The National Association of Realtors recently announced the top 10 homebuying hot spots for 2026 in a new report, Housing Hot Spots for 2026: The Markets Poised for New Buyer Opportunities. Based on economic, demographic and housing indicators, the top 10 housing markets for 2026 are as follows:
- Charleston, S.C.
- Charlotte, N.C./S.C.
- Columbus, Ohio
- Indianapolis, Ind.
- Jacksonville, Fla.
- Minneapolis–St. Paul, Minn./Wis.
- Raleigh, N.C.
- Richmond, Va.
- Salt Lake City, Utah
- Spokane, Wash.
The top 10 hot spots outperform the average U.S. market in at least five of 10 measurements:
- Share of Millennial Households
- Household Income Growth
- Job Growth
- Impact of Lower Mortgage Rates
- Domestic Migration as a Share of Population
- Share of Sales with Price Cuts
- Listings-to-Income Alignment Score (and YoY Change)
- Mortgage Payment vs. Rent Ratio
- Single-Family Permits Growth
- Mortgage Originations Growth
They also have populations above 250,000 and show meaningful promise for homebuyers and agents in 2026.
“Lower mortgage rates and larger inventory will attract buyers back to the market in 2026,” said NAR Chief Economist Lawrence Yun. “The top 10 housing hot spots for 2026 have a combination of strong demand potential, projected improvements in affordability, and, most critically, a housing stock that matches the budgets of the buyers who are returning to the market.”
Read the full report here.
