"The key here is that housing is affordable," he said. "We are seeing people from Florida and Arizona who found those areas to be too crowded and expensive, and they are moving back to Springfield."
A sizable house next to Lake Springfield sells for a median price of $345,000, he said, "and that's about the price of a townhouse in Naperville or Schaumburg."
"The healthiest housing markets today generally are moderately priced and are experiencing job growth and often population growth," said Lawrence Yun, chief economist for the Realtors group.
