Same budget, twice the space: Taiwan’s hottest TRA stations revealed, with Taoyuan offering the best value

The same home-buying budget can secure about twice as much living space near Zhongli Station as near Banqiao Station, according to a review of residential transactions around Taiwan Railways Administration stations in northern Taiwan.

The analysis covered the 10 best-selling station areas across Taipei, New Taipei, Keelung and Taoyuan over the past year. Wanhu­a Station ranked first with 236 transactions, followed by Xike Station with 222 and Banqiao Station with 203. All three exceeded 200 deals.

The figures point to continuing demand for homes served by rail and connected to the Taipei metropolitan area. Xizhi District placed both Xike and Xizhi stations in the top 10. Chen Chin-ping, deputy manager of Yongqing Real Estate’s research and development center, said Xike benefits from its proximity to a technology park and convenient access to central Xizhi. A train trip to Nangang takes about five minutes, while nearby home prices in the “NT$50 million range” are lower than those in Nangang.

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Taiwan Railways’ Xike Station is close to the technology park and also very convenient for reaching central Xizhi.

Xizhi Station serves a more established commercial area and connects residents with Taipei and Nangang. For commuters facing high housing prices and credit controls, the area offers a way to trade some travel time for more space.

Taoyuan contributed three stations to the ranking: Taoyuan, Zhongli and Neili. Their average prices over the past year were around the low NT$30 million-per-ping range, making them more accessible than locations in the Taipei region. Chen said the northern stations generally fall into two groups: Taipei-area stations rely on transfers, jobs and mature commercial districts, while Taoyuan and Keelung attract first-time buyers with lower entry costs. Buyers should also consider train frequency, transfers, commuting time and nearby services, he said.

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Some homebuyers have begun considering exchanging commuting time for more living space.