Seattle has been named one of the top 10 high-end markets for buyers in 2025.

Housing market research company Zonda’s 2025 list focuses on wealth and the high-end market. While it expects some of 2024’s market affordability challenges due to high home prices and mortgage rates, Zonda is calling for increased supply, modest sales growth and a complex mortgage market in 2025. 

Zonda chief economist Ali Wolf said the decision to focus on top markets for high-end buyers was driven by the fact high-end buyers are among the strongest today. 

“Our national Zonda Market Ranking shows the high-end market overperformed for the whole of 2024 and is poised to shape the 2025 housing market,” Wolf said. 

Zonda attributes the strength in the high-end market to luxury buyers being least affected by mortgage rates, having accumulated wealth and benefiting from a strong labor market.

Seattle ranked fourth on the list, and Zonda noticed it’s “emerging as a hub for artificial intelligence, the next frontier for big tech companies — which will support Seattle’s appeal to high-wage tech workers.”

Pros for Seattle in the report included that it’s among the highest GDP/capita in the world and has more white-collar workers compared to the nation, along with its gateway city/international appeal and outdoor lifestyle. Drawbacks included slower-than-anticipated population growth, an aging demographic, a rising unhoused population and less economic diversity compared to other major markets.

Charleston, South Carolina, topped the list followed by Nashville and Indianapolis. Raleigh, North Carolina, rounded out the top five.