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Peabody has been named the hottest ZIP code in the country according to Realtor.com and local Realtors credit a continued lack of inventory region-wide and Peabody’s relatively affordable homes.
The Realtor.com ranking put Peabody in company with suburbs and exurbs in the New York City, Philadelphia, Buffalo, Chicago and Milwaulkee metro areas.
“Greater Boston and the North Shore area as a whole is a hot seller’s market, and what drives a hot seller’s market is low inventory,” Cameron Real Estate Group Realtor Marc Fiore told Banker & Tradesman in an interview. “So across those areas there’s not many houses for sale, but you have Millennials and now Gen Z looking for a home, so the demand outweighs the supply which makes it a sellers market.”
Realtor.com economists cited Peabody’s very low median number of days on market in their ranking.
The median days on market for the first six months of 2026 in Peabody is 20 days, according to Realtor.com. The median days on market in Essex County is 28 days according to the Massachusetts Association of Realtors data for June, and 34 days for the entire state.
“This year’s hottest ZIP codes tell us that buyers aren’t simply chasing the lowest price tag anymore – they’re chasing space, character and a manageable commute to a major job center, and they’re willing to pay a premium to get it,” Realtor.com Senior Economist Hannah Jones said in a statement. “What’s especially notable is how financially prepared these buyers are. Even in ZIP codes where typical local incomes aren’t enough to cover today’s home prices, buyers are showing up with larger down payments and stronger credit profiles than the national norm, which tells us this demand is real and well-capitalized.”
Local Realtors notice similar characteristics existing in Peabody. The city has easy access to major highways and has affordable taxes. Additionally, the city has affordable utility options, with it having its own light and water department.
“I think that a lot of people are coming to [Peabody] for the affordability, with one of the lower tax rates in the state, and also with municipal electric and comparatively lower water and sewer [rates], ” North Shore Living Real Estate Group founder Shannon McInnis said.
The city has additionally invested in developing its Main Street, with numerous restaurants, storefronts and recreational spaces popping up.
“It’s like a central hub of the North Shore, and you can get to so many different places pretty quickly,” McInnis said. “So I think between the affordability and accessibility, it just makes it a really great place to live.”
Additionally, Realtors are seeing a steady stream of attendees to showings and strong offers to sellers. Now, as sellers are getting multiple offers over asking, they can choose the offer that seems strongest to them.
“You have the ability to look at multiple offers and see what fits what the seller is looking for because sometimes it isn’t always the highest number,” McInnis said. “Sometimes it’s a combination of price and terms and being able to align with dates, so I think having a strong market like it is right now just gives sellers more options.”
