Fort Collins, Colo., benefits from a diverse economy. Both the tech sector and brewing industry are thriving, and the unemployment rate sits at only 2.9 percent. Homes are also affordable: the median home price is $376,000, which is considerably less than neighbors such as Denver and Boulder, and annual price growth is a healthy 7 percent.
Realtor.com ranked the 10 most stable housing markets, based on the likelihood that a bubble won’t form. Nine metrics including affordability, the number of homes for sale, new construction rates, and local employment data were factored in.
Fort Collins finished first, followed by Madison, Wis., Durham, N.C., Honolulu, Hawaii, and Greenville, S.C. Salem, Ore., came in eighth.
As the state capital of Oregon, Salem brims with state and federal employees. Surrounded by picturesque countryside, Salem is a regional hub for agribusinesses and a booming renewable energy sector. And home prices are only two-thirds of what they are in pricey hipster Portland, just an hour away.