Metro Denver has been named one of the country’s top 20 real estate markets to watch next year in the “Emerging Trends in Real Estate 2013” report released Wednesday.

In its 34nd year, the commercial real estate study is compiled by the PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP financial services firm and the Urban Land Institute.

This year, it was released in conjunction with the ULI’s Fall Meeting, Wednesday through Friday at the Colorado Convention Center. The meeting is being attended by about 5,000 real estate professional from around the country.

Denver ranks 14th on the list of “U.S. Markets to Watch: Overall Real Estate Prospects.”

The report says that Denver’s housing market was not hit as hard by the housing downturn as many other cities, with fewer homes in foreclosure or sitting delinquent than most.

“Denver’s economy has remained healthy, maintaining the ability to absorb a diverse employment base,” the report notes.

PwC’s Wendy McCray, partner in the assurance practice for the Denver PwC office, said Denver’s large young population — about 16 percent are 25-34 years old — “tells people there’s good job growth and Denver’s economy is more diverse.”

The “Emerging Trends” study is based on surveys of more than 1,000 commercial real estate experts, including investors, developers, lenders and brokers.

Here are some of the city’s other rankings:

• Denver ranks eighth among promising investment markets, moving up three spots from the 2012 report, due to “strong growth potential. … An attraction is the city’s central location in the country’s southern and western regions, as well as Denver’s ever-expanding international airport.”