The list of Improving Housing Markets (IHM) maintained by the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) took another big jump in February, rising from 76 in January and more than doubling the 41 reported in December.  There are now 98 metropolitan areas representing 36 states included on the list.

The IHM identifies metropolitan areas that have shown improvement from their respective troughs on each of three metrics - employment, housing permits, and home prices - for at least six consecutive months.  NAHB uses data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the U.S. Census Bureau, and Freddie Mac to measure improved performance.

The additions to the February Index include some metropolitan areas that had been particularly weak including Miami, Detroit, Memphis, Kansas City, Missouri; Portland, Oregon, and Salt Lake City.  NAHB points out that inclusion in the Index does not indicate strong recovery, merely that some of these troubled areas are coming off of extreme lows.

Seven metro areas dropped off of the Index in February due to softening housing prices.  One of these was Washington, DC, one of the few areas that had continued to show strong prices and sales through 2011. 

"While many of the markets on the February IMI are far from fully recovered, the index points out where employment, home prices and housing production are no longer retreating and have held above their lowest recession troughs for six months or more," said NAHB Chief Economist David Crowe. "This is a sign that a large cross section of the country is starting to turn the corner as local economic conditions stabilize."


  MSA  Permits Trough Date Growth From Trough Prices Trough Date Growth From Trough Employment Trough Date Growth From Trough
1 Florence, AL 03/31/09 2.6% 02/28/11 0.6% 07/31/09 3.9%
2 Tuscaloosa, AL 05/31/11 8.8% 02/28/11 3.6% 06/30/09 1.7%
3 Fayetteville, AR 03/31/09 1.2% 02/28/11 1.0% 02/28/10 3.0%
4 Napa, CA 06/30/11 31.2% 02/28/11 0.3% 02/28/11 3.3%
5 Boulder, CO 11/30/09 11.6% 01/31/11 6.2% 01/31/10 2.7%
6 Denver, CO 03/31/09 2.8% 02/28/11 2.1% 01/31/10 1.4%
7 Fort Collins, CO 03/31/09 4.5% 12/31/10 4.6% 12/31/09 3.5%
8 Greeley, CO 11/30/10 8.1% 02/28/11 3.3% 12/31/09 0.1%
9 Bridgeport, CT 03/31/09 1.2% 02/28/11 4.5% 01/31/10 1.4%
10 New Haven, CT 04/30/11 26.0% 02/28/11 0.0% 02/28/10 2.1%
11 Cape Coral, FL 03/31/09 3.1% 02/28/11 8.1% 01/31/11 1.7%
12 Deltona, FL 03/31/11 2.6% 03/31/11 15.1% 01/31/11 3.3%
13 Jacksonville, FL 04/30/09 1.4% 02/28/11 1.5% 02/28/10 2.3%
14 Miami, FL 04/30/09 7.3% 03/31/11 2.6% 03/31/10 1.7%
15 North Port, FL 01/31/09 2.7% 02/28/11 6.2% 06/30/11 1.2%
16 Punta Gorda, FL 01/31/09 1.6% 02/28/11 11.5% 06/30/09 3.5%
17 Tampa, FL 03/31/09 1.7% 03/31/11 3.8% 12/31/09 2.6%
18 Athens, GA 03/31/11 4.2% 01/31/11 2.7% 01/31/10 0.8%
19 Augusta, GA 12/31/08 1.7% 03/31/11 3.0% 05/31/11 0.0%
20 Honolulu, HI 12/31/08 0.4% 01/31/11 3.4% 08/31/10 3.1%
21 Ames, IA 07/31/10 7.4% 02/28/11 6.3% 05/31/11 2.4%
22 Davenport, IA 05/31/09 1.8% 12/31/10 4.1% 01/31/10 0.7%
23 Des Moines, IA 02/28/09 4.5% 01/31/11 2.6% 05/31/11 1.5%
24 Dubuque, IA 12/31/08 5.0% 02/28/11 3.1% 04/30/09 5.8%
25 Waterloo, IA 03/31/09 1.4% 11/30/10 0.9% 07/31/09 4.1%
26 Elkhart, IN 04/30/09 2.2% 02/28/11 1.5% 08/31/09 10.4%
27 Indianapolis, IN 01/31/09 0.4% 02/28/11 3.0% 10/31/09 0.6%
28 Lafayette, IN 01/31/09 15.7% 02/28/11 5.4% 07/31/09 4.0%
29 Muncie, IN 04/30/11 11.1% 02/28/10 3.4% 02/28/11 2.7%
30 Lake Charles, LA 04/30/11 6.2% 02/28/11 0.9% 11/30/10 3.6%
31 Monroe, LA 03/31/09 3.3% 05/31/10 3.6% 03/31/11 1.3%
32 Shreveport, LA 01/31/09 1.9% 03/31/11 5.6% 10/31/09 3.2%
33 Boston, MA 02/28/09 1.1% 03/31/11 0.7% 07/31/09 2.9%
34 Springfield, MA 04/30/11 3.8% 03/31/11 2.5% 08/31/09 2.6%
35 Cumberland, MD 05/31/10 3.1% 01/31/11 6.2% 06/30/11 6.5%
36 Lewiston, ME 06/30/11 16.1% 01/31/11 1.4% 06/30/11 3.8%
37 Ann Arbor, MI 05/31/09 0.1% 12/31/10 4.5% 07/31/09 3.0%
38 Detroit, MI 04/30/09 8.6% 03/31/11 6.8% 06/30/09 2.4%
39 Grand Rapids, MI 04/30/09 2.9% 02/28/11 7.7% 07/31/09 5.0%
40 Lansing, MI 05/31/09 4.4% 02/28/11 10.6% 08/31/09 2.7%
41 Monroe, MI 12/31/09 2.7% 02/28/11 7.6% 10/31/09 2.5%
42 Muskegon, MI 11/30/09 0.2% 01/31/11 6.1% 12/31/10 1.6%
43 Duluth, MN 05/31/11 2.9% 03/31/11 4.6% 09/30/09 0.6%
44 Minneapolis, MN 03/31/09 1.8% 02/28/11 2.5% 09/30/09 1.5%
45 Rochester, MN 03/31/09 0.7% 02/28/11 2.4% 12/31/10 1.5%
46 Columbia, MO 11/30/08 1.7% 02/28/11 1.5% 08/31/09 3.6%
47 Jefferson City, MO 08/31/10 1.0% 03/31/11 3.9% 02/28/10 2.1%
48 Joplin, MO 02/28/11 5.0% 02/28/11 15.4% 08/31/09 1.2%
49 Kansas City, MO 03/31/09 3.2% 02/28/11 5.2% 06/30/11 1.2%
50 Hattiesburg, MS 01/31/11 2.2% 03/31/11 4.1% 04/30/11 3.6%
51 Fayetteville, NC 12/31/08 2.1% 01/31/10 0.3% 10/31/10 3.2%
52 Winston-Salem, NC 03/31/09 1.9% 11/30/10 0.1% 01/31/11 2.4%
53 Bismarck, ND 03/31/09 15.3% 02/28/10 8.8% 12/31/07 8.8%
54 Fargo, ND 04/30/09 4.9% 02/28/11 3.0% 07/31/09 4.2%
55 Grand Forks, ND 04/30/09 3.0% 12/31/10 7.7% 09/30/10 4.2%
56 Lincoln, NE 01/31/09 1.6% 01/31/11 4.2% 07/31/10 3.2%
57 Omaha, NE 07/31/10 4.5% 03/31/11 2.7% 02/28/10 2.6%
58 Manchester, NH 02/28/11 2.1% 02/28/11 0.5% 01/31/10 1.8%
59 Ocean City, NJ 03/31/09 1.0% 03/31/11 6.3% 05/31/11 5.7%
60 Syracuse, NY 03/31/11 2.9% 03/31/11 10.2% 08/31/10 1.5%
61 Cincinnati, OH 01/31/09 0.2% 02/28/11 2.1% 12/31/10 1.6%
62 Springfield, OH 01/31/11 13.4% 03/31/11 2.5% 01/31/10 3.5%
63 Toledo, OH 05/31/09 1.4% 01/31/11 0.6% 06/30/09 3.4%
64 Youngstown, OH 06/30/11 5.2% 02/28/11 3.9% 06/30/09 4.0%
65 Oklahoma City, OK 05/31/09 0.6% 02/28/11 1.0% 01/31/10 4.0%
66 Tulsa, OK 10/31/10 0.8% 02/28/11 4.4% 02/28/10 3.1%
67 Corvallis, OR 04/30/11 5.7% 02/28/11 4.3% 07/31/09 4.9%
68 Portland, OR 03/31/09 2.6% 03/31/11 3.7% 11/30/09 2.0%
69 Erie, PA 03/31/11 4.6% 02/28/11 3.1% 02/28/10 3.9%
70 Philadelphia, PA 03/31/09 0.7% 02/28/11 2.9% 02/28/10 0.5%
71 Pittsburgh, PA 02/28/09 1.6% 01/31/10 6.5% 02/28/10 4.1%
72 Williamsport, PA 03/31/11 46.3% 02/28/10 8.5% 12/31/09 3.9%
73 Chattanooga, TN 05/31/11 2.6% 02/28/11 4.0% 08/31/09 3.2%
74 Clarksville, TN 01/31/09 2.7% 02/28/11 1.3% 08/31/09 5.1%
75 Kingsport, TN 02/28/11 0.4% 01/31/11 1.6% 02/28/10 2.8%
76 Memphis, TN 04/30/09 2.8% 03/31/11 1.1% 09/30/10 3.1%
77 Nashville, TN 03/31/09 1.6% 02/28/11 1.4% 09/30/09 3.7%
78 Amarillo, TX 10/31/08 1.7% 01/31/10 3.2% 04/30/10 4.6%
79 College Station, TX 10/31/10 5.5% 02/28/11 10.2% 12/31/07 3.6%
80 Corpus Christi, TX 01/31/11 5.1% 12/31/10 4.3% 11/30/09 6.0%
81 Dallas, TX 05/31/09 0.9% 02/28/11 0.5% 12/31/09 3.6%
82 Laredo, TX 12/31/08 1.3% 01/31/10 2.9% 09/30/09 7.1%
83 Longview, TX 04/30/09 3.2% 03/31/11 5.9% 10/31/09 7.9%
84 McAllen, TX 01/31/09 0.4% 11/30/10 1.9% 12/31/07 5.2%
85 Midland, TX 04/30/09 3.6% 01/31/10 8.7% 08/31/09 10.0%
86 Odessa, TX 02/28/09 24.5% 11/30/10 8.9% 08/31/09 9.0%
87 Tyler, TX 03/31/09 0.4% 12/31/10 0.8% 07/31/10 5.3%
88 Victoria, TX 09/30/10 4.2% 02/28/11 6.2% 11/30/09 4.8%
89 Provo, UT 02/28/09 2.7% 03/31/11 1.1% 12/31/09 4.6%
90 Salt Lake City, UT 03/31/09 2.3% 03/31/11 0.4% 02/28/10 3.6%
91 Danville, VA 03/31/09 1.8% 11/30/10 11.4% 11/30/09 2.9%
92 Winchester, VA 04/30/11 7.9% 10/31/10 8.4% 08/31/09 5.4%
93 Burlington, VT 03/31/11 6.1% 01/31/10 1.3% 09/30/09 4.5%
94 Bellingham, WA 04/30/11 2.7% 03/31/11 0.2% 06/30/11 0.4%
95 Kennewick, WA 03/31/09 4.2% 03/31/11 0.3% 12/31/07 4.4%
96 Madison, WI 01/31/09 1.3% 02/28/11 0.8% 08/31/09 2.1%
97 Casper, WY 11/30/10 7.0% 01/31/10 3.2% 12/31/09 8.5%
98 Cheyenne, WY 12/31/08 6.0% 12/31/10 3.0% 01/31/10 2.8%