Small towns that are growing or stable, not declining. Momentum 50+.
Small towns are a different game than mid-size cities. Many are stagnant or shrinking. The towns on this list buck that pattern — positive composite momentum at populations under 25,000.
Small-town housing markets can be thin (fewer transactions), so verify recent comps locally before drawing big conclusions from any single data point.
1Hailey, IDHailey · pop 9,97688Hot$906,133median home+2.2%pop CAGR 2Imperial, CAEl Centro · pop 22,10284Hot$440,992median home+2.2%pop CAGR 3Port Royal, SCHilton Head Island-Bluffton · pop 16,50784Hot$355,796median home+3.8%pop CAGR 4Progreso, TXMcAllen-Edinburg-Mission · pop 5,18284Hot$126,209median home+1.9%pop CAGR 5Florham Park, NJNew York-Newark-Jersey City · pop 14,53383Hot$1,051,746median home+3.7%pop CAGR 6Ventnor City, NJAtlantic City-Hammonton · pop 9,37283Hot$620,740median home+0.4%pop CAGR 8Point Pleasant, NJNew York-Newark-Jersey City · pop 19,56582Hot$741,089median home+0.8%pop CAGR 9Beacon, NYPoughkeepsie-Newburgh-Middletown · pop 15,29282Hot$546,083median home+2.7%pop CAGR 10Shawano, WIShawano · pop 9,63582Hot$251,187median home+1.0%pop CAGR 11Campbell, OHYoungstown-Warren-Boardman · pop 7,75182Hot$107,490median home-0.3%pop CAGR 12Pelham, NYNew York-Newark-Jersey City · pop 7,57982Hot$1,377,648median home+0.9%pop CAGR 13Carbondale, COGlenwood Springs · pop 6,75882Hot$1,443,194median home+1.2%pop CAGR 14Palmer, AKAnchorage · pop 6,62682Hot$432,736median home+3.0%pop CAGR 15Cave Springs, ARFayetteville-Springdale-Rogers · pop 6,30482Hot$569,608median home+3.5%pop CAGR 17Berlin, WI · pop 5,60782Hot$212,488median home+0.2%pop CAGR 18Trotwood, OHDayton-Kettering · pop 23,07381Hot$137,805median home+0.0%pop CAGR 19Marquette, MIMarquette · pop 21,84581Hot$329,169median home+1.4%pop CAGR 20Tahlequah, OKTahlequah · pop 17,31981Hot$197,136median home+1.7%pop CAGR 22Chatham, NJNew York-Newark-Jersey City · pop 10,06281Hot$1,351,031median home+2.2%pop CAGR 24Old Forge, PAScranton–Wilkes-Barre · pop 8,65481Hot$211,292median home+0.5%pop CAGR 25Prairie Grove, ARFayetteville-Springdale-Rogers · pop 8,58981Hot$318,397median home+5.1%pop CAGR 26Archbald, PAScranton–Wilkes-Barre · pop 7,50881Hot$251,838median home+0.7%pop CAGR 27Volo, ILChicago-Naperville-Elgin · pop 7,36181Hot$373,056median home+4.7%pop CAGR 28Lawrence, NYNew York-Newark-Jersey City · pop 6,80781Hot$2,145,127median home-0.0%pop CAGR 29Paulsboro, NJPhiladelphia-Camden-Wilmington · pop 6,31681Hot$238,974median home+0.5%pop CAGR 30Homer, AK · pop 6,13681Hot$420,370median home+2.7%pop CAGR 31Cornelia, GACornelia · pop 5,37181Hot$304,133median home+4.5%pop CAGR 32Herculaneum, MOSt. Louis · pop 5,32181Hot$302,920median home+3.3%pop CAGR 33Madison, GAAtlanta-Sandy Springs-Alpharetta · pop 5,13181Hot$444,207median home+3.6%pop CAGR 35Howard, WIGreen Bay · pop 21,96180Hot$395,949median home+2.4%pop CAGR 36Lindenwold, NJPhiladelphia-Camden-Wilmington · pop 21,91980Hot$268,789median home+0.3%pop CAGR 38Kaukauna, WIAppleton · pop 18,36380Hot$308,676median home+1.8%pop CAGR 39Troy, MOSt. Louis · pop 14,96380Hot$313,348median home+4.2%pop CAGR 40Harrison, WIAppleton · pop 14,25480Hot$446,148median home+3.5%pop CAGR 41Plover, WIStevens Point · pop 14,20880Hot$352,941median home+1.3%pop CAGR 42Ottawa, KSOttawa · pop 12,73380Hot$237,259median home+0.2%pop CAGR 43Escanaba, MIEscanaba · pop 12,29680Hot$179,355median home-0.3%pop CAGR 45Hyrum, UTLogan · pop 11,04380Hot$451,130median home+4.2%pop CAGR 46Big Rapids, MIBig Rapids · pop 8,56580Hot$219,259median home+2.6%pop CAGR 47Bedford, VALynchburg · pop 7,82380Hot$283,012median home+4.1%pop CAGR 48Edinboro, PAErie · pop 5,81480Hot$292,732median home+4.0%pop CAGR 49Rothschild, WIWausau-Weston · pop 5,62980Hot$260,417median home+0.3%pop CAGR 50Olyphant, PAScranton–Wilkes-Barre · pop 5,39780Hot$239,009median home+0.1%pop CAGR Sources: Zillow ZHVI, Zillow ZORI, US Census place population. Updated when source agencies publish revisions.