A new study ranks Arizona No. 17 among the hottest real estate markets in America in 2026 as inflation and remote work pushes households to spread out even further across the country.
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The cost to rent a one-bedroom apartment has surged to $1,301 per month—up from $1,042 in 2021—while high mortgage rates keep homeownership out of reach for millions of Americans. Even post-pandemic hot spots like Florida and Texas are cooling as Americans’ quest for affordability creates new up-and-coming markets.
Becker Law today released a study on the Hottest and Coldest States for Real Estate in 2026 after analyzing eight metrics of federal data in all 50 states and D.C. including home price and rent growth, new home purchases, construction permits, and population relocation.
Among the key findings, Arizona has strong home-buying activity (12.9 purchases per 1,000 people, No. 5), as well as good home building (67 permits per 10,000 people, No. 7) and a population willing to move (13.7% moved house in the past year, No. 8). Notably, however, Arizona has seen one of the biggest drops in home prices (index score of -0.28, No. 47).
The 10 hottest states are Idaho, South Carolina, Delaware, North Carolina, Utah, North Dakota, Wisconsin, Ohio, South Dakota, and Nebraska.
California is the No. 1 coldest state, while New York, Florida and Massachusetts also ranked in the bottom 10.
