Do you live in one of the hottest ZIP codes in the US?
(NEXSTAR) - When looking to sell your home there's always that constant juggle of wondering how quickly your home will sell and if you will get a good return. Most times, this is dependent on the housing market or where your home is located, but if your home happens to be in one of these ZIP codes, you may not have to worry about any of these factors.
Research done by Realtor.com found what they called the "Hottest ZIP Codes" in the U.S. where homes are selling like hotcakes thanks to high demand from buyers.
To find this, the real estate website took two factors of the housing market into account. First is the market demand, which was measured by unique viewers per property on their website. The second factor is the pace of the market, which was measured by the number of days a listing remains active.
With these combined factors, the hottest area in the country at the moment were homes in the 43230 ZIP code or Gahanna, Ohio. Located outside of Columbus, homes in Gahanna are selling in around 11 days on average for about $345,000 with roughly 4 interested buyers at a time.
The only ZIP code that has homes selling faster than 43230 is 14609 or Rochester, New York at No. 5 on the list, where homes are selling in about 8 days. But faster doesn't always mean better, as homes in Rochester are selling for an average of $151,000 with only 3 potential buyers.
If you're looking for more expensive homes, you'll have to travel a bit south to the neighboring state of New Jersey where homes in the 07920 ZIP code are selling for about $967,000, the most expensive ZIP code on the list. 07920 belongs to Basking Ridge, New Jersey which lands at No. 4 on the list of hottest ZIP codes. It's found right near Newark and New York City and homes here are selling in a little over 16 days on average.
Here's how the rest of the top 10 hottest ZIP codes shook out:
| Rank | ZIP Code | City | Metro Area | Viewers per property vs US | Median Days on Market | Median Listing Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 43230 | Gahanna, OH | Columbus, OH | 4.3 | 11 | $345,000 |
| 2 | 63021 | Ballwin, MO | St. Louis, MO-IL | 3.5 | 16 | $409,000 |
| 3 | 01970 | Salem, MA | Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH | 3.6 | 16 | $596,000 |
| 4 | 07920 | Basking Ridge, NJ | New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA | 3.5 | 16 | $967,000 |
| 5 | 14609 | Rochester, NY | Rochester, NY | 2.9 | 8 | $151,000 |
| 6 | 08054 | Mount Laurel, NJ | Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD | 3.3 | 18 | $385,000 |
| 7 | 01453 | Leominster, MA | Worcester, MA-CT | 4.2 | 21 | $462,000 |
| 8 | 01085 | Westfield, MA | Springfield, MA | 5.2 | 20 | $347,000 |
| 9 | 46322 | Highland, IN | Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN-WI | 3.3 | 21 | $250,000 |
| 10 | 18062 | Macungie, PA | Allentown-Bethlehem-Easton, PA-NJ | 2.7 | 16 | $462,000 |
You can find the full top 50 list of the hottest ZIP codes in the country by checking out the Realtor.com website.
How to sell your home for more money
If your home isn't in one of the hottest ZIP codes, don't be discouraged, there's still a chance you could sell your home for good value and with little to no hassle.
Bankrate published a list of helpful tips that could help you sell your home for more money than expected, with the first piece of advice being to hire a trusted local real estate agent. According to the banking website, data from the National Association of Realtors shows that between July 2022 and June 2023, homes listed without the assistance of a realtor sold for a median price of $310,000, while those sold with one fetched a median of $405,000.
The next tip is to not be afraid to invest in home improvements that could increase the value of your home. Things like upgrading your kitchen or updating your bathroom can go a long way in terms of how buyers view your home. That goes for the outside of your home too, touching up the paint on your house, adding new mulch to your landscaping, and keeping your grass cut and well-maintained can all affect how your home is valued tremendously.
Finally one of the hardest things to remember when selling your home is to use your head, not your heart. As difficult as it may be when selling, you have to remember that your home will soon no longer be "your home." Go in with the mindset that this is a product for sale and be open to requests or repairs from prospective buyers.