Is housing becoming unsustainable here?

Use the Housing Stability Score and trend direction to evaluate structural pressure over time.

Are housing costs outpacing local income?

Review affordability stability metrics to understand cost-versus-income durability.

Is this market stable beyond short cycles?

Use volatility and supply signals to separate temporary movement from structural conditions.

Can households maintain ownership long term?

Ownership sustainability signals contextualize whether carrying costs remain viable for residents.

National Housing Stability Intelligence

The Housing Stability Index For U.S. Markets

HousingStabilityIQ packages housing sustainability scores, national rankings, top movers, and local reports for public-interest research and media use. The framework measures long-horizon stability for residents, not investment timing or price prediction.

National IndexMajor Market RankingsCitation Ready

Open Housing Stability Index Browse National Rankings Media Kit

Flagship Product

Housing Stability Index

View Index

The index ranks housing sustainability through four stability signals: affordability stability, market volatility, supply pressure, and ownership sustainability.

National Rankings

Most Stable Major Housing Markets

Full Ranking

RankMarketPopulationHousing Stability ScoreTrend

#1Cedar Rapids, IACedar Rapids, IA ranks #1 among major U.S. city housing markets with a Housing Stability Score of 91 / 100. Population basis: 192,755.192,755

Score

91/100

improving #2Sioux City, IASioux City, IA ranks #2 among major U.S. city housing markets with a Housing Stability Score of 88 / 100. Population basis: 112,823.112,823

Score

88/100

stable #3Davenport, IADavenport, IA ranks #3 among major U.S. city housing markets with a Housing Stability Score of 86 / 100. Population basis: 282,356.282,356

Score

86/100

stable #4Bloomington, ILBloomington, IL ranks #4 among major U.S. city housing markets with a Housing Stability Score of 85 / 100. Population basis: 133,107.133,107

Score

85/100

stable #5Waterloo, IAWaterloo, IA ranks #5 among major U.S. city housing markets with a Housing Stability Score of 83 / 100. Population basis: 113,832.113,832

Score

83/100

improving #6Topeka, KSTopeka, KS ranks #6 among major U.S. city housing markets with a Housing Stability Score of 79 / 100. Population basis: 150,343.150,343

Score

79/100

stable #7Springfield, ILSpringfield, IL ranks #7 among major U.S. city housing markets with a Housing Stability Score of 79 / 100. Population basis: 156,240.156,240

Score

79/100

stable #8Des Moines, IADes Moines, IA ranks #8 among major U.S. city housing markets with a Housing Stability Score of 78 / 100. Population basis: 560,170.560,170

Score

78/100

improving

Top Movers

Fastest Declining Stability

RankMarketPopulationHousing Stability ScoreDelta

#1Warren, MIWarren, MI ranks #1 among major U.S. city housing markets for score movement, changing -16.6 points versus the prior published snapshot.138,128

Score

55/100

-16.6 #2Odessa, TXOdessa, TX ranks #2 among major U.S. city housing markets for score movement, changing -15.9 points versus the prior published snapshot.162,648

Score

59/100

-15.9 #3Dearborn, MIDearborn, MI ranks #3 among major U.S. city housing markets for score movement, changing -11.5 points versus the prior published snapshot.107,846

Score

50/100

-11.5 #4Lafayette, INLafayette, IN ranks #4 among major U.S. city housing markets for score movement, changing -10.8 points versus the prior published snapshot.160,373

Score

47/100

-10.8 #5Pensacola, FLPensacola, FL ranks #5 among major U.S. city housing markets for score movement, changing -10.5 points versus the prior published snapshot.401,535

Score

37/100

-10.5 #6Charleston, WVCharleston, WV ranks #6 among major U.S. city housing markets for score movement, changing -10.4 points versus the prior published snapshot.133,045

Score

74/100

-10.4

Top Movers

Fastest Improving Stability

RankMarketPopulationHousing Stability ScoreDelta

#1Houma, LAHouma, LA ranks #1 among major U.S. city housing markets for score movement, changing +17.1 points versus the prior published snapshot.147,841

Score

64/100

+17.1 #2Utica, NYUtica, NY ranks #2 among major U.S. city housing markets for score movement, changing +13.9 points versus the prior published snapshot.114,961

Score

72/100

+13.9 #3Springfield, MOSpringfield, MO ranks #3 among major U.S. city housing markets for score movement, changing +12.5 points versus the prior published snapshot.289,041

Score

59/100

+12.5 #4Brownsville, TXBrownsville, TX ranks #4 among major U.S. city housing markets for score movement, changing +12.3 points versus the prior published snapshot.223,416

Score

52/100

+12.3 #5Fort Smith, ARFort Smith, AR ranks #5 among major U.S. city housing markets for score movement, changing +10.7 points versus the prior published snapshot.128,384

Score

76/100

+10.7 #6South Lyon, MISouth Lyon, MI ranks #6 among major U.S. city housing markets for score movement, changing +10.5 points versus the prior published snapshot.151,231

Score

62/100

+10.5

Featured Local Reports

Major Markets To Watch

Local report links prioritize major cities with recognizable reporting value and clear housing pressure context.

New York, NY

10 / 100

New York, NY ranks #1 among major U.S. city housing markets with a Housing Stability Score of 10 / 100. Population basis: 18,832,416.

Los Angeles, CA

8 / 100

Los Angeles, CA ranks #2 among major U.S. city housing markets with a Housing Stability Score of 8 / 100. Population basis: 11,885,717.

Chicago, IL

28 / 100

Chicago, IL ranks #3 among major U.S. city housing markets with a Housing Stability Score of 28 / 100. Population basis: 8,489,066.

Miami, FL

7 / 100

Miami, FL ranks #4 among major U.S. city housing markets with a Housing Stability Score of 7 / 100. Population basis: 6,113,982.

Houston, TX

23 / 100

Houston, TX ranks #5 among major U.S. city housing markets with a Housing Stability Score of 23 / 100. Population basis: 6,046,392.

Dallas, TX

24 / 100

Dallas, TX ranks #6 among major U.S. city housing markets with a Housing Stability Score of 24 / 100. Population basis: 5,843,632.

Latest Research

Reports Built For Citation

National Index

2024 Housing Stability Index

The 2024 Housing Stability Index summarizes long-horizon housing sustainability across U.S. states, counties, and major city markets.

Major Market Ranking

Most Stable Housing Markets in America

A media-ready summary of major U.S. cities with the strongest current Housing Stability Scores.

Top Movers

Fastest Declining Housing Stability Markets

A media-ready summary of major U.S. city markets with the largest negative movement in Housing Stability Score.

Scoring Framework

Four Structural Signals

Open Guides

Signal 1

Affordability Stability

Evaluates whether housing costs remain aligned with local income over time using rent burden, price-to-income, and housing-cost growth versus wage growth.

Signal 2

Market Volatility

Measures consistency in housing price behavior and vulnerability to sharp boom-bust cycles that can destabilize resident outcomes.

Signal 3

Supply Pressure

Tracks whether housing availability keeps up with demand through inventory behavior, construction pace, and population-adjusted supply balance.

Signal 4

Ownership Sustainability

Assesses whether residents can realistically maintain housing over time across cost escalation, tax pressure, insurance overlap, and distress trends.

Public-Interest Boundary

Research, Not Market Timing

HousingStabilityIQ uses public, reproducible data to explain structural housing conditions. Scores should be cited as long-horizon housing sustainability signals and should not be described as investment advice, price forecasts, or speculative market calls.

Citation Guidance Research Library Reports