Consilium Stories / Hottest ZIP codes 2026
America’s Hottest ZIP Codes of 2026, Compared on Public Data
Realtor.com’s 2026 Hottest ZIP Codes list put two Massachusetts ZIPs and two New Jersey ZIPs in its top five: Peabody (#1), Montclair (#2), Sewell (#3), and Westfield (#5). The ranking measures buyer demand, meaning listing views and how fast homes sell. It doesn’t show what living there is like.
We compared each state’s pair on public data from the Census, FEMA, EPA, NHTSA, and the FBI. This is context, not a recommendation.
Updated October 6, 2026
The four ZIPs
| ZIP | Realtor.com rank | Median listing price | Residents per sq mi | Compared with |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Peabody, MA 01960 | #1 | $600,000 | 3,369 | Westfield |
| Montclair, NJ 07042 | #2 | $1,050,000 | 7,198 | Sewell |
| Sewell, NJ 08080 | #3 | $426,000 | 1,346 | Montclair |
| Westfield, MA 01085 | #5 | $381,000 | 694 | Peabody |
Listing prices are Realtor.com figures for the first half of 2026. Residents per square mile are Census ZIP Code Tabulation Area counts, not citywide densities. Realtor.com’s #4 ZIP is not in this set.
Montclair vs Sewell (New Jersey)
An old, dense, transit town outside New York vs a newer, owner-occupied, car-based suburb outside Philadelphia. Montclair costs more than twice as much and has the higher crime rate. Sewell has far more traffic deaths and only one hospital within 10 miles.
Read the Montclair vs Sewell comparison. See the full report.
Peabody vs Westfield (Massachusetts)
Two car-dependent suburbs at very different prices: Peabody near Boston, Westfield near Springfield. Consilium’s crime concern scores are close, 4.34 and 4.27. Both have about 11% of their area in FEMA’s high-risk flood zone, roughly three times the New Jersey pair.
Read the Peabody vs Westfield comparison. See the full report.
What the rankings don’t show
Flood risk. Both Massachusetts ZIPs carry flood exposure that listing photos won’t reveal. A federally backed mortgage in a high-risk zone requires flood insurance.
School districts. Sewell’s ZIP spans four districts and Westfield’s spans two. Check the address, not the ZIP.
Getting around. Montclair is the only one of the four where more than 5% of workers commute by transit.
Sources: Realtor.com 2026 Hottest ZIP Codes; U.S. Census ACS 5-year estimates; EPA Smart Location Database; FEMA National Flood Hazard Layer; EPA Toxics Release Inventory; NHTSA FARS; FBI crime data; NCES. Consilium Compare provides context, not a recommendation or ranking of where to live.