Hold Period Analysis — How Long Investors Hold Properties by State
Median hold period in years between buy and sell, ranked by state. Find liquid markets where flippers move fast vs. illiquid markets where holds drag past a decade.
Fastest-flip states (shortest avg hold)
Longest-hold states
State ranking — average hold period
All states with sufficient data (sample ≥ 50 flips)
Sorted shortest to longest| # | State | Avg hold (yrs) | Avg hold (mo) | Avg gain % | Sample |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Indiana (IN) | 0.76 | 9.3 | +129.3% | 14,835 |
| 2 | Maryland (MD) | 0.83 | 10.1 | +129.4% | 12,119 |
| 3 | Delaware (DE) | 0.85 | 10.4 | +177.1% | 2,626 |
| 4 | Ohio (OH) | 0.90 | 10.9 | +152.4% | 23,960 |
| 5 | Georgia (GA) | 0.91 | 11.1 | +134.7% | 35,089 |
| 6 | Alabama (AL) | 0.91 | 11.1 | +141.2% | 12,892 |
| 7 | Virginia (VA) | 0.92 | 11.2 | +143.0% | 15,519 |
| 8 | California (CA) | 0.93 | 11.3 | +76.6% | 41,295 |
| 9 | Tennessee (TN) | 0.94 | 11.4 | +136.9% | 21,941 |
| 10 | Arkansas (AR) | 0.94 | 11.5 | +164.0% | 9,986 |
| 11 | Minnesota (MN) | 0.95 | 11.5 | +161.9% | 11,008 |
| 12 | Pennsylvania (PA) | 0.95 | 11.6 | +132.5% | 19,189 |
| 13 | Nebraska (NE) | 0.96 | 11.7 | +266.6% | 4,725 |
| 14 | District of Columbia (DC) | 0.96 | 11.7 | +83.0% | 670 |
| 15 | Rhode Island (RI) | 0.96 | 11.7 | +99.2% | 2,268 |
| 16 | Illinois (IL) | 0.96 | 11.7 | +123.7% | 18,479 |
| 17 | Kentucky (KY) | 0.96 | 11.7 | +159.1% | 10,331 |
| 18 | New Jersey (NJ) | 0.96 | 11.7 | +118.0% | 17,771 |
| 19 | Nevada (NV) | 0.97 | 11.8 | +83.3% | 4,883 |
| 20 | South Carolina (SC) | 0.97 | 11.8 | +149.5% | 17,752 |
| 21 | Arizona (AZ) | 0.98 | 11.9 | +109.7% | 22,042 |
| 22 | Florida (FL) | 0.98 | 11.9 | +128.3% | 94,713 |
| 23 | North Carolina (NC) | 0.98 | 12.0 | +155.0% | 33,754 |
| 24 | New York (NY) | 0.99 | 12.1 | +124.7% | 18,411 |
| 25 | Connecticut (CT) | 0.99 | 12.0 | +105.2% | 5,521 |
| 26 | Oklahoma (OK) | 0.99 | 12.0 | +195.5% | 10,576 |
| 27 | West Virginia (WV) | 0.99 | 12.1 | +138.5% | 2,226 |
| 28 | Iowa (IA) | 1.00 | 12.2 | +204.6% | 7,325 |
| 29 | South Dakota (SD) | 1.00 | 12.1 | +204.4% | 715 |
| 30 | Wisconsin (WI) | 1.00 | 12.2 | +162.6% | 11,356 |
| 31 | Michigan (MI) | 1.01 | 12.3 | +131.6% | 15,645 |
| 32 | North Dakota (ND) | 1.02 | 12.4 | +274.8% | 1,269 |
| 33 | Colorado (CO) | 1.02 | 12.4 | +107.5% | 12,509 |
| 34 | Hawaii (HI) | 1.03 | 12.5 | +84.3% | 1,409 |
| 35 | Vermont (VT) | 1.04 | 12.6 | +127.2% | 1,127 |
| 36 | Oregon (OR) | 1.05 | 12.8 | +122.9% | 7,108 |
| 37 | Massachusetts (MA) | 1.05 | 12.8 | +92.9% | 5,609 |
| 38 | Washington (WA) | 1.08 | 13.1 | +123.8% | 11,339 |
| 39 | New Hampshire (NH) | 1.08 | 13.1 | +113.8% | 2,158 |
| 40 | Maine (ME) | 1.11 | 13.5 | +110.5% | 739 |
What hold period tells investors
Short average holds (under 2 years) indicate a liquid market — properties trade often, exit timing is flexible, and capital recycles quickly. Long holds (5+ years) suggest fewer buyers, slower exits, and higher carry-cost risk.
Markets where typical investors hold 3–9 months are dominated by fix-and-flip operators. Markets averaging 5–10 years are dominated by buy-and-hold landlords. Choose the strategy that matches the market — don't fight it.
This metric reflects only properties that resold. True buy-and-hold landlords who never sold during the data window are invisible here. Treat the numbers as a relative ranking across states, not an absolute hold-period truth. Source: public record.