Real estate website Realtor.com released its annual report on Tuesday, identifying the 10 most active ZIP codes in the United States housing market for 2026. The rankings indicate that high buyer interest is currently concentrated exclusively in the Northeast and Midwest, with no locations from the South or West appearing in the top 10 for the fourth year in a row.
The rankings are determined by two metrics: the number of unique viewers each property listing receives on Realtor.com and the median number of days a listing remains active on the market. According to the report, listings in these top-performing ZIP codes attracted three to five times more views than the national average and sold 30 to 42 days faster than the typical U.S. property during the first half of the year.
Peabody, Massachusetts (01960), ranked as the nation's most active market, with homes remaining on the market for a median of 20 days. Montclair, New Jersey (07042), followed at number two, notably featuring a median listing price of $1,050,000—the only million-dollar market on the list. Other top ZIP codes included Sewell, New Jersey; Fairport, New York; and Westfield, Massachusetts.
Potential buyers in these "hot" ZIP codes face high competition despite national trends of slowing home sales. The data shows that a household looking at a median-priced home in Fairport, New York ($429,000), or Wheaton, Illinois ($575,000), is competing against three to five times more viewers per property than the average American buyer. This sustained demand in the Northeast and Midwest persists even as record-high prices have deterred buyers in other regions.
The concentration of these markets in the Northeast and Midwest marks a geographic shift, as the South and West remain absent from the top rankings. Realtor.com attributed this trend to increased new construction in the South and West, which has added supply and moderated competition. In contrast, the lack of inventory in the top 10 ZIP codes suggests that market pressure will continue until supply increases. The current data reflects market activity recorded between January and June 2026. Future rankings will depend on whether construction rates in the Northeast and Midwest begin to mirror the expansion seen in the South and West.