY 45Orlando, FLOrlando-Kissimmee-Sanford · pop 334,85459Stable$374,302median home-3.2%home YoY 46Tampa, FLTampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater · pop 414,54758Stable$376,530median home-3.1%home YoY 47Cleveland, OHCleveland-Elyria · pop 365,37958Stable$117,703median home-2.1%home YoY 48St. Paul, MNMinneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington · pop 307,46558Stable$297,021median home+0.9%home YoY 49Chula Vista, CASan Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad · pop 278,54658Stable$849,245median home-1.4%home YoY 50Jacksonville, FLJacksonville · pop 1,009,83357Stable$286,396median home-2.6%home YoY Sources: Zillow ZHVI, Zillow ZORI, US Census place population. Updated when source agencies publish revisions.