The Ranch House is America’s Most Commonly Sold Home
Ranch-style housing is the most popular across 20 states. This American classic was built insuch quantitiesin the mid-twentieth century that it prevails through sheer force. The ranch house offers space and, occupying just one floor, cradle-to-grave accessibility. Plus, it is plain enough to be affordable – and resalable.
This plain ranch style “was not experimental enough to be considered ‘ugly’ by even the most conservative,”wrote critic Russell Lynesat the time, “and it was not tricked-up enough to be considered ‘ugly’ by the experimental. It was merely ‘nice.’ It was ‘unobjectionable.’ It was ‘homey,’ and it was said to be ‘practical.’”
How Every State Bucks the House Style Trends
Next, we figured out the most ‘uniquely popular’ home style in each state by seeing which types stood out statistically from place to place. In Pennsylvania, the high number of Airlite-style homes sold is due to their commonness in PA cities such asPhiladelphia. An airlite is a terraced home that differs from the narrower “straight-through”rowhouseby positioning the kitchen and diner side-by-side. Since they make a good first home, airlites often come up on the market as young homeowners move onwards and upwards.
Sunnier climes encourage a more exotic approach to home design. Arizona is the only state with theTuscan styleas its most uniquely popular. Named after the dreamy Italian region, Tuscan-style homes take advantage of their natural surroundings. Architects favor local stone and timber for the structure, with terracotta and stucco details right at home in the warm climate. This outdoorsy feel segues into the actual outdoors with a prominent patio or portico.
Which House Style Draws Attention Near You?
Finally, we calculated the most uniquely popular home style in 45 big cities and shared it along with our state-wide data in the interactive table below. So, while Country Rustic is the ‘most Georgia’ style on a state level, the Atlanta market prefers the more urbanAmerican Foursquare– a no-nonsense, boxy family home that offers maximumroom spaceon its footprint.
Choosing a house style to build or buy is acomplex matter, as you weigh your own taste against the market’s preferences and the character of the neighborhood. But however you choose to proceed, there are a few good principles to stand by:
Seek advice from those you trust and filter voices that you don’t.
- Work as closely with your designer as you can without overstepping your level of expertise.
- Hold your contractors to high standards of engagement, value, and quality.
- Understand that the market can be volatile and unpredictable, and there’s no sure thing.
If you’re passionate about your project and can inspire your team (be they designers, contractors, orreal estate agents), you will get more out of the process than an anonymous investment.
METHODOLOGY & SOURCES
We pulled the data on Zillow’s sold listings across the United States using apify'sZillow Real Estate Scraper. Some states were omitted from our pricing research as they do not provide sold listings values to Zillow.
We filtered the data using the “Architectural Style” field and counted the most commonly sold styles in every state.
To calculate the most uniquely popular style in every city and state, we balanced the share of each style in the city/state to the share of that style country-wide and chose the figure with the highest ratio.
We then calculated the average price of each style state-wise and in the United States overall, including only the styles with at least 10 listings. To eliminate the impact of extreme values, we dropped 25% of listings with the highest prices and 25% with the lowest prices.
The data was collected in January 2022.
FAQs
Ranch. One of the most popular home styles in the U.S., ranches typically have a long, open layout contained on a single story. Low rooflines and L- or U-shaped floor plans also often feature in this style of house that was popular from the 1940s through the '70s.
What style of home has the highest resale value? ›
Colonial. Colonial-style homes have the highest resale factor when all other elements are equal.
What type of home sells the most? ›
According to our data, the top two fastest-selling home styles in the U.S. are bungalows and Cape Cod homes, which makes sense given these are the two home styles that are the most budget-friendly around the country.
What is the most valuable home in the US? ›
The most expensive house in US history is located in Naples, in the state of Florida. This mansion has been listed for sale at a hefty $295 million. The house with the biggest price tag in the US is located in the luxury neighborhood of Port Royal in Naples, Florida.
What is considered a luxury home in the US? ›
What is a Luxury Home? Luxury homes are often quite large, constructed from premium building materials, feature lavish decor, and have a variety of upscale amenities. You'll find these high end homes in the best, most desirable locations. They're priced at the top 10% of the local real estate market.
What is the least desirable style house? ›
Preferences in house style can differ significantly across the country. The study provides a further breakdown of the most popular home styles in the largest U.S. cities. Meanwhile, the least desired home styles appear to be shipping container homes and tiny homes, the study finds.
What style house is most expensive? ›
Beach Houses and Mediterranean-style homes are the most expensive in the U.S. and are often found on prime land close to the ocean. Large windows and balconies accentuate the use of natural light, which adds a feeling of luxury and simplicity to a home.
What is the easiest type of house to sell? ›
Homes that are well-maintained and recently updated tend to sell faster than those in need of significant renovations. Buyers are often willing to pay a premium for properties that are move-in ready.
What type of house is easiest to sell? ›
Terraced Houses
- Terraced houses are fairly easy to maintain and often less problematic.
- They are often nice-looking houses that people like to live.
- These properties are often popular amongst landlords and offer solid rental yields in the right areas.
- Average house prices tend to be less volatile.
How to add value to your home
- Fit a new kitchen. ...
- Build an extension. ...
- Converting a garage, loft or cellar. ...
- Make it more energy efficient. ...
- Split your home into two or more properties. ...
- Make it more open plan. ...
- Improve the garden. ...
- Give it a good clean.
Last year, homes in the top 1% by price nationwide that measured between 5,000 and 10,000 square feet were on the market for an average of 97 days before selling. Homes measuring between 2,000 and 5,000 square feet, by contrast, took 102 days to sell, and homes larger than 10,000 square feet took 126 days.
What state has the most overpriced housing market? ›
California is home to some of the most overpriced housing markets in the nation, a new housing study reveals. A total of 11 California cities landed on a list of the top 100 housing markets in the United States created by Florida Atlantic University.
What is the most popular residential property in the United States? ›
In the United States, the majority of housing units are single-family houses – about 82 million out of the total 129 million occupied units in 2021.
What is the most common type of housing in the US? ›
Single-Family Home
A single-family home is a detached building built on a lot. They are the most common type of house; around 70 percent of Americans live in a single-family home.
What kind of house do most Americans live in? ›
Single-family homes are the most common type of housing in the United States. Also, they are stand-alone family houses that sit on their own property and typically feature a private yard. Single-family homes come in various styles, including ranch, colonial, Victorian, and contemporary.
What is the housing trend in the US? ›
U.S. Housing Supply
In May 2024, there were 1,734,663 homes for sale in the United States, up 13.8% year. The number of newly listed homes was 652,815 and up 8.6% year over year.The median days on the market was 32 days.The average months of supply is 2 months, up 0 year over year. …
What is the most popular form of housing? ›
Explanation: The most popular form of housing is b. single-family dwelling.
