10 U.S. metro areas where it takes the longest to sell a home—3 of them are in Texas (2024)

The current U.S. housing market is a rollercoaster: Mortgage rates are high, housing is in demand, and yet experts can't seem to agree on whether or not now is the right time to sell or buy a home.

Creditnews Research, an independent research house, analyzed the top 100 largest metros in the U.S. by population to determine the slowest-selling housing markets in the country — or where it takes the longest for homes to sell. The study also used data sourced from Zillow to establish the number of days before a listing goes into sale-pending status.

All but two of the top 10 slowest-selling metros in the study are larger Sun Belt cities, according to Creditnews Research.

Of the slowest-selling metros, seven are in the South, and three are in Texas alone. The study states that a part of the reason for this reshuffling in America's red-hot markets is the divergence in housing inventory.

Cities in states like Texas that were once considered booming during the covid-19 pandemic are starting to cool off.

Austin took the top spot in Creditnews Research's ranking of the slowest-selling U.S. metro areas.

It takes 66 days for a home listing in the city to reach sale-pending status — longer than any other metro area in the country.

The average home price in Austin has steadily increased since 1998, according to a 2023 SmartAsset study. Home values have soared 354% over the past 25 years.

While Austin is continuing to rise as a thriving tech hub, with companies like Dell and AMD keeping headquarters in and around the metro area, home-buying in the Texas city seems to have started to cool off.

The Creditnews Research study also found that housing inventory has increased 29.32% since before the pandemic, and that between January 2020 and January 2024, the median listing time jumped from 23 to 66 days.

1. Austin, Texas
2. McAllen, Texas
3. Poughkeepsie, N.Y.
4. San Antonio, Texas
5. New Orleans, La.
6. Jacksonville, Fla.
7. Cape Coral, Fla.
8. Colorado Springs, Colo.
9. Deltona, Fla.
10. New York, N.Y.

McAllen, Texas has the second slowest-selling housing market in the U.S., according to Creditnews Research.

Listings in McAllen took 53 days to go to pending, down 36.14% compared to January 2020.

The city's housing inventory has risen by 26.12% since 2020, according to the study.

Thanks to its proximity to the Mexican border, McAllen is a major center for international trade, tourism, and retail.

The city is also known for its strong Hispanic culture and as a haven for those crossing the border from Mexico to Texas, according to U.S. News and World Report.

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