In a new report, the National Association of Realtors has revealed its list of the top 10 homebuying hot spots for 2026, based on economic, demographic and housing factors.
The report is called “Housing Hot Spots for 2026: The Markets Poised for New Buyer Opportunities.” It was revealed by NAR Chief Economist Lawrence Yun. It also provided a 2026 real estate and economic forecast during NAR’s seventh annual Real Estate Forecast Summit: The Year Ahead.
Per NAR, here are the 10 Top Housing Hot Spots for 2026 in alphabetical order:
• Charleston, South Carolina
• Charlotte, North Carolina–South Carolina
• Columbus, Ohio
• Indianapolis, Indiana
• Jacksonville, Florida
• Minneapolis–St. Paul, Minnesota–Wisconsin
• Raleigh, North Carolina
• Richmond, Virginia
• Salt Lake City, Utah
• Spokane, Washington
NAR said the top 10 housing hot spots are markets that outperform the average market in the U.S. on at least five of 10 economic, demographic, and housing indicators, have populations over 250,000, and demonstrate meaningful 2026 opportunities for homebuyers and agents who are Realtors.
“Lower mortgage rates and larger inventory will attract buyers back to the market in 2026,” Yun said. “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.”
The Outlook for the Year Ahead
Here’s NAR’s National Outlook for 2026:
• Existing-home sales are forecast to increase by 14%
• Home prices are expected to rise by about 4%
• Mortgage rates are projected to decline toward 6%
• Job growth is expected to remain moderate with roughly 1.3 million new jobs
“After three years of flat home sales, a solid double-digit percentage increase is expected in 2026,” Yun said. “In 2026, we expect higher inventory, modest improvements in affordability, and more accommodating monetary policy from the Federal Reserve will help more Americans buy their next home.”
NAR said it identified the 2026 housing hot spots by analyzing how each area performs relative to the national level across the following 10 key economic, demographic and housing factors:
• 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
