While the national housing supply recently reached a four-year high, buying a home in some U.S. cities may be especially difficult in 2025, a new Zillow report suggests. To make its predictions, Zillow reviewed multiple factors — including how quickly homes have been selling,

In a Zillow ranking released on Tuesday, Providence and its metro area ranked as the third hottest market in the country, rising two places from where Zillow put it last year. Zillow ranked the 50 largest metro areas in the country. The only hotter markets, where it's even harder to buy a house, are Buffalo, New York and Indianapolis, Indiana.

Hartford, Conn., was also forecasted to be among the top markets by the real estate listing website, but Boston ranked 16th among the 50 metro areas compared.

Zillow's analysis considers such factors as home construction, the local job market and the percentage of homeownership.

With steep competition to find a home in the new year, these cities offer affordable options for buyers in the housing market.

Zillow says relative affordability and job growth will be the key drivers among the most competitive markets for buyers in 2025.

Zillow currently reports that the strongest housing markets for sellers are in the Northeast. That includes multiple New York cities — Rochester, Syracuse, Buffalo, and New York City — as well as metros in Connecticut, Massachusetts, and Rhode Island. The only non-Northeastern city considered a “strong seller’s market” is San Jose, California.

Charlotte held the highest rank among Southern markets on Zillow's list. Richmond, Virginia, also appeared among the top 10, ranking at No. 9. Raleigh, the only other North or South Carolina metro in the analysis, ranked at No. 21 — down four spots from last year.

With steep competition to find a home in the new year, these cities offer affordable options for buyers in the housing market.