How the Real Estate Market Was Impacted in These 25 Places Hit Hard by COVID-19

Jordan Rosenfeld
8 min read
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Ron_Thomas / Getty Images
Ron_Thomas / Getty Images

With a slow COVID-19 vaccine rollout in the U.S. and the country still divided on whether to wear masks and socially distance, the coronavirus pandemic has not yet begun to slow in the United States as we near the one-year anniversary of early shelter-in-place orders. Countrywide, over 28 million cases and more than 498,000 deaths have been reported, according to The New York Times. Rising cases have driven many people to sell their homes and flee to less COVID-19-impacted cities.

Read: What Homes Will Be Worth in Your State by the End of 2021

GOBankingRates used USAFacts data to find 25 counties with the highest known COVID-19 cases as of Jan. 21, 2021, and 25 counties with the highest known total deaths caused by COVID-19 as of Jan. 21, 2021. We then looked up the Feb. 29, 2020, home value and the Dec. 31, 2020, home value to show a change in home values. While the home value increased in many of these counties, like Queens County, New York, and Cook County, Illinois, that increase was very small.

Here are the 25 counties hardest hit by COVID-19 and its impact on the real estate market.

Last updated: Feb. 23, 2021

Hilliard Ohio neighborhood from the air.
Hilliard Ohio neighborhood from the air.

Franklin County, Ohio

  • County population: 1,316,756

  • Total Cases as of Jan. 21, 2021: 100,046

  • Feb. 29, 2020 home value: $215,141

  • Dec. 31, 2020 home value: $236,194

  • % change in home value: 9.79%

See: Jaw-Dropping Stats About the State of Retirement in America

Palm Beach Florida climate change
Palm Beach Florida climate change

Palm Beach County, Florida

  • County population: 1,496,770

  • Total Cases as of Jan. 21, 2021: 100,208

  • Feb. 29, 2020 home value: $340,192

  • Dec. 31, 2020 home value: $362,538

  • % change in home value: 6.57%

More: 8 Insider Tips to Get Rich in Real Estate

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA downtown skyline from the Benjamin Franklin Bridge at twilight.
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA downtown skyline from the Benjamin Franklin Bridge at twilight.

Philadelphia County, Pennsylvania

  • County population: 1,584,064

  • Total Cases as of Jan. 21, 2021: 100,356

  • Feb. 29, 2020 home value: $183,221

  • Dec. 31, 2020 home value: $202,261

  • % change in home value: 10.39%

Find: 50 Cities With the Most Homes Under $100K

Milwaukee Wisconsin skyline at surise
Milwaukee Wisconsin skyline at surise

Milwaukee County, Wisconsin

  • County population: 945,726

  • Total Cases as of Jan. 21, 2021: 100,680

  • Feb. 29, 2020 home value: $152,675

  • Dec. 31, 2020 home value: $169,945

  • % change in home value: 11.31%

Read: Houses in These 29 Cities Are Suddenly Major Bargains

New-York-Bronx
New-York-Bronx

Bronx County, New York

  • County population: 1,418,207

  • Total Cases as of Jan. 21, 2021: 104,103

  • Feb. 29, 2020 home value: $532,983

  • Dec. 31, 2020 home value: $561,057

  • % change in home value: 5.27%

See: Cheapest Places To Buy a Home in Every State

El Paso Texas skyline at dusk
El Paso Texas skyline at dusk

El Paso County, Texas

  • County population: 839,238

  • Total Cases as of Jan. 21, 2021: 108,561

  • Feb. 29, 2020 home value: $135,917

  • Dec. 31, 2020 home value: $147,430

  • % change in home value: 8.47%

More: Buying a Home in 2021? Here’s What You Need To Know

Old Westbury, New York - fall, 2016: Long Island Gold Coast Mansion at Old Westbury Gardens - Image.
Old Westbury, New York - fall, 2016: Long Island Gold Coast Mansion at Old Westbury Gardens - Image.

Nassau County, New York

  • County population: 1,356,924

  • Total Cases as of Jan. 21, 2021: 117,371

  • Feb. 29, 2020 home value: $571,268

  • Dec. 31, 2020 home value: $606,053

  • % change in home value: 6.09%

Discover: 50 Cities With the Most Overpriced Homes

Salt Lake City is the capital and the most populous municipality of the U.
Salt Lake City is the capital and the most populous municipality of the U.

Salt Lake County, Utah

  • County population: 1,160,437

  • Total Cases as of Jan. 21, 2021: 124,688

  • Feb. 29, 2020 home value: $399,002

  • Dec. 31, 2020 home value: $449,360

  • % change in home value: 12.62%

Related: 40 Cities That Could Be Poised For a Housing Crisis

Long Island City, Famous Place, River, Skyscraper, USA.
Long Island City, Famous Place, River, Skyscraper, USA.

Suffolk County, New York

  • County population: 1,476,601

  • Total Cases as of Jan. 21, 2021: 131,309

  • Feb. 29, 2020 home value: $555,130

  • Dec. 31, 2020 home value: $612,374

  • % change in home value: 10.31%

Read: Craziest Things That Kill Your Home’s Value

View of Brooklyn Bridge and Lower Manhattan at sunset with sun Flare and a blank space.
View of Brooklyn Bridge and Lower Manhattan at sunset with sun Flare and a blank space.

Kings County, New York

  • County population: 2,559,903

  • Total Cases as of Jan. 21, 2021: 155,424

  • Feb. 29, 2020 home value: $823,567

  • Dec. 31, 2020 home value: $851,615

  • % change in home value: 3.41%

See: What a $1M Home Looks Like Across America

San Antonio, Texas, USA downtown city skyline
San Antonio, Texas, USA downtown city skyline

Bexar County, Texas

  • County population: 2,003,554

  • Total Cases as of Jan. 21, 2021: 155,588

  • Feb. 29, 2020 home value: $194,991

  • Dec. 31, 2020 home value: $206,243

  • % change in home value: 5.77%

Find: In Less Than a Decade, You Won’t Be Able To Afford a Home in These Cities

Queens New York
Queens New York

Queens County, New York

  • County population: 2,253,858

  • Total Cases as of Jan. 21, 2021: 158,865

  • Feb. 29, 2020 home value: $711,439

  • Dec. 31, 2020 home value: $730,656

  • % change in home value: 2.70%

More: 50 Cities With the Most Underpriced Homes

Fort Lauderdale Florida climate change
Fort Lauderdale Florida climate change

Broward County, Florida

  • County population: 1,952,778

  • Total Cases as of Jan. 21, 2021: 162,720

  • Feb. 29, 2020 home value: $339,330

  • Dec. 31, 2020 home value: $364,393

  • % change in home value: 7.39%

Read: 32 Insider Tips for Buying and Selling a House

Skyline of Fort Worth Texas at night
Skyline of Fort Worth Texas at night

Tarrant County, Texas

  • County population: 2,102,515

  • Total Cases as of Jan. 21, 2021: 199,521

  • Feb. 29, 2020 home value: $226,983

  • Dec. 31, 2020 home value: $242,536

  • % change in home value: 6.85%

See: 20 Home Renovations That Will Hurt Your Home’s Value

Las Vegas, MAR 23, 2020 - Dusk special lockdown cityscape of the famous Strip.
Las Vegas, MAR 23, 2020 - Dusk special lockdown cityscape of the famous Strip.

Clark County, Nevada

  • County population: 2,266,715

  • Total Cases as of Jan. 21, 2021: 204,369

  • Feb. 29, 2020 home value: $305,996

  • Dec. 31, 2020 home value: $327,304

  • % change in home value: 6.96%

Find: You Might Actually Be Able To Afford a Mansion in These 20 States

A hillside with many houses in Irvine in southern Orange County, California, with mountains in the background.
A hillside with many houses in Irvine in southern Orange County, California, with mountains in the background.

Orange County, California

  • County population: 3,175,692

  • Total Cases as of Jan. 21, 2021: 216,893

  • Feb. 29, 2020 home value: $794,041

  • Dec. 31, 2020 home value: $852,272

  • % change in home value: 7.33%

Discover: 5 Signs You’re About To Overpay on That House You Want

Mission Beach Sunset and View of Downtown, San Diego California, USA.
Mission Beach Sunset and View of Downtown, San Diego California, USA.

San Diego County, CA

  • County population: 3,338,330

  • Total Cases as of Jan. 21, 2021: 218,553

  • Feb. 29, 2020 home value: $640,218

  • Dec. 31, 2020 home value: $713,471

  • % change in home value: 11.44%

Read: 28 House-Flipping Rules You Should Never Break

Night lights fill the sky and reflect in the water under the bridge in Dallas, Texas.
Night lights fill the sky and reflect in the water under the bridge in Dallas, Texas.

Dallas County, Texas

  • County population: 2,635,516

  • Total Cases as of Jan. 21, 2021: 239,683

  • Feb. 29, 2020 home value: $219,499

  • Dec. 31, 2020 home value: $238,710

  • % change in home value: 8.75%

See: 17 Dumb Home-Buying Mistakes That Hurt Your Wallet

Riverside County, California

  • County population: 2,470,546

  • Total Cases as of Jan. 21, 2021: 248,686

  • Feb. 29, 2020 home value: $411,002

  • Dec. 31, 2020 home value: $449,862

  • % change in home value: 9.45%

More: Homes in These 25 Waterfront Cities Are a Total Steal

Victorville, CA / USA – March 30, 2019: Located on the corner of 7th St and Green Tree Blvd in the city of Victorville stands a rustic metal artwork featuring the Route 66 logo and the city name.
Victorville, CA / USA – March 30, 2019: Located on the corner of 7th St and Green Tree Blvd in the city of Victorville stands a rustic metal artwork featuring the Route 66 logo and the city name.

San Bernadino County, California

  • County population: 2,180,085

  • Total Cases as of Jan. 21, 2021: 255,921

  • Feb. 29, 2020 home value: $374,427

  • Dec. 31, 2020 home value: $413,231

  • % change in home value: 10.36%

Related: The Cost To Own a 3-Bedroom Home in Every State

Houston, Texas, USA downtown skyline over the highways at dusk.
Houston, Texas, USA downtown skyline over the highways at dusk.

Harris County, Texas

  • County population: 4,713,325

  • Total Cases as of Jan. 21, 2021: 290,249

  • Feb. 29, 2020 home value: $201,577

  • Dec. 31, 2020 home value: $215,609

  • % change in home value: 6.96%

Find: 25 Tricks To Sell Your House for a Bigger Profit

Ocean Drive night in Miami Beach.
Ocean Drive night in Miami Beach.

Miami-Dade County, Florida

  • County population: 2,716,940

  • Total Cases as of Jan. 21, 2021: 352,495

  • Feb. 29, 2020 home value: $354,745

  • Dec. 31, 2020 home value: $377,003

  • % change in home value: 6.27%

See: 20 Key Signs That Your House Is Losing Value

Cityscape skyline view of office buildings and apartment condominiums in downtown Phoenix Arizona USA.
Cityscape skyline view of office buildings and apartment condominiums in downtown Phoenix Arizona USA.

Maricopa County, Arizona

  • County population: 4,485,414

  • Total Cases as of Jan. 21, 2021: 434,337

  • Feb. 29, 2020 home value: $303,808

  • Dec. 31, 2020 home value: $345,093

  • % change in home value: 13.59%

More: How To Sell Your House Fast: Real Estate Agents Tell All

Chicago cityscape looking out over the rush hour traffic commute of the highway in Illinois USA.
Chicago cityscape looking out over the rush hour traffic commute of the highway in Illinois USA.

Cook County, Illinois

  • County population: 5,150,233

  • Total Cases as of Jan. 21, 2021: 439,118

  • Feb. 29, 2020 home value: $253,906

  • Dec. 31, 2020 home value: $269,802

  • % change in home value: 6.26%

Related: 30 Ways To Upgrade Your Home Without Blowing Your Budget

Downtown Los Angeles
Downtown Los Angeles

Los Angeles County, California

  • County population: 10,039,107

  • Total Cases as of Jan. 21, 2021: 1,015,608

  • Feb. 29, 2020 home value: $671,012

  • Dec. 31, 2020 home value: $728,937

  • % change in home value: 8.63%

More From GOBankingRates

Methodology: In order to find the 50 places hit hardest by COVID-19 and its effect on the real estate market, GOBankingRates first used USAFacts data to find (1) 25 counties with the highest known COVID-19 cases as of Jan. 21, 2021, and (2) 25 counties with the highest known total deaths caused by COVID-19 as of Jan. 21, 2021. GOBankingRates then found for each of those 50 counties (3) the Feb. 29, 2020 home value; (4) the Dec. 31, 2020 home value; (5) the change in home value from February to December 2020; and (6)the percent change in home value from February to December 2020. All data was collected on and up to date as of Jan. 22, 2021.

This article originally appeared on GOBankingRates.com: How the Real Estate Market Was Impacted in These 25 Places Hit Hard by COVID-19

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