Houston’s suburban communities are experiencing a remarkable surge in sales activity, driven by new home construction and affordable housing options. The latest “Hottest Communities in the Houston Area” report from the Houston Association of Realtors (HAR) highlights this trend.

Leading the pack is Porter/New Caney West, a burgeoning community situated about 30 miles northeast of downtown Houston. This area saw a staggering 121.0 percent increase in home sales in the first quarter of 2024 compared to the same period last year. The community jumped three spots to become the hottest market in the Houston area, with the average home price standing at $283,343.

Close on its heels is Conroe Southeast, also in Montgomery County, which ranked second with an 85.7 percent year-over-year increase in transactions. Homes in this area averaged $313,388.

A significant factor in this growth is new construction, which accounted for 68.0 percent of home sales in both Porter/New Caney West and Conroe Southeast during the first quarter. In fact, across the top five communities in the report, new homes represented at least half of the total sales.

Affordable housing continues to be a major attraction for homebuyers. Notably, nine out of the top 10 communities featured in the report boasted average home prices below the overall Houston area average.

This trend underscores the appeal of Houston’s suburbs, where new construction and affordability are drawing more buyers than ever.

The report also looked at the hottest luxury communities in the Greater Houston area where homes are priced over $1 million. Memorial West had the largest percentage increase of home sales during the first quarter of 2024 with home sales up 33.3 percent compared to last year. The average home price in this community was $1,136,141.