A new nationwide study reveals that Maine is the best state in America to buy a fixer-upper, offering the highest proportion of homes on the market that need renovation. The analysis highlights where buyers and property investors may find the most opportunities to purchase and improve older homes.
The research, conducted by kitchen cabinet specialists at CabinetSelect, analyzed Zillow home listings across all 50 states to determine where fixer-upper properties are most common. Researchers searched listings for renovation-related keywords such as “fixer-upper,” “needs some TLC,” “needs work,” and “project home,” then used those results to create an index score out of 100.
Maine Leads the Nation
Maine ranked first with a score of 72.98 out of 100, indicating the highest share of homes marketed as renovation projects. Out of 7,618 listings in the state, 0.74 percent included the term “fixer-upper,” while additional listings were labeled as “needs work” or “project home.”
West Virginia followed closely in second place with a score of 72.42, while New Jersey ranked third at 70.36. Both states showed a relatively high percentage of homes advertised as renovation opportunities.
Northeast States Dominate the Rankings
Several Northeastern states appear prominently in the top ten. New York ranked fourth, with a score of 67.43, while Connecticut placed fifth with 66.82.
In New York, about 1.28 percent of the state’s 71,264 Zillow listings included the keyword “fixer-upper,” with additional listings labeled as needing work or renovation.
Maryland ranked sixth, followed by Kentucky in seventh place and Pennsylvania in eighth. Michigan and New Hampshire completed the top ten.
Wyoming Has the Fewest Fixer-Upper Listings
At the opposite end of the ranking is Wyoming, which recorded the lowest score in the study at 11.20 out of 100. Among the state’s 4,326 listings, only a small fraction included keywords indicating that the property needed repairs or renovation.
Opportunities for Buyers and Investors
Housing experts say fixer-upper homes can offer significant opportunities for buyers willing to invest in renovations.
“Between four and five million homes are sold in America each year,” said Chris Alexakis, co-founder of CabinetSelect. “Compared to new builds or fully renovated properties, fixer-uppers can present a great opportunity for buyers to save money when purchasing a home.”
Alexakis noted that these properties appeal to both investors and homeowners. Some buyers purchase fixer-uppers with the goal of flipping them for profit, while others see them as an opportunity to customize a property into a long-term home.
How the Study Was Conducted
Researchers scraped Zillow listings to determine the total number of homes for sale in each state and the percentage that contained renovation-related keywords. Each keyword received a weighted score based on its relevance to fixer-upper properties.
These scores were combined to create a final index that ranks states by the share of homes described as needing repairs or renovations.
With housing affordability remaining a major issue across the country, the findings suggest that buyers looking for lower entry prices or renovation projects may find the most options in states where fixer-upper listings are more common.