The Northeast Is Dominating Real Estate Scores in 2026. Here Is the Data.
The conventional real estate investing narrative of the past decade pointed south and west. Texas. Florida. Arizona. The Sun Belt. Population growth, business-friendly states, warm weather.
The PropertyIQ scores as of February 2026 tell a different story.
The top-scoring markets in the country right now are concentrated in the Northeast and Midwest -- not the Sun Belt.
The Scores (All as of February 28, 2026)
Northeast leaders:
- Rochester, NY: 99
- Buffalo, NY: 98
- Manchester, NH: 98
- Hartford, CT: 98
- Norwich, CT: 98
- Lancaster, PA: 97
Sun Belt comparison:
- Austin, TX: 18
- Dallas, TX: 31
- Houston, TX: 32
- Jacksonville, FL: 31
- Orlando, FL: 44
- Tampa, FL: 47
Why the Northeast Is Scoring So High
The pattern across Rochester, Buffalo, Manchester, Hartford, and Norwich is consistent: inventory is extremely tight, demand relative to supply is strong, and valuations have not gotten stretched beyond what local incomes support.
Rochester has 573 homes for sale. Buffalo has 829. These are markets of 1 million+ people with fewer than 1,000 active listings. When supply is that constrained, the score reflects it.
The Northeast also missed the 2021-2022 speculative run-up that hit Sun Belt cities. Austin home values doubled in two years. Rochester's appreciation was steadier, which means the correction is smaller -- or in some cases, nonexistent.
Why Sun Belt Scores Are Low Right Now
The Sun Belt markets that score poorly are working through the aftermath of a supply surge. Builders responded to the pandemic-era demand spike by constructing aggressively. New listings are flooding markets that have also seen softening demand as affordability constraints bit into the buyer pool. The result: high inventory, longer days on market, price cuts, and declining values.
This is not a permanent verdict on Sun Belt markets. Population trends, job growth, and climate preferences have not reversed. But the data as of February 2026 says the supply-demand balance currently favors the Northeast over the Sun Belt.
What This Means for Investors
Looking at the data: the Northeast and secondary Midwest markets are where supply constraints are creating the strongest near-term market conditions. The Sun Belt requires a longer time horizon to look through the current inventory overhang.
PropertyIQ scores as of February 28, 2026. All data for informational purposes only.
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