Jefferson City ranked No. 5 on the Wall Street Journal and Realtor.com Fall 2021 Emerging Housing Markets Index, placing the capital city among the top locations in the country.
The COVID-19 pandemic led to a housing boom, according to the report, with remote work opportunities and higher housing costs driving home buyers into urban and rural areas alike. Jefferson City’s ranking has increased throughout the year: The April index placed Jefferson City at No. 52, while it came in at No. 12 in July.
Jefferson City ranked below Elkhart, Indiana; Rapid City, South Dakota; Topeka, Kansas; and Raleigh, North Carolina.
- The Fayetteville-Springdale-Rogers metropolitan area, which crosses between Arkansas and Missouri, ranked No. 35 in the fall index.
- Columbia ranked No. 50 on the list this time, outdoing larger communities including Denver, Colorado, and Salt Lake City, Utah.
- The quarterly index evaluates housing markets in communities across the country based on real estate data and economic statistics.