Updated July 22, 2026. Prices and sales are not the same story. Our peak-price rankings show where values are still underwater. This post answers a different question: where are homes actually selling right now?
Using Zillow’s monthly metro sales counts (single-family + condo), we compared April–June 2026 with the same three months in 2025. Among the 100 largest metros, these are the 25 with the biggest year-over-year jump in deals.
National backdrop: U.S. sales for that window rose about 3.6% (1.04M → 1.07M). June alone was up about 8% vs June 2025. Of 297 metros with complete data, 213 rose and 82 fell. Among the top 100: 70 rising, 25 falling.
Top 25 large metros: hottest home sales (Apr–Jun YoY)
| # | Metro | Apr–Jun 2025 | Apr–Jun 2026 | Avg / month 2026 | YoY % |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Boise City, ID | 2,816 | 3,560 | 1,187 | +26.4% |
| 2 | Austin, TX | 6,319 | 7,371 | 2,457 | +16.6% |
| 3 | Toledo, OH | 1,796 | 2,076 | 692 | +15.6% |
| 4 | North Port, FL | 5,474 | 6,300 | 2,100 | +15.1% |
| 5 | Cape Coral, FL | 5,014 | 5,754 | 1,918 | +14.8% |
| 6 | Columbus, OH | 6,498 | 7,416 | 2,472 | +14.1% |
| 7 | Jackson, MS | 1,324 | 1,475 | 492 | +11.4% |
| 8 | Madison, WI | 2,051 | 2,278 | 759 | +11.1% |
| 9 | Charleston, SC | 4,094 | 4,541 | 1,514 | +10.9% |
| 10 | Miami, FL | 22,959 | 25,339 | 8,446 | +10.4% |
| 11 | Louisville, KY | 4,793 | 5,287 | 1,762 | +10.3% |
| 12 | Raleigh, NC | 4,997 | 5,497 | 1,832 | +10.0% |
| 13 | Richmond, VA | 5,127 | 5,627 | 1,876 | +9.8% |
| 14 | Tulsa, OK | 4,042 | 4,437 | 1,479 | +9.8% |
| 15 | Sacramento, CA | 6,257 | 6,862 | 2,287 | +9.7% |
| 16 | San Antonio, TX | 6,058 | 6,618 | 2,206 | +9.2% |
| 17 | El Paso, TX | 1,670 | 1,820 | 607 | +9.0% |
| 18 | Colorado Springs, CO | 3,242 | 3,528 | 1,176 | +8.8% |
| 19 | Birmingham, AL | 4,946 | 5,373 | 1,791 | +8.6% |
| 20 | Omaha, NE | 3,259 | 3,533 | 1,178 | +8.4% |
| 21 | Dayton, OH | 2,942 | 3,185 | 1,062 | +8.3% |
| 22 | Phoenix, AZ | 18,850 | 20,376 | 6,792 | +8.1% |
| 23 | Dallas, TX | 20,980 | 22,659 | 7,553 | +8.0% |
| 24 | San Francisco, CA | 9,799 | 10,569 | 3,523 | +7.9% |
| 25 | Des Moines, IA | 3,034 | 3,268 | 1,089 | +7.7% |
The twist: hottest sales, cooler prices
Several of these “hot” sales markets are the same places still below peak prices:
Markets rising on sales while still below peak
- Austin — sales +16.6%, but typical values still about 27% below the 2022 peak (Austin price deep-dive).
- Cape Coral / North Port — sales up ~15%, prices still deep below peak (Florida).
- Phoenix, Dallas, San Antonio, Sacramento, San Francisco — all show rising transaction counts while price indexes remain off their highs in our metro peak list.
That pattern is the thaw: more closings at lower (or still-discounted-from-peak) prices — not a return to 2021 bidding wars everywhere.
Highlights
1. Boise City, ID — +26.4%
2,816 → 3,560 sales in the April–June window. The strongest jump among the 100 largest metros — roughly 1,200 sales a month in spring 2026.
2. Austin, TX — +16.6%
6,319 → 7,371. Austin is the clearest “stuck prices, thawing sales” major market. Buyers are closing again even though ZHVI has not regained the 2022 high.
3. Southwest Florida — North Port +15.1%, Cape Coral +14.8%
Same metros that led the price correction.
Mid-size Florida sales leaders
Naples +26.5%, Punta Gorda +19.2%, Crestview +17.3% (outside the top-100 cut but notable). Statewide, 20 of 23 Florida metros in the file posted higher Apr–Jun sales YoY.
4. Midwest volume rebound
Toledo, Columbus, Madison, Louisville, Dayton, Des Moines — spring sales are up mid-to-high single digits or better. Not viral price stories; real transaction heat.
Mid-size markets even hotter
If we open the lens beyond the top 100, spring leaders include Appleton, WI (+29.4%), Naples, FL (+26.5%), Asheville, NC (+23.3%), and Huntsville, AL (+19.3%).
Why we still rank the top 100 first
Small bases can inflate percentages — which is why the main table sticks to large metros.
Where sales are still cold (large metros)
Among the top 100, the softest Apr–Jun YoY readings include Syracuse (−12.5%), Winston (−10.6%), Augusta (−9.1%), Rochester (−8.3%), and several Northeast markets. New York was about −4.3% on the same window — still huge volume, just not growing.
What “hottest” does and doesn’t mean
What it does mean
More homes went under contract / closed in Zillow’s sales count this spring than last spring.
What it does not mean
- Prices are at all-time highs, or every listing gets 10 offers.
- National inventory is “normal.” Sales can rise while lock-in and insurance still constrain many markets.
Speed vs volume
For how fast listings go pending (not how many), see fastest-selling homes by metro.
For price levels and 2019 comparisons, use Home Prices by Metro and the Home Price Index. For city-level price gaps: Home Prices by City.
Method
Source: Zillow Research Metro_sales_count_now_uc_sfrcondo_month (monthly sales count, SFR + condo). Window: sum of April + May + June 2026 vs the same months in 2025. Universe for the top 25: metros with Zillow SizeRank ≤ 100 and complete data for both windows. Ranked by percent change. National and full-metro summaries cover 297 metros. Data through June 2026; updated July 22, 2026.
Related visuals (earlier Jan–Feb snapshot): home sales rising / frozen vs thawing graphics. Related reads: fastest-selling homes by metro (days to pending), Are home prices still below peak?, Florida prices, Rent vs Buy.