Powys has emerged as a rare bright spot in a UK housing market beset this year by falling values.
The county, the most sparsely populated in Wales, has seen an average increase in house prices of 17.4% over the past 12 months to £253,958, according to Halifax.
The rise in house prices has propelled Powys to the top of a list of 10 UK hotspots that are defying the general slowdown in home sales.
East Lindsey in the East Midlands rose by 13.3% to £220,421, taking it to second place. Moray in Scotland came third as the average price rose by 10.7% to £179,606.
By comparison, in the UK as a whole, average house prices fell 3.9%, or £11,329, to £281,082.
