By Katherine Rodriguez | finance.yahoo.com
Homebuyers are showing strong interest in several suburban communities across the United States, despite high mortgage rates and ongoing affordability challenges. According to Realtor.com’s 2026 ranking, the country’s 10 hottest ZIP codes are once again concentrated in the Northeast and Midwest.
Peabody, Massachusetts, located about 20 miles from Boston, took the No. 1 spot. Homes in its 01960 ZIP code had a median listing price of $600,000 and attracted more than four times the typical number of views per property.
Other communities making the list include Montclair and Sewell, New Jersey; Fairport and Westfield, New York and Massachusetts; Livonia, Michigan; Lititz, Pennsylvania; North Haven, Connecticut; New Berlin, Wisconsin; and Wheaton, Illinois.
Top 10 ZIP Codes
- Peabody, MA (01960) — $600,000
- Montclair, NJ (07042) — $1.05 million
- Sewell, NJ (08080) — $426,000
- Fairport, NY (14450) — $429,000
- Westfield, MA (01085) — $381,000
- Livonia, MI (48154) — $338,000
- Lititz, PA (17543) — $598,000
- North Haven, CT (06473) — $562,000
- New Berlin, WI (53151) — $445,000
- Wheaton, IL (60187) — $575,000
The strong demand is largely tied to limited housing supply. Buyers are increasingly looking to suburbs that provide more space and amenities while remaining within reach of major employment centers. The Northeast and Midwest continue to experience tighter inventory than many markets in the South and West.
Homes in these ZIP codes also receive significantly more online attention than the national average and tend to sell much faster. Across the 10 markets, listings attracted roughly three to five times the usual traffic and sold about 30 to 42 days faster than typical U.S. homes. Nine of the 10 ZIP codes were also priced above their surrounding metro areas, highlighting just how strong local demand has become.
Overall, the rankings show that buyers are still willing to compete for desirable suburban homes, even in a housing market affected by elevated mortgage rates. For many shoppers, the combination of location, lifestyle, access to major cities and relative value continues to outweigh the challenges of higher borrowing costs.
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