Hartford ranked No. 1 on the Realtor.com® 2026 Forecast of the Top Housing Markets
Hartford takes spot in annual ranking of areas poised to see the strongest combined increase in home sales and prices in 2026
(Hartford, Conn., December 11, 2025) – Hartford is one of the market areas served by members of the Greater Hartford Association of Realtors®, has been ranked No. 1 on the Realtor.com® 2026 Top housing markets forecast.
Amid expectations for cooling national price growth and modest mortgage rate relief, buyers are increasingly focused on value. As a result, "refuge markets" are attracting shoppers from larger, high-cost metros seeking relative affordability, more space for the price and greater market stability.
Mainly located in the Northeast, and the Midwest, this year's top 10, in rank order, are:
- Hartford, CT;
2. Rochester, N.Y.;
3. Worcester, MA;
4. Toledo, OH;
5. Providence, RI;
6. Richmond, VA;
7. Grand Rapids, MI-WY;
8. Milwaukee-Waukesah-West Allis, WI
9. New Haven-Milford, CT
10. Pittsburgh, PA
(https://www.realtor.com/research/top-housing-markets-2026/?cid=imc26_topmarkets_IRrelease).
The 2026 top markets share several characteristics – relatively affordable homes, limited new construction, lower mortgage lock-in pressure, and older, financially well-qualified households – but their unifying advantage is strong value for buyers.
Projections for Hartford
|
Rank |
Metro |
2026 Existing Home Sales Year-over-Year |
2026 Existing Home Median Sale Price Year-over-Year |
Combined 2026 Existing Home Sales and Price Growth |
|
#1 |
Hartford |
7.6% |
9.5% |
17.1% |
“The Greater Hartford housing market is competitive, with sales and prices rising by double digits. Homes continue to sell quickly, averaging just 20 days on the market,” said GHAR CEO, Holly Callanan.
"We expect a more balanced housing market in 2026, leaning slightly in buyers' favor compared with 2025, as modest improvements in affordability, driven by mortgage rate relief and slower home price growth, give incomes a bit more room to catch up," said Danielle Hale, chief economist at Realtor.com®. "Our 2026 top housing markets offer better value than nearby high-cost hubs, yet steady demand and persistent inventory shortages keep prices moving upward. For buyers, that can mean more competition and faster price gains. For sellers and homeowners, it signals strong demand or home price appreciation and equity gains."
Methodology
The Realtor.com® model-based forecast uses data on the housing market and overall economy to estimate 2026 values for these variables for the 100 largest U.S. metropolitan statistical areas by household size. These markets are then ranked by combined forecasted growth in home prices and sales. Results are calculated to three decimal places and ranked at this degree of specificity, there were no ties. For publication, results are rounded to one decimal place, and this can result in minor differences between the rounded and unrounded sums.
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The Greater Hartford Association of REALTORS® (GHAR) is the largest local real estate trade association in Connecticut, serving over 5100 members in the Greater Hartford and Litchfield County real estate brokerage communities. The Association provides technology, training, networking and business support to members, and supports a healthy real estate market by upholding high professional and ethical standards through a Code of Ethics, ongoing education and certification programs. As the advocate for the real estate brokerage industry, GHAR is the Voice for Real Estate® in the Greater Hartford region. For more information, call 1.860.561.1800 or visit www.gharonline.com.