Houston-The Woodlands-Sugar Land Home Prices Up 2.1% Year Over Year in December, According to First American Data & Analytics Monthly Home Price Index Report

Rhea-AI Summary

First American Data & Analytics released its December 2024 Home Price Index (HPI) report, showing that the Houston-The Woodlands-Sugar Land market experienced a 2.1% year-over-year increase in home prices, with a modest 0.2% month-over-month growth.

Nationally, house prices grew by 3.9% year-over-year, with a 0.1% month-over-month increase. The market started 2024 strong at a 7% annualized growth rate but gradually slowed due to higher mortgage rates and increased inventory levels.

In the Houston metro area, price growth varied across segments: luxury tier properties saw the highest appreciation at 4.1%, followed by mid-tier at 2.8%, and starter homes at 0.7%. Among major markets, Anaheim, Cambridge, and Pittsburgh showed the strongest price growth, while markets like Tampa, Oakland, and Austin experienced price decreases.

National House Prices Grew Modestly in 2024

—Higher mortgage rates in the latter half of the year, combined with higher inventory levels, triggered the cooling trend, says Chief Economist Mark Fleming—

SANTA ANA, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- First American Data & Analytics, a leading national provider of property-centric information, risk management and valuation solutions and a division of First American Financial Corporation (NYSE: FAF), today released its December 2024 Home Price Index (HPI) report. The report tracks home price changes less than four weeks behind real time at the national, state and metropolitan (Core-Based Statistical Area) levels and includes metropolitan price tiers that segment sale transactions into starter, mid and luxury tiers. The full report can be found here.

December¹ Home Price Index

Houston-The Woodlands-Sugar Land Market
Metric	Change in HPI
November-December 2024 (month over month)	+0.2 percent
December 2023-December 2024 (year over year)	+2.1 percent
National HPI
Metric	Change in HPI
November-December 2024 (month over month)	+0.1 percent
December 2023-December 2024 (year over year)	+3.9 percent

Chief Economist National HPI Analysis:

“House price growth nationally started 2024 strong at a 7 percent annualized pace of growth but gradually slowed over the course of the year, ending in the high 3 percent year-over-year growth range. Higher mortgage rates in the latter half of the year, combined with higher inventory levels, triggered the cooling trend. If similar conditions persist through 2025, we should expect very moderate price appreciation,” said Mark Fleming, chief economist at First American. “Areas with rapid supply growth that outstrips demand may face stronger moderation or even price declines, while areas with limited new supply may see steadier price growth or even price reacceleration. The structural housing shortage nationally will keep a floor on how low prices can go, but a ‘higher-for-longer’ rate environment and inventory growth could cause further price moderation.”

Year-Over-Year Price-Tier Data for the Houston-The Woodlands-Sugar Land Metro Area: December 2023 to December 2024

The First American Data & Analytics HPI segments home price changes at the metropolitan level into three price tiers based on local market sales data: starter tier, which represents home sales prices at the bottom third of the market price distribution; mid-tier, which represents home sales prices in the middle third of the market price distribution; and the luxury tier, which represents home sales prices in the top third of the market price distribution.

CBSA	Starter	Mid-Tier	Luxury
Houston-The Woodlands-Sugar Land	+0.7%	+2.8%	+4.1%

“House price growth has varied considerably at the regional level over the last year, largely driven by differences in for-sale inventories. As more homes become available, the power dynamics can shift in favor of buyers, putting downward pressure on prices,” said Fleming. “All else equal, house price growth in markets with higher inventory of homes available for sale will weaken compared to those with low inventory relative to demand.”

December 2024 First American Data & Analytics Price Tier HPI Highlights²

Core-Based Statistical Areas (CBSAs) Ranked by Greatest Year-Over-Year Increases in Starter Tier HPI
CBSA	Change in Starter Tier HPI	Change in Mid-Tier HPI	Change in Luxury Tier HPI
Pittsburgh	+9.5 percent	+2.7 percent	+4.0 percent
Cambridge, Mass.	+6.0 percent	+7.6 percent	+6.8 percent
New York	+5.3 percent	+5.2 percent	+3.7 percent
St. Louis	+5.1 percent	+2.9 percent	+4.2 percent
Anaheim, Calif.	+5.0 percent	+7.0 percent	+6.6 percent

Additional December 2024 First American Data & Analytics HPI Highlights

Core-Based Statistical Areas (CBSAs) with Greatest Year-Over-Year Increases in HPI
CBSA	Change in HPI
Anaheim, Calif.	+6.1 percent
Cambridge, Mass.	+6.0 percent
Pittsburgh	+5.8 percent
Las Vegas	+4.4 percent
Warren, Mich.	+4.3 percent
Core-Based Statistical Areas (CBSAs) with a Year-Over-Year Decease in HPI
Tampa, Fla.	-4.6 percent
Oakland, Calif.	-0.8 percent
Austin, Texas	-0.2 percent
Los Angeles	-0.1 percent
San Antonio	+0.5 percent

HPI data for all 50 states and the largest 30 CBSAs by population is available here.

Visit the First American Economic Center for more research on housing market dynamics.

Next Release

The next release of the First American Data & Analytics House Price Index will take place the week of February 17, 2025.

First American Data & Analytics HPI Methodology

The First American Data & Analytics HPI report measures single-family home prices, including distressed sales, with indices updated monthly beginning in 1980 through the month of the current report. HPI data is provided at the national, state and CBSA levels and includes preliminary index estimates for the month prior to the report (i.e. the preliminary result of July transactions is reported in August). The most recent index results are subject to revision as data from more transactions become available.

The HPI uses a repeat-sales methodology, which measures price changes for the same property over time using more than 46 million paired transactions to generate the indices. In non-disclosure states, the HPI utilizes a combination of public sales records, MLS sold and active listings, and appraisal data to estimate house prices. This comprehensive approach is particularly effective in areas where there is limited availability of accurate sale prices, such as non-disclosure states. Property type, price and location data are used to create more refined market segment indices. Real Estate-Owned transactions are not included.

Disclaimer

Opinions, estimates, forecasts and other views contained in this page are those of First American’s Chief Economist, do not necessarily represent the views of First American or its management, should not be construed as indicating First American’s business prospects or expected results, and are subject to change without notice. Although the First American Economics team attempts to provide reliable, useful information, it does not guarantee that the information is accurate, current or suitable for any particular purpose. © 2025 by First American. Information from this page may be used with proper attribution.

About First American Data & Analytics

First American Data & Analytics, a division of First American Financial Corporation, is a national provider of property-centric information, risk management and valuation solutions. First American maintains and curates the industry’s largest property and ownership dataset that includes more than 8 billion document images. Its major platforms and products include: DataTree^®, FraudGuard^®, RegsData^®, First American TaxSource™ and ACI^®. Find out more about how First American Data & Analytics powers the real estate, mortgage and title settlement services industries with advanced decisioning solutions at www.FirstAmDNA.com.

About First American

First American Financial Corporation (NYSE: FAF) is a premier provider of title, settlement and risk solutions for real estate transactions. With its combination of financial strength and stability built over more than 135 years, innovative proprietary technologies, and unmatched data assets, the company is leading the digital transformation of its industry. First American also provides data products to the title industry and other third parties; valuation products and services; mortgage subservicing; home warranty products; banking, trust and wealth management services; and other related products and services. With total revenue of $6.0 billion in 2023, the company offers its products and services directly and through its agents throughout the United States and abroad. In 2024, First American was named one of the 100 Best Companies to Work For by Great Place to Work^® and Fortune Magazine for the ninth consecutive year, and named one of the 100 Best Workplaces for Innovators by Fast Company for the second consecutive year. More information about the company can be found at www.firstam.com.

¹ The most recent index results are subject to revision as data from more transactions become available.
² Note: Nassau-County-Suffolk County, NY is excluded from this month’s report due to data disruptions.

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First American Financial Corporation

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Source: First American Financial Corporation

FAQ

What was the home price growth in Houston-The Woodlands-Sugar Land for December 2024?

The Houston-The Woodlands-Sugar Land market saw a 2.1% year-over-year increase in home prices and a 0.2% month-over-month increase in December 2024.

How did different housing tiers perform in Houston's market during 2024?

In Houston, luxury tier properties appreciated by 4.1%, mid-tier homes increased by 2.8%, and starter homes grew by 0.7% year-over-year.

Which cities showed the strongest and weakest home price growth in December 2024?

Anaheim (6.1%), Cambridge (6.0%), and Pittsburgh (5.8%) showed the strongest growth, while Tampa (-4.6%), Oakland (-0.8%), and Austin (-0.2%) experienced price decreases.

What factors influenced national home price trends in 2024?

Higher mortgage rates in the latter half of the year and increased inventory levels led to a cooling trend in national home prices, moderating from a 7% annualized growth rate early in the year.

What is the outlook for home prices according to First American's chief economist?

The outlook suggests moderate price appreciation if current conditions persist, with structural housing shortages providing a price floor, though markets with rapid supply growth may face stronger moderation or price declines.