Overview
- Realtor.com's 2026 hottest ZIP codes list, released Monday, put Peabody, Massachusetts (01960) at No. 1 and named nine other ZIPs all in the Northeast and Midwest.
- Listings in those ZIPs drew far more online attention and moved much faster than the national norm, with Peabody receiving about four times the typical views and a 20-day median time on market versus 52 days nationwide.
- Supply is sharply constrained in these communities, where for-sale inventory was about 60.5% below pre-pandemic levels compared with roughly 11.3% below pre-pandemic nationally.
- Buyers in the top ZIPs arrived with stronger finances, posting an average down payment of 17.1% and a median credit score of 766, which helped nine of the 10 ZIPs sell at or above asking and produced steep premiums in places like Montclair and Fairport.
- The pattern, now in its fourth year, signals local seller leverage in select suburbs, makes competition harder for less-capitalized buyers, and highlights lender opportunities where borrowers show prime credit profiles.