Top 10 Cities for Home Prices Gains in 2026

At a Glance:

• • Housing Market Leadership Is Shifting Away From Pandemic Boomtowns – Home price growth in 2026 is being led by smaller, steady cities in the Midwest and Northeast not flashy Sun Belt boomtowns. Cities like Atlantic City, Knoxville, and Green Bay are projected to see moderate gains, while former high-growth markets such as Austin, Denver, and San Francisco are facing price declines. This signals a market correction after years of overheated growth.

  • Affordability and Local Incomes Matter More Than Hype – Cities with stable home prices tied closely to local incomes are outperforming speculative markets. Rust Belt–style cities may lack glamour, but their affordability and economic balance are protecting them from sharp downturns. This reinforces the importance of fundamentals over hype when evaluating real estate markets.

  • Income-Focused Real Estate Remains a Strong Investment Strategy – While asset prices across stocks, gold, and housing appear inflated, income-producing real estate such as multifamily properties continues to offer attractive, non-bubble returns. Investments like the Mansfield, Ohio multifamily property highlight how steady cash flow and preferred returns can outperform speculative appreciation, especially in uncertain markets.

The actual top 10 cities for projected home price gains over the next 12 months are all tiny towns you’ve never heard of. So we sifted through the latest forecast data from Zillow to pull out the top 10 of any significant size:

– Atlantic City, NJ: 5.3%

– Knoxville, TN: 4.3%

– Green Bay, WI: 4.1%

– New Haven, CT: 4.0%

– Hartford, CT: 3.9%

– Manchester, NH: 3.8%

– Appleton, WI: 3.7%

– Erie, PA: 3.1%

-South Bend, IN: 2.9%

– Lexington, KY: 2.8%

Notice anything?

None of them are former pandemic boomtowns in the Sun Belt. Quite the opposite, in fact.

Most of these cities are in Rust Belt-y areas in the Midwest and Northeast. They’re not sexy — but they’re still standing after the boomtowns have dragged.

Top 10 Cities for Home Prices Losses in 2026

Wondering where those former boomtowns like Denver and Austin are?

They’re on the naughty list:

– New Orleans, LA: -4.7%

– Shreveport, LA: -4.3%

– Fairbanks, AK: -3.2%

– Austin, TX: -2.6%

– Corpus Christi, TX: -2.4%

– San Francisco, CA: -2.2%

– Denver, CO: -1.3%

– Cheyenne, WY: -1.1%

– Sacramento, CA: -1.0%

– Colorado Springs, CO: -1.0%

The word “correction” comes to mind. Cities that shot up too far, too fast in the pandemic have crashed back down to earth.

Meanwhile, slow-and-steady cities where home prices are still affordable and tied to local incomes are doing just fine.

It’s one more reason I feel great about our December investment in the Co-Investing Club: an income-oriented multifamily property in Mansfield, Ohio. It won’t win any awards for sexiness, but it’s projected to pay an income yield over 9% in the first year alone, and only grow from there.

P.S. We did surpass the $500,000 threshold for that investment, so we got the higher 9% preferred return.

Is Every Asset in a Bubble?

It sure feels that way when you look at stock prices, gold, home prices, and other assets hovering near record highs.

Fortunately, we know of at least one asset class that for sure isn’t in a bubble.

Check out this quick episode of Buck$ Outside the Box we cover:

• The one asset type that obviously isn’t in a bubble
• How we know that
• Where it’s trending in 2026

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Real estate investments? Awesome.

Being a landlord? Less fun.

Learn how to earn 15%+ on passive real estate investments in our free video course.

Travel Corner: Cape May

Want to rub shoulders with the East Coast elite as you sip wine and munch hors d’oeuvres this holiday season?

Visit “Exit Zero”: Cape May, NJ. 

Sure, it’s gotten absurdly expensive in recent years, but the seaside Victorian town is as charming as ever. 

The wines are better too. Two of the local wineries in particular have grown up over the last decade: Hawk Haven Winery and Cape May Winery. Both offer live music on weekends, mature grapes, and winemakers who know how to produce (admittedly overpriced) pleasing wines from the sandy South Jersey soil. 

Make sure you stop by Congress Hall for its Christmas village, where your kids can ride the holiday train while you sip on a coffee or mulled wine as the time of day dictates.

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Compare Investment Property Loans

What short-term fix-and-flip loan options are available nowadays?

How about long-term rental property loans?

We compare several buy-and-rehab lenders and several long-term landlord loans on LTV, interest rates, closing costs, income requirements and more.

Good Mood Food: Asian Stir Fry

When you need a break from all the rich holiday food, make a quick ‘n easy stir fry. 

I keep mine super simple:

• Rice in the Instant Pot

• Sauteed chopped chicken breast

• Frozen stir fry veggies

• Sauce of choice. Options include teriyaki, Thai red curry, General Tso’s, sesame chicken, orange chicken, Pad Thai, or any other favorite Asian sauce. 

It’s fast and easy for a weeknight, and you can just throw in more of all the ingredients to make extra for lunch the next day. No sweat.