Home prices fell 28% in Pineville, KY, rose 24% in Crystal City, TX

Home prices swung most dramatically in smaller communities over the past year, with Kentucky ZIP codes claiming four of the five steepest declines while Texas markets led the gains, according to HavenScore's analysis of year-over-year changes in the Zillow Home Value Index.

Pineville, KY (40977) saw the largest price drop at 28.2%, bringing median home values to $80,340 per HavenScore data. Cadiz, KY followed with a 25% decline to $118,569, while Homer, LA, Salyersville, KY, and Jackson, KY rounded out the top five declines with drops ranging from 19.9% to 21.3%.

On the upside, Crystal City, TX (78839) led all communities with a 23.5% price increase, pushing median values to $92,232 in HavenScore's latest data refresh. Childress, TX posted the second-largest gain at 22.9%, with median home values reaching $138,987.

The price movements reveal sharp geographic clustering, with Kentucky accounting for four of the ten largest swings — all declines. Texas contributed two communities to the top gainers, while Idaho, Illinois, and Pennsylvania each had one ZIP in the extreme movers list.

Ketchum, ID stood out among the gainers with a 19.6% increase that pushed median values to $1.56 million per HavenScore data, making it the most expensive market among the top price movers. The ski resort community's median home value dwarfed other markets on the list, exceeding the next-highest by more than $1.2 million.

At the other end of the spectrum, Johnstown, PA recorded a 19.1% decline that brought median values to $48,886 — the lowest among all communities in HavenScore's top movers analysis.

The analysis focused on ZIP codes with at least 5,000 residents to filter out smaller communities where individual sales can create misleading price swings. Even with this population threshold, the data shows significant volatility in housing markets outside major metropolitan areas.

Winthrop Harbor, IL completed the top gainers with an 18.8% increase to $314,364.

Insights from HavenScore data

The extreme price movements occurred in markets with relatively affordable baseline values compared to the nation's most expensive areas. Across HavenScore's most price-burdened ZIP codes, the price-to-income ratio averages 34.7, with representative markets including Stanford, CA (44.2 ratio), Aspen, CO (36.3), and Atherton, CA (34.6).

Most communities experiencing dramatic price swings had median values well below $200,000, suggesting these movements reflect local economic conditions rather than broader housing market trends affecting high-cost coastal areas. The geographic concentration of declines in Kentucky and Louisiana, alongside gains in Texas markets, points to regional economic factors driving these price changes.

The data underscores how housing market volatility varies significantly across different price segments and geographic regions, with smaller communities often experiencing more pronounced swings than major metropolitan markets.