If you're looking for wealth stability when you buy a house, it might be smart to stay away from the Midwest.
According to a new SmartAsset study, some markets in Ohio and Michigan rank among the worst for home value growth and stability.
The study took stock of 400 US housing markets and the amount the values of homes increased over the past 25 years.
In some of the best markets, like those in Austin, Texas and Boulder, Colorado, home values have increased by up to about 350% in value. But toward the bottom of the rankings, home values have increased by as little as 70% since 1998 — slower than the pace of inflation, which has seen the buying power of a dollar in 1998 balloon to $1.86, according to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics inflation calculator.
The Smart Asset study took into account how many fiscal quarters a home value decreased by more than 5% in the 10 years after a home was purchased, reflected as a percentile and weighted with the overall change in value of homes in the market over 25 years.
If you're looking to buy a home, here are the 15 US markets with the worst return on investment you might want to avoid: