North Port-Sarasota-Bradenton ranked No. 8 out of the top 10 metros listed in The Wall Street Journal/Realtor.com's Emerging Housing Markets Index, which is published every quarter. Our region was the only Florida metro to make the report’s top 20 list this

This new data shows a ranking drop for our area—the report ranked North Port-Sarasota-Bradenton No. 3 in the spring. In the winter, it was No. 2.

That may be due to record-breaking prices for housing.

The index ​analyzes housing market data, affordability, economics and lifestyle metrics to reveal real estate markets that offer a high quality of life and are expected to see future home price appreciation.

Although rising interest rates have helped increase housing inventory, prices are still high. The latest real estate numbers show that in Sarasota County, the median price for single-family homes increased by 25 percent compared to June of last year to $500,000. Condo prices increased by 34.4 percent to $416,250. In Manatee County, single-family home prices increased year-over-year by 35.7 percent, to $550,000. The median price of condos in Manatee County was $356,500, a 27.3 percent increase from last year.

Among the markets that have remained on the list are a few coastal vacation destinations like ours, but most are small- to mid-sized cities in the middle of the country that offer more affordable housing and lower costs of living.

Read the full report here.