Home prices in Seattle improved for the third month in a row in May but remained far below their pre-recession highs, according to the latest Case-Shiller home-price report.

The Seattle-area index rose 1.16 percent in May, placing it squarely in the middle of the 20 metro areas covered by the Case-Shiller report.

The composite index for all 20 cities was up a bit higher: 1.27 percent. All urban areas posted gains in May except Las Vegas.

However, Seattle was among seven urban areas where home prices remained below their levels of a year earlier. According to the Case-Shiller report, May selling prices in Seattle were 1.44 percent below May 2009.

Las Vegas was again the worst-performing market, with May prices 6.53 percent below their year-earlier mark.

Overall, Seattle-area prices are nearly 24 percent below the peak reached in July 2007, according to Case-Shiller. The national composite index, which peaked a year earlier, is 29.1 percent below that high.