Housing News

Looking for a Home? The Top 10 Housing Markets of 2026

If you can work from anywhere, are thinking about moving to a new place, or are considering purchasing an investment property, you may want to check out the top housing spots of 2026.

The National Association of Realtors (NAR) compiled a list of the top 10 housing markets of the year, based on where homebuyer demand is expected to remain strong, affordability is predicted to improve, and locals have the financial means to purchase homes.

Half of the best places to buy are in the South, where there has been more recent new construction and homes for sale. Three are in the more affordable Midwest, and two are in the West. 

None of the top spots were in the pricey Northeast, where there have been fewer homes on the market.

“Lower mortgage rates and larger inventory will attract buyers back to the market in 2026,” predicted NAR Chief Economist Lawrence Yun in a statement. “After three years of flat home sales, a solid double-digit percentage increase is expected in 2026.”

To come up with its list, NAR looked at markets with a high percentage of millennial households; rising incomes; job growth; increase in households that could afford to buy if mortgage interest rates declined; increase in people moving to the area; growing percentage of homes with price cuts; more homes within the price ranges that local buyers can afford; where mortgage payments aren’t much more expensive than rents; increase in permits to construct new single-family homes; more homebuyers taking out mortgages.

All the markets had at least 250,000 residents.

Where are the top housing spots for 2026?

The top 10 housing markets of the year (below) are sorted by alphabetical order and not by ranking.

1. Charleston, S.C.

Percentage of millennial households: 36%

Job growth year-over-year*: 3.2%

Change in percentage of mortgages year-over-year**: 1%

2. Charlotte, N.C.

Percentage of millennial households: 36.6%

Job growth: 2.5%

Change in percentage of mortgages: 1.5%

3. Columbus, Ohio

Percentage of millennial households: 37.5%

Job growth: 1.5%

Change in percentage of mortgages: 2.5%

4. Indianapolis. Ind.

Percentage of millennial households: 37%

Job growth: 1.1%

Change in percentage of mortgages: 4.8%

5. Jacksonville, Fla.

Percentage of millennial households: 34.2%

Job growth: 0.7%

Change in percentage of mortgages: -2.6%

6. Minneapolis, Minn.

Percentage of millennial households: 36.1%

Job growth: 0.8%

Change in percentage of mortgages: 5.7%

7. Raleigh, N.C.

Percentage of millennial households: 37.7%

Job growth: 1.3%

Change in percentage of mortgages: -0.1%

8. Richmond, Va. 

Percentage of millennial households: 34.5%

Job growth: 2.1%

Change in percentage of mortgages: 3.1%

9. Salt Lake City, Utah

Percentage of millennial households: 40.9%

Job growth: 1.8%

Change in percentage of mortgages: 9.8%

10. Spokane, Wash. 

Percentage of millennial households: 34.3%

Job growth: -0.3%

Change in percentage of mortgages: 4.3%

 * Job growth is from August 2024 to August 2025.

** Mortgage origination growth is from 2023 to 2024.