The national real estate firm's study analyzes where in America inherited homes carry the steepest property taxes, insurance costs, and maintenance risk in 2026.
TYSONS CORNER, VA / ACCESS Newswire / July 21, 2026 / Newly released data from leading real estate company House Buyers of America has identified the U.S. metropolitan areas where inheriting a home comes with the steepest ongoing financial burden in 2026. The study, which analyzed 94 of the top U.S. metropolitan areas, assessed four key cost factors: average housing age, current property tax rates, current homeowners insurance premiums, and year-over-year home value changes, combining them into a proprietary Inherited Home Burden Index score.
"Most people think of an inherited home as a financial gift, and in many cases it is," said Nick Ron, founder and CEO of House Buyers of America. "But the costs that come with it don't wait. Property taxes are due immediately. Insurance has to be secured right away. And if the home is older, which it often is, the deferred maintenance starts presenting itself quickly. In markets like Buffalo, Rochester, and Chicago, those costs are among the highest in the country. Heirs in those cities need to understand what they're actually taking on before they decide what to do with the property."
Here are some additional key findings from the study:
Buffalo leads the index: Buffalo, NY scored a perfect 100 on the Inherited Home Burden Index, driven by the oldest average housing stock of any major metro in the study at 64.5 years, an effective property tax rate of 1.76%, and home values that grew less than 1% year over year. It ranks as the single most costly metro in the country for someone inheriting a home.
Omaha is the study's biggest surprise: Omaha, NE ranked second at 93.6 despite having relatively younger housing stock. Nebraska's severe weather exposure pushes average homeowners insurance premiums to $4,370 per year in the Omaha metro, more than double the rate in many US cities, and the primary driver of its high ranking.
New York dominates the Northeast: Buffalo, Rochester, Syracuse, Albany, and New York City all appear in the top half of the index. The combination of housing stock built primarily before 1970 and some of the highest property tax rates in the country makes New York state the most consistently burdensome region for heirs in the study.
New Orleans is the insurance outlier: New Orleans ranked sixth at 88.3, driven almost entirely by homeowners insurance costs averaging $5,200 per year, the highest of any market in the study. Flood and hurricane exposure make it one of the most expensive cities in the country to insure a home regardless of its age or condition.
"What this data shows is that inherited homes are not a uniform financial event," Ron said. "The same house in Buffalo costs an heir significantly more to hold than the same house in Las Vegas or Boise, even before you factor in any needed repairs. For heirs who are not in a position to absorb those ongoing costs indefinitely, understanding the local market and what realistic options look like is genuinely important. The longer a costly property sits undecided, the more it erodes the value that was passed down."
Here were the top 10 markets in the Inherited Home Burden Index:
Buffalo, NY (100.0)
Omaha, NE (93.6)
Rochester, NY (93.0)
Chicago, IL (90.8)
Pittsburgh, PA (90.3)
New Orleans, LA (88.3)
Providence, RI (87.6)
Toledo, OH (87.5)
Milwaukee, WI (86.9)
Hartford, CT (85.8)
About House Buyers of America House Buyers of America is a leading national home-buying company helping homeowners sell with confidence through a simple, transparent, and hassle-free process. Founded in 2001 and operating in 44 states, the company blends decades of real estate expertise with technology-driven operations to deliver speed, certainty, and consistent outcomes. House Buyers of America has been recognized for its industry impact, including Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year and inclusion on the Inc. 5000 list of America's fastest-growing companies.
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csmith@housebuyersofamerica.com
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SOURCE: House Buyers of America, Inc.
View the original press release on ACCESS Newswire:
https://www.accessnewswire.com/newsroom/en/real-estate/house-buyers-of-america-identifies-the-u.s.-cities-where-inheriting-a-home-is-most-expe-1194035
