When we ran the data for the most-searched ZIP codes on realtor.com® in 2016, we had hoped for a wide array of interesting, seductive locales across the country.
Cue sad trombone.
Our results show a lone state accounting for almost all of our most popular ZIPs. That lone state? It’s none other than the Lone Star State itself—Texas.
But fear not, faithful readers: We aren’t dismayed. There’s still a tempting tale to tell.
First off, don’t get these cities confused with our look at the nation’s hottest markets—we’ve simply based this data on what people searched on in the realtor.com search box in 2016. Hotness takes a number of real estate–related data points into account, including how long homes take to sell (aka days on market).
So, as it turns out, deep in the heart of Texas lies serious love for this humble site on behalf of hungry home searchers. The 10 most popular ZIPs of 2016 all hail from the state, and 18 of the top 20 ZIPs are from the biggest state in the lower 48.
We’re not messing with Texas—but what gives?
What’s up with Waco?
Well, first off we have to give credit to reality. Reality TV, that is.
Waco walked away with the top four slots on our chart. To be clear, the year’s top ZIP—Woodway 76712—is a small town affixed to Waco’s southern edge.
To account for Waco‘s extraordinary popularity, we need only to flip the channel to HGTV’s “Fixer Upper.” In addition to educating viewers about the joys and perils of home renovation, the popular show starring Chip and Joanna Gaines serves as a recurring advertisement for the city of Waco.
Magnolia Realty Broker/Director Pamila Johnson has been in the Waco area for 15 years and told us the city’s real estate market was sleepy before film crews showed up and showcased the city in a positive light. She said inventory is extremely tight, and it’s been amazing to see how the Gaines’ star factor has influenced the local market.
“The show has been a draw,” says Johnson. “People are moving here from all over the United States. When they see what kind of house they can get and the value in Waco, they’ve been coming in droves.”
The 2016 data confirm those droves.
“If there were a people’s choice award for listing popularity, Waco would win because of Chip and Joanna Gaines,” says realtor.com’s chief economist, Jonathan Smoke. “The ‘Fixer Upper’ effect has been consistent for several years and isn’t just related to new shows airing. Weekend marathons keep Waco on the minds of home enthusiasts even if they have no intentions of moving there.”
Dallas domination
Outside of the top four ZIPs in Waco, the Dallas–Fort Worth area dominated the rest of our top 10. While Waco and the hometown of the Dallas Cowboy Cheerleaders are about 100 miles apart, the two markets share certain growth fundamentals such as stronger-than-average job growth and a corresponding robust demand for homes.
The Dallas metroplex—the conglomeration of 13 counties in North Texas that encompasses Dallas, Fort Worth, and all their many suburbs—is enormous. It’s larger than the area of Rhode Island and Connecticut combined. Space and large amounts of available housing stock play dual roles in the area’s popularity.
Javier Vivas, realtor.com’s manager of economic research, who ran the numbers, says, “While the volume of homes for sale is lower than last year, the supply shortage in the Dallas area doesn’t even come close to what we see in other hot areas of the country.”
Alex Prins, a Dallas Realtor® with Coldwell Banker Residential, confirms the area’s popularity. “Everybody is moving to Dallas,” says Prins. “For buyers that can’t afford to live in Dallas, they’re moving out to the outskirts of the area.”
This is why we saw big search volumes in 2016 for ZIPs in Plano, Arlington, and other towns on the edge of the metro area.
“People are gobbling up homes in areas with great school districts and affordable prices,” says Prins. He adds that an eye-popping 50% to 60% of his clients are moving to the area from out of state.
North Texas real estate insider Candy Evans of CandysDirt.com says she wasn’t shocked when we started reeling off the ZIP codes populating our year-end top 10.
“You can feel it in the traffic. You can see it in the cranes along the skyline, and even in the crowds at the mall,” says Evans. She highlighted Carrolton as a “wonderfully affordable community” and Hurst as “a new community on the rise.”
If you’re intrigued by the idea of joining the crowds in our most-searched ZIPs of the year, scroll down and click to see what’s currently available in these popular locales … and save us a Shiner Bock.
1. 76712 – Woodway, TX
2. 76710 – Waco, TX
3. 76711 – Waco, TX
4. 76707 – Waco, TX
5. 75006 – Carrollton, TX
6. 76054 – Hurst, TX
7. 76022 – Bedford, TX
8. 75023 – Plano, TX
9. 75234 – Dallas, TX
10. 76014 – Arlington, TX
The post Texas Trounces Rivals in the Most-Searched ZIP Codes of 2016 appeared first on Real Estate News & Advice | realtor.com®.