Home Equity Still Rising in Wilmington, NC

Housing MarketsU.S. Cities With The Most Home Equity

Behind The Numbers Using data from Moody's Economy.com, we looked at the country's 200 largest metro areas to determine which are retaining home equity in the face of a nationwide housing softening.
But high home equity figures don't necessarily insure prosperity for the coming year. Still, it will likely insulate the cities on this list, to some degree, from the pitfalls of low equity including decreased tax base for local governments and lower consumer spending thanks to lower net worths. More than anything, it means these cities have a better outlook should the housing downturn continue into the next decade.

In Depth: U.S. Cities With The Most Home Equity

20. Wilmington, N.C.
Home equity as percent of value: 61%
Average home equity: $117,470
Home equity as percent of value (2007): 64%
Households with two or more mortgages: 6.99%