Great Falls is one of 233 communities nationwide where the value of a typical “starter home” now tops $1 million, according to a new Zillow analysis.
At just over $1.2 million, the typical value of a Great Falls starter home is six times the national average. Great Falls is the lone Virginia community to make the 2025 list.
Zillow defines a “starter home” as one valued in the lowest one-third of properties in a community.
The 233 communities included in the 2025 survey compare to 209 in March 2024 and just 85 in March 2020, right when the COVID-19 pandemic shut down most public activities across the U.S.
Virginia is one of 25 states to have at least one locality represented this year. Minnesota and Rhode Island joined the list this year, as prices continue to rise across the U.S.
“First-time buyers are facing a market where prices that once seemed unimaginable have become reality,” said Kara Ng, senior economist at Zillow.
California still has the most cities with $1 million starter homes by a wide margin (113), followed by New York (32), New Jersey (20) and Florida and Massachusetts (11 each).
The New York City metropolitan area, which includes parts of New Jersey and Pennsylvania, leads all metro areas, with 48 cities where a typical starter home costs $1 million or more. The San Francisco metro area has the next-highest count at 43, followed by Los Angeles (34), San Jose (16), Miami (8) and Seattle (8).
Nationally, the typical starter home has a more down-to-earth value of $192,514, according to the Zillow analysis.
While home prices have risen dramatically since the Covid era, Ng said some equilibrium is returning to the market.
“With more homes hitting the market, listings lingering longer and sellers cutting prices at record rates, buyers are starting to regain some negotiating power,” she said.
Photo via Bright MLS/Zillow
