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Between 2019 and mid-2025, the housing market in America has rewritten what it means to build home equity. From small Southern metros to massive coastal abodes, homeowners have seen property values soar or stagnate depending on where they live. To find out which markets saw the biggest gains over this six-year time period, Splitero analyzed Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA) home price index data from both 2019 and 2025 to measure annual changes in home prices. This story provides aggregated snapshots of how much equity the standard homeowner has gained in the last several years.

Key Takeaways

• Atlantic City, Knoxville, Athens (GA), and Hilton Head are among the biggest winners, each adding roughly 90% in home equity for the typical homeowner.
• Fifteen major metros, including San Francisco and Lake Charles, lagged badly with home price increases under 40%, barely growing despite already-high values.
• The Southern Atlantic corridor, from Florida through the Carolinas into Tennessee, now dominates housing wealth growth; 16 out of the 22 metro areas with house price indexes increasing above 80% from 2019 to 2025 are positioned in this region.

The equity growth leaders

The biggest winners across the country weren’t in the traditional power markets for real estate. It was instead mid-sized metros in the South and Southeast regions of the country that dominated. Fueled by factors including pandemic-era migration, remote work flexibility, and relatively affordable starting prices, the following snapshot compiling data from the FHFA tells a unique story. 22 of the 233 most populous metro areas saw their house price indexes increase above 80% from 2019 to 2025.

Splitero

Atlantic City-Hammonton in New Jersey tops the list with a staggering 97.8% jump in home values between Q2 2019 and Q2 2025. Hammonton average prices were a little over $300,000 and Atlantic City prices were a little over $200,000 in Q2 2019, resulting in an average home price for the areas of around $220,000. This means that the 97.8% average jump results in an increase of roughly $215,000 in equity for owners in that market.

Right on the heels of this region are Knoxville, Tennessee (95.2%), Athens, Georgia (92.9%), and Hilton Head Island, South Carolina (90.7%). Again, pandemic-era relocations met limited supply in these markets. Based on the same data, average home prices in Knoxville hovered around $190,000 back in 2019, resulting in roughly $180,000 in new equity for homeowners in

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It is a common question and one that makes perfect sense. If the landlord is insured, surely that coverage extends to the tenant and everything inside the unit if the worst happens. A tenant has a roof over their head, a lease is signed and the landlord’s policy is often seen as a magical protective shield for the entire property.

Well the cold hard truth is that a landlord-provided protective shield has a major blind spot on the renter and the entire life the renter has built inside the walls of the unit.

The landlord’s insurance policy is purely a business decision designed to protect their investment in the physical building itself. Critically it absolutely does not cover the renter’s personal belongings, their temporary living expenses or provide the renter with any protection from personal liability claims. To be crystal clear, the landlord’s policy insures the house, while renters insurance insures the life the tenant has built inside the home.

In this story, Cheap Insurance explains how essential this protection really is. If a renter chooses not to secure their own renters insurance, they are walking a financial tightrope without a safety net potentially facing total financial ruin from a sudden unexpected event.

Landlord Insurance vs. Renters Insurance

To truly understand why a renter needs their own renters insurance coverage, the purpose of each distinct policy must be known. The policies are not interchangeable; they are two completely separate financial safeguards with distinct purposes.

What Landlord’s Policy Covers The Building

The landlord’s insurance, often called a dwelling fire policy, is laser-focused on the property owner’s interests.

• The structure: This is the core coverage. It pays to repair or rebuild the physical dwelling, the walls, the roof, the fixed plumbing the landlord-owned appliances like the stove or built-in AC unit if they are damaged by a covered peril like fire hail or a burst pipe.
• Landlord’s liability: This protects the landlord if found legally responsible for an injury on the property due to landlord negligence for example a visitor trips on a broken step the landlord knew about but failed to fix.
• Loss of rent income: If the property becomes uninhabitable after a covered event, this helps the landlord recoup the lost rental income while repairs are being made.

What the Landlord’s Policy Doesn’t Cover: The Renter’s Things

This is the critical part. Landlord insurance explicitly does not cover the renter’s interests, which is where renters insurance becomes essential.

• Personal belongings: A renter’s clothes, electronics, furniture, books, irreplaceable family photos, and anything else owned inside the unit are not covered by the landlord’s p

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Thyroid disorders, diabetes, and high cholesterol dominate AI healthcare visits, reflecting a shift in how Americans manage long-term health.

When patients visit an AI healthcare provider, they’re not typically seeking a diagnosis for mysterious symptoms or treatment for acute emergencies. They’re managing conditions they’ve lived with for years.

Prescription data from Doctronic, an AI telehealth platform, reveals that chronic disease management dominates AI healthcare visits. Medications for thyroid disorders, Type 2 diabetes, and high cholesterol rank among the top five most prescribed, trailing only common pain relievers.

Levothyroxine, the standard treatment for hypothyroidism, ranks as the third most prescribed medication on the platform. Metformin, the first-line treatment for Type 2 diabetes, comes in fourth. Atorvastatin, a widely used cholesterol-lowering statin, rounds out the top five.

The pattern suggests AI healthcare could be a front door for chronic disease management — conditions that require ongoing medication access rather than complex diagnostic workups. For patients living with these conditions, the appeal is straightforward: continued access to medications they’ve taken for years, without the friction of scheduling appointments weeks in advance for visits that may last only minutes.

The Chronic Disease Burden

The medications appearing at the top of the list reflect the conditions affecting the largest share of the American population — and the ones placing the greatest strain on the healthcare system.

An estimated 20 million Americans have some form of thyroid disease, according to the American Thyroid Association, with hypothyroidism being the most common. Up to 60% of those with thyroid disease are unaware of their condition, making it one of the most underdiagnosed conditions in the country. For those who have been diagnosed, treatment typically means daily levothyroxine for the rest of their lives.

Once a patient’s thyroid levels stabilize — often within the first year of treatment — many go years without needing changes to their medication. The dosage stays the same, the routine stays the same, and the only variable is maintaining prescription access. Yet many refills require a provider visit, taking up appointment slots and physician time for what amounts to a brief confirmation that nothing has changed.

Type 2 diabetes tells a similar story at an even larger scale. The condition affects roughly 38 million Americans, with the CDC noting that 90% to 95% of all diabetes cases are Type 2. Metformin has been the first-line treatment for decades, and for patients whose blo

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When temperatures drop, your skin takes the hit. Harsh winds, hot showers, and indoor heating can leave your face feeling tight, your hands cracked, and your whole body begging for moisture. But winter dryness isn’t something you have to just deal with. With the right routine and products, you can keep your skin strong, hydrated, and comfortable all season long. Dove Men + Care shares a guide on how to prevent dry skin in winter.

Why Does Skin Get Dry in Winter?

Before we tackle solutions, it’s important to understand the root of the problem. During winter, the air becomes drier, both indoors and out. This lack of humidity causes moisture to evaporate from your skin more quickly, leading to dehydration. Additionally, the cold weather can strip away the skin’s natural oils, which act as a barrier to keep moisture in. The result? Skin that feels itchy, tight, and uncomfortable.

Signs and Symptoms of Dry Skin

Recognizing the symptoms of dry skin in winter is the first step in addressing it. Common signs include:

• Flakiness or peeling
• Redness or irritation
• A feeling of tightness, especially after showering
• Itching that seems to worsen as the day goes on
• Cracks or fissures, particularly on the hands and feet

Winter Skincare Routine

Creating a winter skincare routine is essential for combating the harsh effects of the season. Here’s a simple, effective routine to keep your skin hydrated and healthy:

• Switch to a moisturizing cleanser
  A harsh soap can make dryness worse. Choose a cleanser that nourishes while it cleans. It’s gentle on skin and formulated with hydration in mind, so you won’t end up with that tight, post-shower feeling.
• Moisturize right after you shower
  Your skin is most receptive to moisture when it’s slightly damp. Pat (don’t rub) your skin dry, then apply a rich body lotion.
• Avoid super-hot showers

We get it, stepping into a hot shower feels great when it’s freezing outside. But that heat actually strips your skin of its natural oils and leaves it more prone to dryness. Stick to warm water instead, and keep your showers short and sweet.

• Hydrate from the inside out

Don’t forget that hydration starts within. Drink plenty of water, eat foods rich in omega-3s (like salmon, chia seeds, and walnuts), and limit dehydrating drinks like coffee and alcohol.

• Protect your skin outdoors
  Winter air can be brutal, especially on exposed areas like your face and hands. Before heading out, apply a moisturizer to create a protective barrier. And if you’re spending time in the sun (yes, even in winter), use sunscreen. UV rays can still cause dama