10/24/2025
Affluent home buyers looking for more bang for their buck should cruise on over to the Motor City, according to the latest Wall Street Journal/Realtor.com Housing Market Ranking, released Thursday.
Detroit has risen to No. 1 on the ranking of luxury housing markets, dethroning St. Louis from the top spot, which it held for the past five quarters.
āDetroit has done a good job of diversifying and rebranding itself in terms of the companies and corporations there,ā said Anthony Smith, a senior economist at Realtor.com, adding that the city has grown its tech, finance and healthcare sectors while still maintaining its presence as a center for the automotive and manufacturing industries.
Luxury buyers in Detroit are split nearly 50/50 between local home shoppers and those looking to relocate, typically from coastal cities like New York and Washington, D.C. as well as Indianapolis, according to the ranking. Meanwhile, local agents said theyāre seeing more buyers from Chicago and California.
For the non-luxury market, it was Manchester-Nashua, New Hampshire, that ranked as the No. 1 metro in America, maintaining its leading position for a second straight quarter. Manchester-Nashuaās top spot reveals that regions offering buyers a lower cost of living, desirable amenities, stable economies and relative affordability near major economic hubs continue to be competitive.
Read more about Detroitās ascent to the top of the luxury ranking on Mansion Global, and explore Manchester-Nashua, New Hampshireās position atop the broader Wall Street Journal/Realtor.com Housing Market Ranking on Realtor.com.
