Top 10 Rising Housing Markets in 2021 Growing demand and rising incomes are causing these markets to heat up. Editor's Note: This story originally appeared on SmartAsset.com. Many Americans see housing as a more preferable investment when compared to the stock market, according to recent survey data from the Federal Reserve Bank of New York. Of respondents surveyed in 2020 and 2021, more than 90% would buy a house as a primary residence over investing in the stock market and more than 50% would invest in a rental property over the stock market. High housing demand throughout the coronavirus pandemic is also evidenced by U.S. Census Bureau and National Association of Realtors data. From February 2020 to February 2021, new home sales increased by 8.2%, and existing home sales rose 9.1%.