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Affordable college towns post double-digit home price growth and quick sales
The Redfin analysis found some university towns are also moving faster than the national pace, with homes in State College, PA going under contract in five days versus 49 days nationwide.
Home prices are rising by double digits in a set of affordable, inland U.S. college towns anchored by large universities, according to a Redfin analysis of MLS data from the three months ending in May 2026. The report highlights Morgantown, WV, Syracuse, NY, and Tuscaloosa, AL as leaders in year-over-year price growth, with those increases outpacing the 2% growth seen nationwide in May.
Redfin said these college towns are also seeing faster demand, using State College, PA as an example. Homes there typically went under contract in five days, compared with 49 days nationwide for homes that sold in May, though the area recorded 54 home sales in the analysis period.
The housing boom is not uniform across university markets. Redfin found the most expensive college towns are experiencing price declines, citing Santa Barbara, CA with a 9.4% drop to a median $1.9 million, Boca Raton, FL down 5.7% to a median $820,000, and Flagstaff, AZ down 3% to a median $710,000.
At the low end of the market, Redfin identified three college towns with median home sale prices under $200,000. Dayton, OH was listed as the least expensive at $139,000, followed by Syracuse, NY at $180,000 and Mount Pleasant, MI at $199,000, with Redfin attributing the pricing divergence to affordability alongside elevated mortgage rates and home prices in pricier areas.