Southern and Sunbelt states were among the biggest gainers but there were some surprises in the rest of the country too.
If you had states like Florida, California and New York on your short list for among the largest increases in home prices since 2000, you are absolutely right. But we wonder if you had Rhode Island, Idaho and Washington among the biggest gainers?
New data from several government bodies, including the Federal Housing Finance Agency, tracked housing prices since the turn of the century and found increases ranging from 21 percent — Mississippi — to 129 percent — Hawaii — with a wide array of changes.
Following Hawaii, which might have been expected given its high cost of living and limited housing stock, were: Idaho, 125 percent; Montana, 118 percent; Florida, 116 percent; and Maine, 113 percent. Other notable gainers were Rhode Island, 107 percent; Washington, 104 percent; Arizona, 98 percent; Utah, 97 percent; and California, 96 percent.
Following Mississippi on the low end of the scale were Louisiana and Michigan, 23 percent each; Illinois, 25 percent; and Iowa, 28 percent. There was one standout on the housing map, and not surprisingly, it wasn’t a state. The District of Columbia registered a 154 percent increase in housing prices over the past 26 years, proving that whichever party is in power, real estate is always a good investment.
