Realtor.com's 2026 Hottest ZIP Codes in America: Peabody, Mass. Claims the Top Spot as Buyers Chase Space, Character Near Major Metros

Listings in the top 10 ZIPs got up to 5.3x more views and sold as much as 42 days faster than the national average

AUSTIN, Texas, Aug. 10, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Peabody, Mass. (01960) joins the Hottest ZIPs for the third time since previously ranked No. 5 in 2018 and No.3 in 2021. For the fourth consecutive year, the Northeast and Midwest swept the rankings, with this year's list underscoring a clear shift in what today's buyers are willing to pay for: more square footage and established character, even if it means a longer commute or a smaller discount versus the surrounding metro.

"This year's hottest ZIP codes tell us that buyers aren't simply chasing the lowest price tag anymore — they're chasing space, character and a manageable commute to a major job center, and they're willing to pay a premium to get it," said Hannah Jones, senior economist at Realtor.com^®. "What's especially notable is how financially prepared these buyers are. Even in ZIP codes where typical local incomes aren't enough to cover today's home prices, buyers are showing up with larger down payments and stronger credit profiles than the national norm, which tells us this demand is real and well-capitalized."

 

The 2026 Hottest ZIP Codes in America, in rank order, are:

1. 01960 Peabody, Mass. in Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH*
2. 07042 Montclair, N.J. in New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ
3. 08080 Sewell, N.J. in Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD*
4. 14450 Fairport, N.Y. in Rochester, NY
5. 01085 Westfield, Mass. in Springfield, MA
6. 48154 Livonia, Mich. in Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MI
7. 17543 Lititz, Pa. in Lancaster, PA
8. 06473 North Haven, Conn. in New Haven, CT
9. 53151 New Berlin, Wi. in Milwaukee-Waukesha, WI
10. 60187 Wheaton, Ill. in Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN

(Starred ZIPs are located in metros that were on last years' ranking)

Three of this year's ZIPs and seven of the associated metro areas have appeared on the Hottest ZIP Codes list before, though none of this year's ZIPs repeated directly from last year's ranking — the overlap traces back to 2017, 2021 and 2024. Three ZIPs are appearing for the first time in every sense: Lititz, Pa. (17543), North Haven, Conn. (06473) and New Berlin, Wis. (53151), a sign that demand is continuing to spread into smaller markets within the same Northeast and Midwest corridors that have dominated the rankings in recent years.

Regional Divergence Persists

For the fourth year running, the South and West failed to produce a single entry on the list, while the Northeast and Midwest dominated with ZIPs spanning Massachusetts, New Jersey, New York, Connecticut, Pennsylvania, Wisconsin, Illinois and Michigan. Comparatively tight new-construction pipelines in these metros have kept a lid on supply, while more robust homebuilding and softer price growth across the South and West over the past two years have eased competition in those regions. Nationally, for-sale inventory remained 11.3% below pre-pandemic norms in June 2026 — but in the hottest ZIPs, that shortfall widened to 60.5%, more than five times the national gap, fueling the intense competition reflected in this year's rankings.

Listings in the top 10 ZIPs also significantly outpaced the broader market on engagement and pace, drawing 3.0 to 5.3 times more views per property than the U.S. norm and selling 30 to 42 days faster.

Homes in the Hottest ZIPs Are Selling Over Asking — the Rest of the Country Isn't

Nationally, the typical home sold for about 2.3% below list price in the first half of 2026. In the 10 hottest ZIPs, nine of 10 saw homes sell at or above asking, with an average sale-to-list ratio of roughly 103.8%. Montclair, N.J. and Fairport, N.Y. stood out sharply, with homes selling 16.7% and 14.4% over asking, respectively — a sign of competitive conditions and possibly multiple-offer scenarios while much of the country returns to balanced or even buyer-favoring conditions.

Buyers Pay Up for Space and a Commute Friendly Sweet Spot

Today's buyers aren't just chasing affordability — they want it all. Nine of the 10 hottest ZIPs are priced above their surrounding metro, and eight of the 10 feature homes that run notably larger than the typical listing in their metro. Across all 10 ZIPs, the median home for sale measured 2,000 square feet, compared with a metro median of 1,600 and a national median of 1,800. In Montclair, N.J. (07042), homes for sale averaged 2,625 square feet in the first half of 2026 — 85.6% larger than the surrounding New York metro norm.

These ZIPs also cluster in a similar commuting band, sitting roughly 10 to 20 miles from their metro's central business district — close enough to support a regular in-office schedule, far enough to offer the space and quiet of suburban living. The housing stock skews older, too, with a median year built across the 10 ZIPs averaging 1970, about a decade older than the all-ZIP average — a reminder that buyers are increasingly willing to pay a premium for well-located, established neighborhoods.

Local Incomes Mostly Keep Pace — But Not Everywhere

Seven of the 10 hottest ZIPs show local median household income running ahead of what's needed to afford the typical home there, assuming a 20% down payment and a 6.55% mortgage rate. Livonia, Mich. (48154) leads the group, with income running 64.2% above the threshold, followed by Sewell, N.J. (08080) at 39.6% and Fairport, N.Y. (14450) at 31.4%. Three ZIPs break from that pattern, most notably Montclair, N.J. (07042), where income runs 31.1% behind what's needed — a signal less about whether today's buyers can afford these homes and more about how much home values have outpaced the earnings of long-tenured residents.

Today's Buyers Are Bringing More to the Table

Buyer financial profiles across the hottest ZIPs run well ahead of the national norm. The average down payment across the list is 17.1%, compared with roughly 13.1% nationally, and the average median credit score is 766, versus about 747 nationally. Montclair, N.J. buyers posted the strongest profile in the sample, averaging a 22.1% down payment (more than $318,000) alongside a median FICO score of 783. Even the ZIPs at the lower end of the range, Westfield, Mass., and Peabody, Mass., still landed near the national FICO average while putting down $30,000 and $89,000, respectively — well above the national dollar norm of $25,300.

Big-City ZIPs Draw Local Buyers, Smaller Markets Pull From Regional Hubs

ZIP codes within the largest metros are largely sustained by their own residents. Wheaton, Ill. (60187) drew 77.0% of its listing viewership from within the Chicago metro, Montclair, N.J. (07042) pulled 74.6% from New York, and Peabody, Mass. (01960) drew 70.0% from Boston. Smaller-metro ZIPs told a different story: Sewell, N.J. (08080) pulled 48.4% of its views from Philadelphia but another 26.8% from New York, while New Berlin, Wis. (53151) split its demand between Milwaukee (49.6%) and Chicago (24.5%) — evidence that these markets are functioning partly as release valves for buyers priced out of a larger, pricier neighboring metro.

Spotlight on Peabody, Mass., The Hottest Zip in America

Peabody, Mass. (01960) joins the Hottest ZIPs for the third time it has joined the top ten hottest zips including No. 5 in 2018 and No.3 in 2021. Located about 20 miles north of downtown Boston, Peabody offers buyers highway access to the city, a North Shore setting and a blend of small-town character with proximity to a major job center. Homes there spent a median of just 20 days on the market in the first half of 2026 and sold modestly over asking, even as the typical U.S. home sold under list price. Demand is largely homegrown — 70.0% of Peabody's listing views came from within the Boston metro itself — and buyer financials there look close to the national norm, with a 14.0% average down payment and 747 median credit score, suggesting the math works for most buyers without requiring an outsized financial cushion.

Top 50 Hottest ZIP Codes

To see the full list of State-Level Hottest ZIP codes, https://www.realtor.com/research/hottest-ZIP-codes-2026

Methodology:

Realtor.com®'s Hottest ZIP Code rankings are based on an algorithm that takes into account two aspects of the housing market: 1) market demand, as measured by unique viewers per property on Realtor.com®, and 2) the pace of the market as measured by the number of days a listing remains active on Realtor.com®. The hottest areas are those that have high demand from buyers, in other words, lots of unique viewers per each property, and fast-selling homes, an indicator of limited supply. Market Hotness rankings based on Realtor.com® listing data from January to June 2026. The list of top ZIP codes is limited to one ZIP code per metropolitan area. Descriptive statistics in this write-up refer to June 2026 data unless otherwise noted.

About Realtor.com^®

For over 30 years, Realtor.com^® has connected buyers, sellers, and renters with trusted insights, professional guidance and powerful tools to help them find their perfect home. Recognized as the No. 1 real estate site REALTOR® agents recommend, Realtor.com® delivers consumer connections and a robust suite of marketing tools to support business growth. Realtor.com^® is operated by News Corp [Nasdaq: NWS, NWSA] [ASX: NWS, NWSLV] subsidiary Move, Inc.

Media Contact: Mallory Micetich, press@realtor.com 

SOURCE Realtor.com