Midwest dominates real estate investment interest as home prices hit $503K national average

Midwest dominates real estate investment interest as home prices hit $503K national average

• Illinois is the most interested in investing in real estate, with an average of 515 monthly Google searches per 100,000 residents. 

• Wisconsin is the second most interested in investing in real estate, with a monthly average of 508 Google searches per 100,000 residents. 

• Alaska is the least interested, with an average of 315 Google searches per month per 100,000 residents. 

According to a new study, Illinois is the most interested in investing in real estate. 

Real estate company New Jersey Real Estate Network investigated which US states are most interested in investing in real estate. They did this by calculating the average number of monthly Google searches relating to investing for 218 different keywords such as, ‘how to invest in real estate’, ‘how to invest in property,’ and ‘rental property investment for the first five months of 2024 and 2025.’  

States were then ranked by the highest rate of monthly searches per 100,000 residents between January to May 2025. The percentage difference in search interest between the first five months of 2024 and 2025 was also calculated.  

States most interested in investing in real estate – Top 10 

According to the study, Illinois is most interested in investing in real estate, with a monthly average of 515 Google searches relating to investing in real estate per 100,000 residents. In 2024, the monthly average was 510 searches per 100,000 residents, with only a 1.01% increase in Google searches in 2025. In 2025, the most searched term is ‘houses for sale,’ with a monthly average of 28,300 searches. 

Second on this list is Wisconsin, with a monthly average of 508 Google searches per 100,000 residents. In 2024, the monthly average was 478, revealing a 6.26% increase in search interest from 2024. In 2025, the most searched term is ‘houses for sale’, with a monthly average of 14,260 searches. 

Minnesota is third on the list, with a monthly average of 502 Google searches relating to investing in real estate per 100,000 residents. In 2024, the monthly average was 470 searches per 100,000 residents, meaning there was a 6.84% increase in searches in 2025. The most searched-for term in 2025 is ‘houses for sale’, with a monthly average of 14,260 searches. 

Fourth on the list is Ohio, with a monthly average of 500 Google searches relating to investing in real estate per 100,000 residents. In 2024, the monthly average was 482, meaning that there was a 3.75% increase in searches in 2025. The state’s most searched term in 2025 is ‘houses for sale’, with a monthly average of 28,300 searches. 

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Rounding out the top five is Michigan, with a monthly average of 489 Google searches related to investing in real estate per 100,000 residents. In 2024, the monthly average was 487, meaning that there was only a 0.57% increase in searches in 2025. The most searched term in Michigan is ‘houses for sale’, with a monthly average of 21,380 searches. 

A spokesperson from New Jersey Real Estate Network commented on the findings, 

“The US has seen a huge rise in house prices, with the average family home now costing around $503,800, which is over $100,000 more than the average cost in 2020. 

“Despite significant rises, many Americans are looking to invest in real estate as a source of passive income or even a sole income. Illinoisians are most interested in investing in real estate, with the average price for a house in the state costing around $282,909, the 17^th lowest average compared to other states. 

“Six of the top 10 most interested states (Illinois, Minnesota, Ohio, Michigan, Pennsylvania, and Iowa) feature in the 20 lowest average costing states to buy a house.” 

About the Author

Dil Bar Irshad

Owner/Editor_In_Chief

Dil Bar Irshad is an Indian journalist, writer, and media entrepreneur from the Marmat area of Doda in Jammu and Kashmir, India. He is best known as the founder and Editor-in-Chief of VoM News ("Voice of Masses"), a digital news portal dedicated to highlighting public grievances and citizen issues.Career Overview• Early Career (2015–2016): He began his reporting career focusing on local public issues and citizen grievances in Jammu and Kashmir. • Regional & National Journalism: Over the years, he served as a District Correspondent for the English newspaper Khalsa Express News (2019–2020) and worked as an Urdu correspondent for Sada e Kohistan. He also reported as a J&K Correspondent for the Millennium Post. • International Reporting: In 2023, he expanded into international journalism, working as an India Correspondent for global agencies like BNN Breaking and later TrimFeed, covering diverse topics ranging from stock market updates to regional and global geopolitical developments. • Media Associations: He is an active member of the All India Media Association.Seen IN: Editor-in-Chief, VoM News India, Jammu and Kashmīr Business and Finance, Crime and Justice, Environment As seen in: VoM News, MSN, MSN India, MSN Singapore, MSN UK, Youth Ki Awaaz, Millennium Post, AgroPages, The California Courier, Hecho En California, Justice News, The Chenab Times, Niguro, Sisnoo