2 CT Areas Among Top 10 Real Estate Markets In U.S., New Realtor.com Study Reveals

Two Connecticut metro areas rank among the top 10 real estate markets in the country. The new rankings come from Realtor.com. The website says that the national housing market in 2026 "is expected to be steadier, with somewhat stronger home sales and modest home price growth."

The housing market is anticipated to take "another modest step forward in affordability as mortgage rate relief and slower home price growth offer breathing room for incomes to catch up," according to Realtor.com.

Realtor.com ranked the 100 largest metro areas by expected sales and price gains. At No. 1 was Hartford-West Hartford-East Hartford. Home median prices are expected to rise 9.5 percent in the next year, along with a 7.6 percent jump in existing-home sale counts.

Also appearing in the top 10 was the New Haven-Milford area at No. 9. Home median prices are expected to rise 7.7 percent in the next year, along with a 2.3 percent jump in existing-home sale counts.

Realtor.com noted that the top markets have much in common, including relative affordability, limited new construction, below-average mortgage lock-in, and older, well-qualified buyers amid an older housing stock.

"The key commonality across these hubs is good value for homebuyers," Realtor.com wrote. "The median list price across the 2026 top 10 averages around $384,000, well below the $415,000 national median, making these markets obvious choices for those leaving high-priced hubs or first-time home buyers."

Here's the full top 10:

1. Hartford-West Hartford-East Hartford
2. Rochester, New York
3. Worcester, Massachusetts-Connecticut
4. Toledo, Ohio
5. Providence-Warwick, Rhode Island-Massachusetts
6. Richmond, Virginia
7. Grand Rapids, Michigan
8. Milwaukee-Waukesha-West Allis, Wisconsin
9. New Haven-Milford
10. Pittsburgh

Check out the full analysis from Realtor.com by clicking here.