Despite national housing prices being flat in 2026, regional data shows that equity-rich markets still exist, and wealth creation remains possible for those positioned to capitalize on it. According to data from ATTOM, 43.3% of homes are categorized as equity-rich, meaning the mortgage balance is less than 50% of the property’s current market value.

States with the Most Equity-Rich Properties

Vermont tops the list of states with equity-rich properties, with 85.7% of homes falling into this category. New Hampshire, Montana, Rhode Island, and Hawai’i round out the top five, with none falling below the 55% equity-rich mark. The Midwest dominates at the county level, with 23 of the top 30 equity-rich counties located there.

While states like Vermont and New Hampshire lead in equity-rich properties, the market is cooling in response to rising interest rates and flat home price growth. However, the outlook from an equity perspective is positive, and wealth creation through homeownership remains possible in many places.

Local Markets Seeing Gains

San Francisco is an outlier, with house prices up by 8.9% so far this year. The Midwest is also seeing gains, with house prices rising 5.9% in Illinois and 5.6% in Maine. Lake County, Indiana, and Milwaukee are also experiencing significant price growth, with rises of 5.9% and 4.8%, respectively.

Original reporting: KRDO (Colorado Springs metro) — read the source article.