GAHANNA, Ohio — For the second year, Gahanna has taken the title for being the hottest zip code in the country for home sales.
Realtor.com rolled out its top 10 hottest zip codes, which is topped by Gahanna’s main 43230 zip. Second place goes to the St. Louis suburb of Ballwin, Missouri. Even with mortgage rates hovering around 6.5% for the last year, it hasn’t slowed down the housing market in Gahanna.
According to the website, housing in Gahanna stayed on the market for an average of 11 days. They sell after about four, showing at a median price of $345,000.
Coldwell Banker Realtor Neal Hauschild said the suburb’s affordability and school district plays a big factor in its popularity.
“You can still get a home for $100-150,000 up to several million dollars. It really runs the gamut and appeals to everybody,” Hauschild said. “A lot of people moving here to Columbus do have families and they are really conscious about the school systems.”
He said while homes don’t last long, they do sit on the market longer than they did a couple years ago. However, buyers have to be ready to act.
“They have to be able to view a property relatively quick. We’re still in that situation because inventory is low, when a house comes on the market, you have to be ready to look at it,” he said. “Generally below 400-ish, you’re still getting bidding war because the inventory is low and people still want to buy houses.”
Laurie Jadwin, Gahanna Mayor, said the city’s close proximity to downtown Columbus and the airport make it desirable.
“For us to be named the hottest zip code in the United States for the second year in a row, it was a little bit of a surprise, but it’s a wonderful surprise for us. We’re honored for that. It speaks to the desirability of Gahanna to what we have to offer as a community,” she said.
She’s watched the city’s growth in recent decades. She said the demand in Gahanna is something city leaders talk about a lot.
“The growth is happening very quickly. Not only for Gahanna but the surrounding communities. So being flexible and nimble to be able to respond to that as quickly as possible is a challenge for all of us,” Jadwin said. “We’re thrilled that houses are that in demand, but it can be challenging too because people want to move here and it’s challenging find a place to live.”
She said Gahanna is out of space to expand, so they have to start looking at a diversity in housing such as adding more apartments and condominiums.
Ashland, Cincinnati, Cleveland, Cuyahoga Falls, Dayton, Mansfield and Toledo made the Top 50 list.