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Map shows college towns with most expensive houses

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  Published in House and Home on Thursday, September 18th 2025 at 7:35 GMT by Newsweek
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College Towns Where the Price of a Home Hits the Roof

A brand‑new interactive map released by Newsweek has pulled a string out of the U.S. housing market, pulling the spotlight on the college towns that are seeing the steepest rises in home prices. The visualisation, based on the latest Zillow Home Value Index (ZHVI) data, ranks every city that hosts at least one institution of higher education by average price per square foot and median sale price. The result is a surprising list that stretches from the traditional “college belt” in the Northeast to the rapidly gentrifying suburbs of the West Coast.

How the Map Was Made

The article explains that the map was generated from Zillow’s ZHVI, which aggregates public sale records and private real‑estate listings to produce a monthly snapshot of the median house price in every U.S. zip code. Newsweek cross‑checked those numbers against data from the U.S. Census Bureau’s American Community Survey (ACS) and the National Association of Realtors (NAR) to confirm trends and correct for outliers. Once the team had a clean dataset, they plotted the results on a stylised choropleth map and layered it with icons for each college‑town hotspot.

A clickable legend lets readers zoom into a particular town. Hovering over a marker reveals a tooltip that lists the town’s median home price, its average price per square foot, and the percent change over the past year. For instance, Cambridge, Massachusetts, shows a median price of $1.2 million and a 12% annual jump, while a lesser‑known community like Wellesley, MA, is right on the cusp with a 9% increase.

The Top Ten Most Expensive College Towns

While the map covers 1,200+ college towns, Newsweek draws attention to the top ten, providing a snapshot of why these markets are so pricey:

The map’s side bar includes a “filter by price range” option, letting readers see how many towns fall under $500,000, between $500,000–$800,000, and over $800,000. Interestingly, the data reveals that about 45% of all college towns have median prices above $800,000, a figure that dwarfs the national median home price of $398,000 (2023).

Why These Towns Are So Priced Out

Newsweek dives into a few common drivers:

1. Limited Housing Supply
   Many of these communities have strict zoning ordinances that cap new construction. In Boston‑area suburbs, for example, the “Boston 10‑Year Housing Supply Plan” caps infill density to preserve the historic character of neighborhoods, pushing prices up.

2. Desirability for Students and Alumni
   Towns with elite institutions attract affluent alumni who buy second homes or invest in rental units. Harvard and MIT alumni often purchase luxury condos and townhouses to keep them close to campus, inflating prices.

3. Tech‑Driven Boom in Adjacent Regions
   Cities like Boulder and Seattle have seen a surge in tech talent moving in, which has a spill‑over effect on nearby college towns. The influx increases demand for housing and, in turn, raises costs.

4. High Demand for Rental Units
   Many universities now offer “campus‑style” apartments that cater to graduate students and young faculty. These units often command premium rents, making it more attractive for investors to purchase properties rather than sell them outright.

5. Student Debt & Housing Affordability Crisis
   The article quotes a research report from the Center for American Progress linking rising student debt to increased demand for housing near campuses. As students try to keep tuition payments under control, many look to living in more expensive markets for the perceived stability and better job prospects.

The Human Toll

Beyond the numbers, Newsweek tells the story of everyday people. A student from the University of Wisconsin‑Madison explains how she had to live in a sub‑standard apartment on the campus outskirts because the on‑campus housing was out of reach. She estimates paying $1,400 per month, twice what the average local rent is.

Another segment profiles a retired professor in Princeton who says that the local real‑estate market has become “a game of houses versus families.” She points out that many longtime residents are being priced out of their own neighborhoods.

What This Means for Policy & Future Trends

The article concludes with an overview of potential policy responses. Some municipalities are experimenting with “student housing” ordinances that allow for higher densities specifically aimed at student housing. The City of Boston is also considering a “Student Housing Fund” that would subsidise the construction of affordable units.

A sidebar links to a New York Times piece on the “college housing crisis” and to the National Association of Realtors’s 2024 forecast, which warns that housing supply will not keep up with demand in the next five years, especially in the top 25 college towns.

Takeaway

The Newsweek map is more than a visual treat—it’s a stark illustration of how higher‑education ecosystems are intertwined with real‑estate dynamics. For the 1,200+ college towns across America, the median home price now exceeds the national median by more than 70%. For students, faculty, and families living or working around campuses, these trends mean higher rents, higher tuition, and a growing sense of financial strain.

By combining real‑time data with on‑the‑ground stories, the article underscores a crisis that extends far beyond the classroom and into the very homes people call theirs. Whether the federal government or local planners can reverse the trend remains to be seen, but the map makes one thing crystal clear: the most expensive college towns are not just a footnote—they’re a headline.