In the spring, when the coronavirus had just begun to spread, there were some indication that prospective home buyers were already adjusting their plans. Buyer surveys and online search data showed there were a significant number of home shoppers who – driven primarily by the availability of remote work – decided to expand their search and look at homes in suburban and rural areas, further from the city. For example, one analysis found that the percentage of prospective buyers who said they planned to search for a home in a rural area increased from 9 percent to 19 percent following the onset of the pandemic. But what, if anything, has the interest in smaller, less populated locations done to home prices in those areas? Well, recent data shows it may have caused prices to rise more quickly. In fact, homes in rural areas saw their median sales price increase 11.3 percent year-over-year through the week ending August 2. For comparison, suburban homes were up 9.2 percent and urban areas saw a 6.7 percent annual increase. (source)
