These 10 Cities Will Be the Best Buyers’ Markets in 2026, According to Zillow

The piping hot real estate market of recent years may be cooling a bit, thanks to shrinking mortgage rates and home prices. But, as always, every city has its own unique conditions that may make things a bit more (or much less) affordable. Real estate resource Zillow Group just released its ranking of the 50 major markets most amenable to buyers in 2026. It looks like prospective buyers in the Midwest and South may have a bit more leverage, as cities in those regions make up the bulk of the top 25.

To gather its findings, Zillow looked for “cooling home value growth now and forecasted appreciation ahead, the share of income a median earner would put toward the mortgage payment on a typical home, and less buyer competition,” according to its Market Heat Index. Zillow also claims that its list “highlights markets where buyers have a better chance of finding a home they can afford and more room to negotiate when they do.” (For reference, Zillow measured affordability based on a 20% downpayment and a monthly payment below 30% of the median income.)

"Home shoppers have room to breathe in these buyer-friendly markets. Lower competition gives buyers more time to decide and wiggle room to negotiate, adding up to a less stressful shopping experience," Orphe Divounguy, senior economist at Zillow, said, adding that the markets also showed strong potential for appreciation. Conversely, for sellers looking to list in these buyers markets, “pricing strategically from the start becomes that much more important.”

So, which cities are looking the best for buyers in 2026? Here are Zillow’s top ten markets.

According to December 2025 data, Pittsburgh had the lowest typical home price of any major market, coming in at $217,499, as well as the lowest percentage of median income required to afford mortgage payments, at just 22.2%. That said, the forecasted annual change in home value was also low, at just 0.6%, meaning home ownership isn’t necessarily as lucrative an investment as other markets.

Florida’s third most populous city (after Miami and Jacksonville — more on those later), Tampa falls in line with its Sunshine State counterparts, with its slightly elevated housing costs of 35.2% of median income on a typical $351,532 property. While not the strongest investment market, at 1.5% forecasted growth in home values over the next year, it’s not too bad, either.

Miami may be hot for big-city buyers, but it also has the highest typical home price in the top ten — $466,837 — while also being the least affordable on a median salary in the market, requiring 45.7% of one’s monthly budget. However, anyone moving into a house in Miami in 2026 could expect to see a relatively healthy 2.5% ROI in just one year.

Head north (or at least as north as this top ten list goes) and you’ll hit Detroit, a market that’s been on the upswing in home values but still boasts $254,355 properties requiring just 25.9% of median income for mortgage payments. And forecasting predicts that upswing to continue, with home values expected to grow 2.5% annually.

The second least-expensive market in the top ten when it comes to home value, Memphis buyers can typically find houses around $237,882, though given the city’s median income statistics, that still requires spending a solid 27.5% of your budget on a mortgage. The forecasted 1.5% growth in home value isn’t the highest, but it could be an attractive enough investment for outside buyers or current renters looking to put down roots in the Home of the Blues.

If you’re looking to head out west, when it comes to buyers’ markets, Oklahoma is as far as you’re going to get. But prospective buyers in the Sooner State can land low typical home prices of around $238,791, representing mortgage payments of just 26.8% of median income, while expecting 2.2% of forecasted growth in home value.

At $342,853 for the typical home, Jacksonville doesn’t seem all too spendy, but that price point may still be a bit elevated for many buyers, as mortgage payments would eat up 32.2% of one’s monthly income. The city’s more modest annual growth potential of 1.5% is more likely to reward long-term buyers.

Charlotte’s home values have remained steady, with a typical home going for about $379,228. And while mortgage payments surpass the 30% affordability cap at 31.3% of median income, home value projections predict a 2.6% increase annually.

The typical property in Atlanta will run you $374,117, with recent home values on a slight decline, and is just over the “affordable” threshold at 30.5% of median income for the area. But forecasted year-over-year growth in home values of 1.9% might make 2026 a good time to buy in The Big Peach.