The S&P Case-Shiller Home Price Index is considered among the leading measures of U.S. home prices and has been tracking data for more than 30 years. Its index covers all nine census divisions and is calculated on a quarterly basis. The most recent results are through the end of May and show national home prices up 1.1 percent from last year at the same time. But while prices overall are relatively flat, a closer look at the data reveals a big difference from one region to the next. Rebecca Kaufman, associate director of commodities at S&P Dow Jones Indices, says it all depends on where you look. “The geographic dispersion of home price trends continues to persist,” Kaufman said. “While major metropolitan areas in the Northeast and Midwest recorded year-over-year gains exceeding the national average, many metropolitan areas in the West and Sunbelt regions remain under pressure.” For example, Chicago led all cities with a nearly 7-percent increase from last year, while Seattle and Denver both posted 1.8-percent declines. (source)
