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There is no single “best” place to flip a house. The answer changes depending on whether you mean the highest share of sales that are flips, the largest reported gross margin, the highest gross return on the purchase price, or the best chance of a positive net profit after renovation, financing, insurance, taxes and selling costs. The latest national data available here are ATTOM’s second-quarter 2026 figures. They identify different leaders for each measure, and none is a guarantee for an individual property.
For a quick screen, Columbus, Georgia; Canton and Akron, Ohio; Fayetteville, North Carolina; and Macon, Georgia had the highest flip rates. Among metropolitan areas with more than one million residents, Pittsburgh, Buffalo, New Orleans, Virginia Beach and Philadelphia showed the highest typical gross margins. A separate first-quarter list led by Spartanburg, Flint and Shreveport had the highest reported gross ROI among qualifying smaller and midsize metros. Those rankings are useful starting points, not substitutes for neighborhood-level underwriting.
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What “best area” means in the latest data
Before comparing cities, choose the metric. ATTOM uses several measures that answer different questions:
- Flip rate: the percentage of all home sales in a market that meet ATTOM’s definition of a flip. It shows how common flipping is, not how profitable each project is.
- Gross profit: resale price minus the original purchase price. It excludes rehabilitation and every other project expense.
- Gross ROI: gross profit divided by the original purchase price. It is not a net return on the cash you invested.
- Net deal economics: the amount left after construction, financing, carrying, insurance, taxes, permits, commissions, closing charges and income taxes. The supplied ATTOM market tables do not calculate this for an individual property.
ATTOM counts a flip when an arms-length sale in a quarter follows another arms-length sale of the same house or condominium within the previous 12 months. Metro comparisons also have minimum sample requirements, and ATTOM expanded property-record coverage in 2026. A change in reported counts can therefore reflect both market activity and better coverage.
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Q2 2026 markets with the highest flipping rates
These places had the largest share of sales identified as flips in the second quarter of 2026. A high rate can indicate an established investor ecosystem and plentiful resale activity, but it can also mean intense competition for distressed properties and a crowded resale market.
| Market | Q2 2026 flip rate | What the figure means |
|---|---|---|
| Columbus, Georgia | 13.6% | Flips as a share of all home sales |
| Canton, Ohio | 11.6% | Flips as a share of all home sales |
| Akron, Ohio | 11.2% | Flips as a share of all home sales |
| Fayetteville, North Carolina | 10.9% | Flips as a share of all home sales |
| Macon, Georgia | 10.6% | Flips as a share of all home sales |
For large metros, the highest Q2 flip rates were Cleveland (10.4%), Columbus, Ohio (9.5%), Memphis (9.5%), Dallas (9.4%) and Phoenix (8.9%). These are activity indicators only. They do not establish that a typical project in any of these markets will produce a profit.
Large metros with the highest reported gross margins
ATTOM’s Q2 2026 comparison of metropolitan areas with more than one million residents produced a very different ranking. “Gross margin” here is ATTOM’s purchase-to-resale calculation before renovation and other expenses.
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1Scan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minute2Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errors3Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitches| Metro | Typical Q2 2026 gross margin | Interpretation |
|---|---|---|
| Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania | 81.5% | Highest reported gross margin in this large-metro group |
| Buffalo, New York | 76.6% | Gross spread before project costs |
| New Orleans, Louisiana | 75.0% | Gross spread before project costs |
| Virginia Beach, Virginia | 63.4% | Gross spread before project costs |
| Philadelphia, Pennsylvania | 62.8% | Gross spread before project costs |
The weakest named results in that same large-metro comparison were San Antonio at -0.3%, Dallas at 1.8%, Austin at 2.8%, Houston at 3.7% and Salt Lake City at 4.7%. A low metro-wide gross margin does not rule out a good property; it signals that average purchase and resale spreads were thin in the period measured.
Q1 2026 metros with the highest gross ROI
ATTOM’s first-quarter 2026 ranking covered metros with populations above 200,000 and at least 50 flips. It is a different period and sample from the Q2 tables, so do not combine the percentages as if they were one league table.
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| Metro | Q1 2026 gross ROI | Median purchase price | Median resale price |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spartanburg, South Carolina | 114.6% | $118,903 | $255,165 |
| Flint, Michigan | 112.1% | $51,316 | $108,842 |
| Shreveport, Louisiana | 104.1% | $89,165 | $181,950 |
| Reading, Pennsylvania | 95.9% | $145,000 | $284,000 |
| Lancaster, Pennsylvania | 89.9% | $176,250 | $334,725 |
| Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania | 85.9% | $110,000 | $204,500 |
| Pensacola, Florida | 85.3% | $136,500 | $252,950 |
| Buffalo, New York | 84.0% | $125,000 | $230,000 |
| Scranton, Pennsylvania | 83.6% | $92,617 | $170,000 |
| Peoria, Illinois | 78.1% | $80,000 | $142,500 |
The table shows why a percentage alone is not enough. Flint’s median purchase price was far below Lancaster’s, while both reported very high gross ROI. A lower-priced market may require less capital but can have a smaller pool of buyers, older housing stock, or more volatile repair costs. Conversely, a higher-priced market can support a stronger resale price but tie up more cash and incur larger absolute losses if the project runs over budget.
What the national numbers say about risk and returns
ATTOM counted 77,991 flipped single-family homes and condominiums in Q2 2026, equal to 6.2% of all home sales. The rate was down from 8.0% in Q1 2026 and 7.3% in Q2 2025. The typical Q2 flip produced a reported $60,526 gross profit and 21.5% gross ROI, compared with $71,000 and 27.6% in Q2 2025.
Those figures are not net profit. ATTOM says experienced flippers commonly estimate rehabilitation and other expenses at 20% to 33% of the after-repair value. The estimate is a broad planning range, not a rule for every property. Financing structure, project complexity, local labor, permit requirements and the time a finished house sits on the market can move the result substantially.
The typical Q2 project took 161 days from initial purchase to resale, versus 165 days in Q1 2026 and 166 days in Q2 2025. ATTOM’s 2025 annual average was 163 days. Use those numbers to model interest and carrying costs; do not promise that a particular renovation will finish or sell on that timetable. Rob Barber, ATTOM’s chief executive, described the environment this way: “Flippers are still making money in most markets, but the typical return continues to narrow.”
Purchase-price bands that performed best nationally
In Q2 2026, the strongest typical gross margins were concentrated in mid-priced acquisition bands:
| Original purchase price | Typical gross margin | Important qualification |
|---|---|---|
| $100,000–$200,000 | 28% | Gross margin before rehabilitation and other costs |
| $200,000–$300,000 | 26% | Gross margin before rehabilitation and other costs |
| $300,000–$400,000 | 20% | Gross margin before rehabilitation and other costs |
| $50,000 or less | -38%; a typical $15,000 loss | National typical result, not a prediction for every low-priced home |
The low-price result is a warning against assuming that a cheap purchase automatically creates a high return. Very inexpensive houses often need structural, mechanical or environmental work that is large relative to the resale value. They may also have fewer financeable buyers at exit. Underwrite the scope of work and the buyer pool, not just the acquisition price.
How to decide which market fits your strategy
Match the market to your capital and risk tolerance
Start with the maximum purchase price and the cash reserve you can keep available after closing. A project that consumes every dollar of working capital is vulnerable to one framing change, utility repair or permit delay. Set a separate contingency reserve before comparing cities. In a lower-priced market, preserve enough liquidity for older systems and code surprises; in a higher-priced market, reserve for larger dollar overruns and longer interest exposure.
Define the resale buyer before choosing a neighborhood
Identify who will buy the finished house: owner-occupants, first-time buyers, move-up households, military families, students or long-term landlords. Examine recent closed sales with similar size, bed and bath count, lot, school assignment and condition. Asking prices are not substitutes for closed comparables. A market with strong investor activity but weak owner-occupant demand can leave a renovated property competing with many other flips.
Test liquidity and competition
Count comparable listings, pending sales and days on market in the exact submarket. Compare the number of active renovated homes with the number of recent closed sales. A high metro flip rate may mean contractors, agents and hard-money lenders are available, but it can also mean multiple investors are bidding on the same distressed inventory. Your offer must still work if the resale takes longer than the market median.
A repeatable process for screening a city and a deal
- Choose one reporting period and geography. Compare Q2 with Q2 or Q1 with Q1, and do not mix a city proper with a metropolitan-area statistic. Record the population and flip-count thresholds used by the source.
- Build a short list from activity and margin data. Use the Q2 rate leaders, large-metro gross-margin table or Q1 ROI list as screening inputs. Keep separate columns for each metric so a high rate is not mistaken for high profitability.
- Research neighborhood-level comparables. Pull several recent, arms-length closed sales for the proposed finished condition. Adjust for location, size, layout, lot, parking, condition and sale date. Reject a projected resale price that depends on one unusually high comp.
- Scope the property before finalizing the offer. Inspect structure, roof, foundation, drainage, electrical, plumbing, HVAC, windows, insulation, sewer or septic, pests and hazardous materials. Verify whether additions and conversions are permitted.
- Obtain written bids and a contingency. Price labor, materials, permits, design, dumpsters, utilities, security and cleanup. Add a contingency appropriate to the building’s age and uncertainty; do not hide unknown work in a vague allowance.
- Model every holding and transaction cost. Include loan points and interest, property taxes, insurance, utilities, lawn and snow service, permits, inspections, title and escrow, agent commissions, seller concessions and income-tax effects. Use the 161-day Q2 benchmark only as a starting duration and run a longer-sale scenario.
- Set a conservative maximum allowable offer. Start with a defensible after-repair value, subtract all costs, financing, contingency and your required profit, then test a lower resale price. If the deal works only at the most optimistic resale and fastest schedule, pass.
- Validate the exit plan. Confirm the likely buyer’s financing eligibility, appraisal support, insurance availability and local demand before you buy. A finished house that cannot obtain ordinary owner-occupant financing may require a discount or a different strategy.
Local issues that can overturn a promising spreadsheet
Permits, zoning and historic rules
Permit fees and review times vary by municipality. Historic districts may control windows, siding, roofs, paint colors and exterior layouts. Unpermitted additions can reduce the appraised value or force expensive legalization. Ask the building department for the property’s permit history and current code requirements before relying on a resale comparable.
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Insurance, weather and environmental exposure
Flood, wind, hail, wildfire, freeze and subsidence risks affect both carrying cost and buyer affordability. Obtain an insurance indication early, including any required mitigation. In older industrial or urban areas, test for lead, asbestos, mold, underground tanks or contaminated soil when the property history warrants it. A premium or exclusion discovered after closing can eliminate a projected margin.
Taxes, utilities and transaction friction
Property-tax reassessments, transfer taxes, municipal water charges, vacant-property registrations and utility deposits differ by jurisdiction. Verify who pays each charge at closing and whether a vacant house needs special inspections or security. Include local title, recording and brokerage practices rather than applying a national percentage.
Contractor depth and schedule reliability
A city can show attractive historical spreads while having too few licensed tradespeople for your timeline. Obtain availability, references and insurance certificates, and sequence work so inspections do not stall later trades. A cheaper bid that lacks a realistic schedule can cost more through interest and price reductions.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Why rankings can mislead an investor
- Gross is not net. ATTOM’s purchase-to-resale calculation omits renovation and other expenses, so the published percentage cannot be treated as your cash-on-cash return.
- Metro averages hide blocks. Crime, school boundaries, flood elevation, transit access and housing condition can change within a few streets.
- Small samples move quickly. The Q1 ROI list required at least 50 flips, but even that threshold does not guarantee a stable long-term pattern.
- Periods are not interchangeable. Q1 2026 ROI leaders and Q2 2026 rate or margin leaders answer different questions.
- Coverage changes affect counts. ATTOM expanded property-record coverage in 2026, so year-over-year comparisons should be read with that methodological change in mind.
- High competition compresses offers. A popular investor market may have more buyers for distressed homes, pushing acquisition prices up until the historical spread disappears.
Using property data for the next level of due diligence
Once a city survives your initial screen, move from metro statistics to the individual parcel. A property-data service such as ATTOM Property Navigator can provide property reports, comparable searches, market analysis, sales and ownership information, and distressed-property searches. Treat those records as inputs to verify with inspections, municipal records, licensed contractors, title work and an insurance quote; they do not replace professional due diligence.
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How the market changed from 2025 into 2026
ATTOM recorded 297,045 flips in 2025, down 3.9% from 309,050 in 2024 and the fewest since 2020. Flips represented 7.4% of sales in 2025, compared with 7.6% in 2024. The typical 2025 flip generated $65,981 gross profit and 25.5% gross ROI, down from $77,000 and 32.1% in 2024; its typical purchase price was $259,019 and resale price was $325,000.
Across 215 metros, flip rates fell year over year in 142 areas. The largest increases in rate were reported in Binghamton, New York (136.4%), Boulder, Colorado (72.4%), Greeley, Colorado (49.4%), Lexington, Kentucky (40.3%) and Scranton, Pennsylvania (31.2%). The largest increases in gross margin were in Lake Charles, Louisiana (146.2%), Peoria, Illinois (91.4%), Huntington, West Virginia (77.2%), Cedar Rapids, Iowa (49.6%) and Tuscaloosa, Alabama (26.4%). These are changes from the prior year, not rankings of the biggest or most profitable markets.
A practical decision rule
Call a market “best for you” only when it passes all five tests: you can buy within your capital limit; closed comparables support a conservative resale value; written bids fit inside the budget with contingency; insurance, permits and financing are available on acceptable terms; and the likely buyer pool can absorb the finished home within your modeled selling period. If one test fails, a lower historical gross margin elsewhere may be the safer choice.
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Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problemsFix Now →Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitchesFind Drivers →The Q2 2026 data show where flipping activity and gross spreads were recorded, while the Q1 list shows how dramatically returns can differ among midsize metros. Use those figures to choose where to investigate, then make the property, neighborhood and complete cost budget—not a national ranking—the basis for your offer.
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