Mar 5, 2026
After years of volatility in the housing market, Americans are eager to time their next move correctly. But, while buying into a hot market can help build wealth, it can also lock you into higher prices, taxes and insurance premiums.
Home prices are expected to rise modestly by 2.2%, according to Realtor.com’s 2026 housing forecast (1). Although it’s believed the market “will remain in balanced territory”, some cities are expected to see prices climb much faster.
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“The Midwest and Northeast have maintained strong demand despite the broader slowdown, largely due to persistent inventory scarcity,” Hannah Jones, senior economic research analyst at Realtor.com, told CNBC’s Make It in an article published Jan. 5 (2).
Some markets may look attractive on paper, but it’s important to understand the risks behind headline growth before committing to buying a new house, especially if it’s going to require a major move across the state or country.
Metro housing markets expected to outperform
Make It combined Realtor.com’s list of top projected home-price growth rate metros with the median sales prices of a home in those areas at the time, based on data from the Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis. In the same spirit, here are the 10 top markets where home prices are expected to outperform, along with the median sales prices as of January.
1. Toledo, Ohio
- Expected 2026 price growth: 13.1%
- Current median home price: $179,900
2. Syracuse, New York
- Expected 2026 price growth: 12.4%
- Current median home price: $280,000
3. Scranton–Wilkes-Barre–Hazleton, Pennsylvania
- Expected 2026 price growth: 10.9%
- Current median home price: $259,500
4. Rochester, New York
- Expected 2026 price growth: 10.3%
- Current median home price: $267,400
5. Hartford–West Hartford–East Hartford, Connecticut
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- Expected 2026 price growth: 9.5%
- Current median home price: $424,900
6. Baltimore–Columbia–Towson, Maryland
- Expected 2026 price growth: 8.3%
- Current median home price: $349,990
7. New Haven–Milford, Connecticut
- Expected 2026 price growth: 7.7%
- Current median home price: $425,000
8. Winston-Salem, North Carolina
- Expected 2026 price growth: 7.7%
- Current median home price: $330,000
9. Albany–Schenectady–Troy, New York
- Expected 2026 price growth: 7.5%
- Current median home price: $439,900
10. Columbia, South Carolina
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- Expected 2026 price growth: 7.2%
- Current median home price: $299,500
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Primary residences are more than an investment
Whether you see homeownership as a profitable venture or major milestone in your life, you’ll want to take into account its functionality. Is the neighborhood safe? Is it close to good schools and work hubs? Is there plenty of green space? What about access to grocery stores, recreational centers and community hubs?
If you’re looking at your home as an investment, keep in mind that — as with any other investment — there are risks. There’s no guarantee that markets expected to be hot will turn out to be so, and there’s no guarantee that markets currently hot will stay that way.
Plus, if the value of your home skyrockets, it could cost you a lot more to hold your investment in the form of higher property taxes, insurance rates, HOA fees and maintenance costs.
On a national scale, the housing market has seen periods of tremendous price appreciation, but it’s also sold off dramatically — like from July 2006 to February 2012, when prices fell about 27% and then took another four years to return to their previous peak level, according to the S&P Cotality Case-Shiller U.S. National Home Price Index (3).
But even in the absence of outsized price gains, homeownership has helped many Americans build wealth, and under the right circumstances it’s still possible to do so. Still, if you’re buying a house as your primary residence, make sure it will also serve its purpose as a home, too.
Correction, March 5, 2026: The list combining Realtor.com’s top projected home-price growth rate metros with median sales prices shows updated prices, not those previously compiled by Make It.
Article sources
We rely only on vetted sources and credible third-party reporting. For details, see our editorial ethics and guidelines.
Realtor.com (1) CNBC (2); Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis (3)
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Vawn Himmelsbach is a veteran journalist who has been covering tech, business, finance and travel for the past three decades. Her work has been featured in publications such as The Globe and Mail, Toronto Star, National Post, Metro News, Canadian Geographic, Zoomer, CAA Magazine, Travelweek, Explore Magazine, Flare and Consumer Reports, to name a few.
