Zillow upgrades its outlook—here's its home price forecast for more than 400 housing markets

Core Insights - Zillow economists project a modest increase in U.S. home prices, forecasting a rise of +1.2% from August 2025 to August 2026, with an updated outlook now at +1.9% [2][4]. Summary by Sections Home Price Forecast - Initially, Zillow's 12-month forecast for U.S. home prices was +2.6%, but due to a quicker-than-expected softening in housing markets, it was revised down to -1.7% by April 2025 [3]. - Recent months have seen a halt in downward revisions, with forecasts increasing from +0.4% in August to +1.2% in September, and now to +1.9% [4]. Regional Price Changes - Among the 300 largest U.S. metro areas, the highest projected home price increases from September 2025 to September 2026 are expected in: 1. Atlantic City, NJ +5.4% 2. Rockford, IL +5.1% 3. Concord, NH +5.1% 4. Knoxville, TN +5.0% 5. Saginaw, MI +4.9% [6]. Declining Markets - Conversely, the largest expected home price declines in the same period are projected in: 1. Houma, LA -7.4% 2. Lake Charles, LA -6.9% 3. Lafayette, LA -4.3% 4. New Orleans, LA -4.0% 5. Shreveport, LA -3.8% [12]. Market Dynamics - Currently, U.S. home prices are up +0.01% year over year, and if Zillow's latest forecast of +1.9% is realized, it would indicate a slight acceleration in national home price growth [7]. - The Sun Belt, particularly Southwest Florida, is identified as the epicenter of housing market weakness, with a notable increase in buyer's markets from 6 to 15 among the nation's largest metros [9].