FILE - An aerial image of a neighborhood. (Photo by Steve Pfost/Newsday RM via Getty Images)
The housing market has been in a slump, with rising home prices and elevated mortgage rates keeping many buyers on the sidelines.
But some conditions are warming up, and Zillow says a handful of metro areas will be more buyer friendly than others this year.
Here’s a look:
Buyer-friendly housing markets in 2026
What they're saying:
Zillow says these metro areas offer not only lower housing prices in 2026, but a more positive overall buying experience.
"Buyers in these markets can expect to see more homes within budget, while forecasted appreciation suggests strong long-term financial potential. With less competition for each home, buyers have more time to make decisions and a lower risk of being pulled into stressful bidding wars," Zillow said this week.
By the map:
Zillow’s most buyer-friendly markets of 2026 include:
- Indianapolis
- Atlanta
- Charlotte
- Jacksonville
- Oklahoma City
- Memphis
- Detroit
- Miami
- Tampa
- Pittsburgh
You can see the full list from Zillow here.
Dig deeper:
Most of Zillow’s top 10 buyer-friendly markets are in the Midwest and the Sun Belt.
Midwest housing markets generally avoided the steepest pandemic-era price run-ups, helping maintain their relative affordability. In the Sun Belt, new construction booms have helped inventory recover and eased competition for each home, Zillow said.
Zillow’s 2026 housing market predictions
Big picture view:
Zillow’s outlook for 2026 calls for the housing market to settle into a healthier state, with buyers seeing a bit more breathing room.
The Source: Information in this article was taken from Zillow, which analyzed its pricing and market heat index data. This story was reported from Detroit.