Homebuyers Flock to Warsaw Area as Demand Falls Around Łódź

Poland’s suburban housing markets are moving in sharply different directions. Developers sold almost 2,400 homes in the Warsaw metropolitan area during the first half of the year, a 17% increase from the same period a year earlier. Sales also rose around the Tri-City, by 16% to nearly 1,400 homes, and around Wrocław, by 24% to more than 440.

The picture was much weaker near Łódź. Sales plunged 75% to fewer than 90 homes. Developers sold 24% fewer properties around Poznań, while demand in the Kraków metropolitan area fell 3%. Activity among developers declined in every suburban location analyzed, but the fall was most pronounced around Łódź, where no new homes entered the market during the first six months.

Prices alone do not explain the differences, according to Marek Wielgo, an expert at RynekPierwotny.pl. Suburban homes are generally cheaper than those in major cities, but this pattern applies across Poland. In July, the average price per square meter reached 12,100 zlotys around Warsaw, 12,200 around the Tri-City, 11,200 around Kraków, 10,900 around Wrocław, 9,000 around Poznań and 8,900 around Łódź.

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The availability of homes at this price best explains the differences between the individual markets.

Transport, roads, schools, kindergartens and local services also influence buyers. Some towns near major cities offer better social and transport infrastructure than new developments on metropolitan fringes. Yet the supply of homes within buyers’ budgets appears especially important. For many young households, 500,000 zlotys is a psychological ceiling.

Łódź illustrates the effect. By mid-2026, developers offered about 5,000 homes in the city priced at no more than 500,000 zlotys, 53% more than a year earlier. In surrounding towns, buyers could choose from only 134 homes in that price range, 28% fewer than a year earlier. The data indicates that affordable supply is helping keep demand inside Łódź rather than in its suburban ring.

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Łódź is today the best example of a city that keeps demand within its own boundaries.