Realtor.com®‘s annual ranking of the Top Housing Markets for 2026 shows a notable geographic shift from a year ago: while last year’s top metros were concentrated in the South and West, the markets projected to see the strongest combined growth in home sales and prices in 2026 are now overwhelmingly in the Northeast and Midwest. Hartford, Conn., Rochester, N.Y., and Worcester, Mass., lead the 2026 list.
Amid expectations for cooling national price growth and modest mortgage rate relief, buyers are increasingly focused on value. As a result, “refuge markets” are attracting shoppers from larger, high-cost metros seeking relative affordability, more space for the price and greater market stability. The top 10 markets for 2026, in rank order, are: 1) Hartford-West Hartford-East Hartford, Conn. 2) Rochester, N.Y. 3) Worcester, Mass.-Conn. 4) Toledo, Ohio 5) Providence-Warwick, R.I.-Mass. 6) Richmond, Va. 7) Grand Rapids-Wyoming, Mich. 8) Milwaukee-Waukesha-West Allis, Wis. 9) New Haven-Milford, Conn., and 10) Pittsburgh. See the full top 100 metro ranking below.
“We expect a more balanced housing market in 2026, leaning slightly in buyers’ favor compared with 2025, as modest improvements in affordability, driven by mortgage rate relief and slower home price growth, give incomes a bit more room to catch up,” said Danielle Hale, chief economist at Realtor.com®. “Our 2026 top housing markets offer better value than nearby high-cost hubs, yet steady demand and persistent inventory shortages keep prices moving upward. For buyers, that can mean more competition and faster price gains. For sellers and homeowners, it signals strong demand or home price appreciation and equity gains.”
Affordable homes and out-of-state buyers drive market interest
The 2026 top markets share several characteristics – relatively affordable homes, limited new construction, lower mortgage lock-in pressure, and older, financially well-qualified households – but their unifying advantage is strong value for buyers. The median list price across the top 10 is $384,000, below the national median of $415,000, making these metros attractive to both first-time buyers and those relocating from higher cost areas…