Top Ten Buyer-Friendly Markets for 2026

Seattle, WA, January 27, 2026-Zillow has announced that its most buyer-friendly markets of 2026 are Indianapolis, Atlanta, Charlotte, Jacksonville, Oklahoma City, Memphis, Detroit, Miami, Tampa and Pittsburgh.

In these markets, buyers will 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.

"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," said Orphe Divounguy, senior economist at Zillow. "Cooling prices today, paired with expected growth ahead, make for a good entry point for those who have been waiting for the right moment. For sellers, pricing strategically from the start becomes that much more important when buyers hold the power."

Zillow analyzed housing conditions across major U.S. markets using three key measures that indicate buyer-friendly conditions: 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 Zillow's Market Heat Index. The list highlights markets where buyers have a better chance of finding a home they can afford and more room to negotiate when they do.

Most of Zillow's top ten 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. In five of the ten markets, a median household can afford a typical home-meaning a mortgage costs below 30% of income, assuming a 20% down payment.