The nations hottest ZIP codes for housing are within the Northeast and Midwest, explains Realtor.com economist Hannah Jones.
America’s hottest housing markets are all positioned within the Northeast and Midwest, in line with a brand new ZIP code-level evaluation of probably the most in-demand housing markets.
Realtor.com launched its hottest ZIP codes report for 2026, which discovered that these two areas swept the highest 10 rankings for the fourth consecutive yr.
Hannah Jones, senior economist at Realtor.com, instructed FOX Enterprise in an interview that “numerous these ZIP codes fall in suburbs which are on the outer ring of main metro areas like Boston, New York, Philadelphia.”
“It form of paints this image you could nonetheless commute to the busy metropolis heart on your job, however you take your massive metropolis earnings the place you will get a little bit extra bang on your buck, extra space, extra of that established suburban quiet life,” she mentioned.
A TALE OF TWO HOUSING MARKETS: LUXURY DEMAND SURGES AS AFFORDABILITY SQUEEZES STARTER-HOME BUYERS
Realtor’s hottest ZIP codes report gauged views by house consumers and the typical time houses had been listed to compile the rankings. (Daniel Acker/Bloomberg through Getty Pictures)
Housing provide within the communities that comprised the highest 10 of this yr’s rankings is particularly tight, as Jones famous that stock ranges are working about 60% beneath pre-pandemic ranges in these communities – whereas inventories throughout the nation are simply 11% beneath the place they had been earlier than the pandemic.
She additionally mentioned that many house consumers in these markets are coming from inside the metro space they’re closest to, versus being from outdoors the area to maneuver, including that “we’re not seeing as a lot of that cross-country migration kind of purchaser demand.”
One other attribute of these markets is that the shortage is driving consumers to pay above asking value, with 9 of the highest 10 seeing houses promote at or above asking value with a median sale-to-list ratio of 103.8%. Across the nation, the everyday house bought for about 2.3% beneath its checklist value within the first half of 2026.
THESE AMERICAN CITIES ARE TRENDING TOWARD A BUYER’S MARKET
The most well liked ZIP code in Realtor’s report is positioned close to the Boston metro space. (Getty Pictures/inventory)
Consumers are additionally placing more cash down when buying a house within the ZIP codes that make up the highest 10 rankings versus the nationwide common.
“After we’re taking a look at these purchaser profiles, we see that they have a tendency to place down so much as a down fee. Throughout these 10 prime ZIP codes, the everyday purchaser is placing down about 17% because the down fee, in comparison with about 13% nationally – and each of these figures are additionally increased than they had been even earlier than the pandemic,” Jones mentioned.
“We additionally know they have a tendency to have increased credit score scores, and all that is pointing to this concept that at this time’s debtors need to be extra financially geared up and financially able to take part in at this time’s housing market as a result of with mortgage charges within the mid-to-high 6% vary,” she mentioned.
Jones added that the consumers who’re taking part in these markets “are typically very financially capable of take part, they’ve a little bit bit more cash to place down, and so they’re extra financially strong than the everyday U.S. purchaser.”
HERE’S THE INCOME NEEDED TO AFFORD THE TYPICAL AMERICAN HOME
A lot of the communities within the prime 10 ZIP codes in Realtor’s hottest housing markets report are within the suburbs of main metro areas. (iStock/Getty Pictures Plus)
Realtor.com’s rankings are primarily based on an algorithm that considers market demand primarily based on distinctive viewers per property on the Realtor.com web site, in addition to the tempo of the market as measured by the variety of days an inventory stays actively listed on the platform.
Here is Realtor.com’s checklist of the most popular ZIP codes in America:
1) 01960 – Peabody, Massachusetts
2) 07042 – Montclair, New Jersey
3) 08080 – Sewell, New Jersey
4) 14450 – Fairport, New York
5) 01085 – Westfield, Massachusetts
6) 48154 – Livonia, Michigan
7) 17543 – Lititz, Pennsylvania
8) 06473 – North Haven, Connecticut
9) 53151 – New Berlin, Wisconsin
10) 60187 – Wheaton, Illinois
GET FOX BUSINESS ON THE GO BY CLICKING HERE
