New England Crushes it Again With Hottest Real Estate Markets of the Year

When it comes to the most popular areas to buy, buy, buy, it seems smaller is better for the most part. It's not so much about scoring real estate in the incredible cities we have scattered around the country but rather about smaller towns near them.

That said, according to the online real estate giant Zillow, the New England and the Northeast topped the list just like it did in 2023. So even though affordability plays a role for most, buying in one of the priciest places in the country still reigns supreme.

The Northeast continued to capture attention, dominating Zillow’s list of most popular markets for the second consecutive year. The Midwest also performed well, while only one West Coast market managed to break into the top 10, a notable shift from its previous dominance in 2021.

Seven out of 10 New England markets crushed it in 2023, with Nashua, Concord, and Manchester, New Hampshire, Wethersfield, West Hartford, Middletown, and Newington, Connecticut, along with Stow and Twinsburg, Ohio, and West Chester, Pennsylvania.

According to Zillow, the majority of the hottest real estate in the country are what's called "exurbs." Those are smaller towns within commuting distance of a major city while still being far enough on the outskirts not to be considered a suburb.

Here are your Top 10 hottest for 2024.

1. Manchester, New Hampshire
2. Rockford, Illinois
3. Stamford, Connecticut
4. Columbia, Maryland
5. Bridgeport, Connecticut
6. Allentown, Pennsylvania
7. Peoria, Illinois
8. New Haven, Connecticut
9. Waterbury, Connecticut
10. Sunnyvale, California

Meanwhile, according to USA Today, the following are expected to be the hottest 10 markets of 2025.

• Buffalo, New York
• Indianapolis, Indiana
• Providence, Rhode Island
• Hartford, Connecticut
• Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
• St. Louis, Missouri
• Charlotte, North Carolina
• Kansas City, Missouri
• Richmond, Virginia
• Salt Lake City, Utah

I guess we'll see.