Peabody, Mass., a Boston-area suburb with a 19th-century history as a leather-tanning capital, topped Realtor.com’s 2026 Hottest ZIP Codes report, released Aug. 10, 2026, which ranks the U.S. ZIP codes drawing the most buyer demand and selling homes the fastest.
Peabody’s 01960 ZIP code climbed to No. 1 after last cracking the top 10 in 2021, when it ranked third, according to Realtor.com’s report. The rankings combine two measures: market demand, tracked through unique viewers per property listing, and market pace, measured by how quickly listings go under contract. For-sale homes in this year’s top 10 ZIP codes drew three to five times more traffic than the typical U.S. listing and sold 30 to 42 days faster than the national norm during the first half of 2026.
“This combination of high traffic and rapid sales underscores the urgency and competitiveness that define these markets,” said Hannah Jones, a Realtor.com senior economist. “Buyers in these areas are ready to act quickly and decisively, deviating from the more mellow national market.”
Rounding out the top 10: Montclair, N.J. (07042); Sewell, N.J. (08080); Fairport, N.Y. (14450); Westfield, Mass. (01085); Livonia, Mich. (48154); Lititz, Pa. (17543); North Haven, Conn. (06473); New Berlin, Wis. (53151); and Wheaton, Ill. (60187). Every ZIP code on the list sits in a suburban corridor near a major city β Boston, New York, Philadelphia, Detroit or Chicago among them β and all are located in the Northeast or Midwest, regions Realtor.com says face structurally constrained inventory due to scarce buildable land and tight zoning.
Peabody, a city of roughly 55,000 people about 20 minutes from downtown Boston, drew more than four times the national average views per listing in the first half of 2026, with homes staying on market just 20 days. Its median asking price was $667,000 as of June β about $230,000 above the national median but roughly 20% below the greater Boston metro average, which tops $800,000.
Boston accounts for 70% of Peabody’s buyer demand, according to the report, with New York City buyers making up nearly 9% of the ZIP code’s out-of-market traffic. “Rather than pulling in outside relocators, Peabody’s popularity appears to reflect existing Boston-area residents shopping for a different town within reach of the same job market, a vote of confidence from people who already know the region well,” Jones said.
Adeline Matton, a real estate agent with Aluxety Realty who works across Massachusetts, Maine and New Hampshire, told Realtor.com that Peabody’s appeal includes a walkable downtown, one of the lowest tax rates on Boston’s North Shore, and municipally owned electric utilities that keep costs down. Matton said a five-bedroom Peabody home listed for $995,000 recently drew 25 buyer inquiries in under 24 hours. Peabody’s median household income of about $101,000 runs roughly 17% below what Realtor.com estimates is needed to comfortably afford the ZIP code’s median-priced home, suggesting many buyers are drawing on existing home equity β Realtor.com found local buyers put down a median of nearly $90,000 β rather than entering as first-time purchasers.
Nine of the 10 hottest ZIP codes, Peabody the lone exception, carry list prices above their surrounding metro area, a pattern Jones said signals buyers chasing more than just the lowest price tag. “They want it all: a nice home in the suburbs, the amenities to match, and easy access to an economic hub,” Jones said, describing a buyer pool that “skews higher-earning and more willing to trade savings for space, amenities, and accessibility.”
What it means: With mortgage rates still elevated and national housing inventory recovering only gradually β a backdrop RealtyWire has tracked as price cuts have climbed toward 20% of listings nationally β Realtor.com’s data suggests competition is concentrating in a narrower band of well-located, supply-constrained suburbs rather than spreading evenly across the market. Jones said she expects “these kinds of high-performing, value-driven suburban areas to remain at the forefront of market activity” as long as rates stay high and inventory recovers slowly.
