Armagh has seen house prices rise by 188% over the past five years, according to latest figures.
It is the biggest increase of any UK city in that time, the research by Halifax Estate Agents said.
Three other NI areas - Newry, Lisburn and Londonderry - were in the top five in the UK for house price growth.
The Halifax figures said Newry's house prices rose by 157%, Lisburn by 152% and Londonderry by 132%. Belfast's prices rose by 123% over the period.
That puts it further down the list, but still a high performer in UK terms.
Martin Ellis, chief economist at Halifax Estate Agents, said: "House prices in cities tend to be higher than the average price in their region.
"The attraction of shopping and leisure facilities, as well as a short commute for workers means that there will always be demand to live in cities.
"Many cities have also benefited from urban regeneration programmes that have seen the wide scale re-development of old industrial areas and canal side warehouses into residential properties."