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 Hartfo

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