Redfin Unveils Top 10 Neighborhoods for Green Homes

With Earth Day just around the corner, Redfin, a full-service real estate brokerage, released a list of 10 neighborhoods across the U.S. with the largest number of green homes, and a list of the top green neighborhoods within 20 major metropolitan markets. To compile the list, Redfin data scientists searched through homes for sale on Redfin.com to find those with “green” features mentioned in the listing.

Green features include solar panels, low-flow faucets, dual-pane windows, energy-efficient appliances, environmental ratings such as ENERGY STAR® and LEED, which stands for Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design, and green home building projects like “Built Green” in Colorado or “Green Built” in Washington. The ranking is based on the proportion of “green” listings out of total listings in the neighborhood over the past two years.

Here are the 10 neighborhoods with the largest number of green homes:

Austin, Raleigh and Seattle each had two neighborhoods on the top 10 list, showing just how prevalent eco-friendly homes are in those areas. The analysis also revealed:

• Green homes sell for more: Overall, the median sale price of homes with green features was $47,600 higher than for homes without green features.
• Green homes aren't always new homes: Many downtown areas have newly constructed condo buildings that are LEED certified, which may be why four downtown areas made the top 10 list. But while green homes for sale are on average six years newer than non-green homes, the majority of green homes were not new construction.
• Seattle came out on top: Seattle had 20 neighborhoods where 10% (or more) of the homes for sale had green features, followed by Austin, with seven neighborhoods, and Houston, with six.

Redfin also determined the neighborhoods with the largest number of green homes in 20 major metropolitan areas. In some cities there was no distinguishable second or third place, in which case only the top neighborhood was named:

“This is a list every homeowner can have an effect on by upgrading their home with eco-friendly features,” said Julie Jacobson, a Redfin real estate agent in Los Angeles. “Examples include low-flow faucets, showerheads and toilets, which dramatically reduce indoor water use; dual-pane windows and insulation, which reduce energy use by helping to seal in conditioned air; and ENERGY STAR appliances, which save both water and energy. All of these features reduce your home’s impact on the environment. Going green also means saving money on monthly bills, especially when you take advantage of the various rebates and tax incentives available; it can really be a win-win.”