2026 US Housing Market
Observed City Trends
Across 702 covered Zillow city series, the unweighted average ZHVI was $483,455 in 2026-05, up 0.37% from the same month one year earlier.
The observed chart spans May 2021–May 2026. It averages covered city series equally; it is not a population-weighted US estimate or a forecast.
Housing Market Heatmap ZILLOW x CENSUS
Mortgage Estimator
House Hacking CalculatorOwner-Occupied Multi-Fam
Investment Intelligence
Rent vs. Buy ScoreBased on Price-to-Rent Ratio. Lower ratio (<15) favors buying.
Is it smarter to buy in National Average?
Home prices are overvalued. Renting is significantly cheaper. Generally, a ratio below 15 signals a good time to buy.
Top Investment Opportunities
Cities with highest potential Rental Yield (ROI).
| City | Entry Price | Est. Rent | Gross Yield | Rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Tuscaloosa AL | $286,000 | $909/mo | 3.8% | Avg |
Hoover AL | $465,000 | $1,109/mo | 2.9% | Avg |
Auburn AL | $422,900 | $901/mo | 2.6% | Avg |
Dothan AL | $225,000 | $739/mo | 3.9% | Avg |
Madison AL | $450,000 | $1,067/mo | 2.8% | Avg |
Decatur AL | $241,500 | $763/mo | 3.8% | Avg |
Badger CDP AK | $291,600 | $1,242/mo | 5.1% | Avg |
College CDP AK | $279,100 | $1,242/mo | 5.3% | Avg |
Wasilla AK | $441,750 | $1,306/mo | 3.5% | Avg |
Meadow Lakes CDP AK | $305,100 | $1,306/mo | 5.1% | Avg |
*Data estimated based on median home and rent prices. Actual returns vary by property.
Lowest Price-to-Rent Screening Rows
Recorded market metrics; not a cashflow forecastGreenville
Detroit
Flint
Jackson
Pine Bluff
Camden
Baltimore
Cleveland
Birmingham
Memphis
Price-to-rent and gross cap-rate references are screening fields, not net returns, forecasts or investment recommendations. Open a city page to inspect its inputs and limitations.
Higher Price-to-Rent Rows
Highest recorded screening ratios in the eligible query
Lower Price-to-Rent Rows
Lowest recorded screening ratios in the eligible query
What the observed series says
Coverage: 61 monthly observations from 2021-05-31 through 2026-05-31, with at least 600 covered city series in each displayed month.
Latest level: The unweighted average ZHVI is $483,455 across 702 series. Equal weighting means this should not be read as a typical US home value.
One-year movement: The city-series average increased 0.37% over the latest 12-month interval.
Decision boundary: The series does not forecast future prices or establish local affordability. Use city-level pages, current financing inputs and the housing affordability report for the next step.
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