World's hottest luxury housing markets

top luxury housing markets san francisco

Price rise: 14.3%
Country: United States

It's a particularly good time to be a luxury homeowner in San Francisco.

The Californian city tops Knight Frank's Prime Global Cities Index of prices for high-end real estate around the world.

Tech industry money has been pouring into San Francisco, helping push up the median asking price to more than $1 million.

The list features other cities with strong tech sectors, as well as emerging markets where new wealth is blossoming, and foreign investment hotspots.

There are some notable absences. London prices were held back by political uncertainty, while luxury condos in New York got cheaper.

First published May 20, 2015: 9:21 AM ET

The Knight Frank Prime Global Cities Index compares the performance of prime residential prices across key global cities. Prime property corresponds to the top 5% of the wider housing market in each city. Price rises relate to the percentage change from March 2014 - March 2015.

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