The Birthplace of Basketball Makes a Comeback as America’s Hottest Market

Celebrated as the "Birthplace of Basketball," the historic New England city of Springfield, MA, has officially reclaimed its title as the hottest U.S. housing market, having bounced back from a winter lull.

Located 90 miles west of Boston and 25 miles north of Hartford, CT, plucky Springfield outpaced both metros and proved a hit with homebuyers thanks to its relative affordability, which helped propel it to the top of the Realtor.com® Hottest Housing Markets ranking in March.

Springfield spent April through November 2025 in the No. 1 spot, before being sidelined by other comparatively budget-friendly locales in the Northeast and Midwest.

Realtor.com senior economic research analyst Hannah Jones says Springfield's springtime resurgence after a brief hiatus is no coincidence.

"The ranking shows the continued trend of home shoppers looking for more bang for their buck close to Boston," she explains, pointing to the costly metro's remaining firmly in seller’s market territory.

Last month, the typical listing in Springfield attracted 3.6 times the national average number of online viewers and sold in just 32 days, nearly a month faster than the national median.

The Realtor.com Market Hotness rankings take into account two aspects of the housing market: 1) market demand, as measured by unique views per property on Realtor.com, and 2) the pace of the market as measured by the number of days a listing remains active on Realtor.com.

According to Jones, Springfield's growing appeal with home shoppers largely comes down to the attainability of its housing market, with the median listing price being $352,500—or less than half of Boston's $829,000.

"Compared to a lot of other areas in Massachusetts, Springfield is still relatively affordable, which is a huge draw, especially for first-time buyers or anyone feeling priced out of places like Boston," Joni Fleming, an agent at ERA M. Connie Laplante Real Estate, tells Realtor.com. "You can get more house, more space, and still stay within a reasonable budget."

Springfield also remains a relative bargain compared with February’s hottest market, Manchester, NH ($549,000), which dropped to fourth place in March, and it's more affordable than neighboring Hartford ($455,000). 

With a population of 155,000, Springfield is the third-largest city in Massachusetts, and it sits pretty on the eastern bank of the Connecticut River.

"There's a lot that makes Springfield appealing from a lifestyle perspective," says Fleming. "You’ve got easy access to major highways, a solid mix of shopping, dining, and everyday conveniences."

To sports fans, Springfield is known as "Hoop City," where Dr. James Naismith invented the game of basketball in 1891 at the YMCA International Training School, now Springfield College. 

Springfield is famous for many other innovations, including the first American dictionary published by pioneering lexicographer and educator Noah Webster, the first gas-powered automobile in the U.S., and the first commercial radio station, earning it the moniker a "City of Firsts." 

Springfield’s other major claim to fame is being the hometown of Theodor Seuss Geisel, better known as Dr. Seuss, the famed children's author, illustrator, animator, and cartoonist. Today, the city features The Amazing World of Dr. Seuss Museum and the Dr. Seuss National Memorial Sculpture Garden. 

Demand surges in the Midwest and Northeast

For the 30th consecutive month, the Midwest and Northeast have completely locked down the nation's 20 hottest markets, with Wisconsin alone nabbing six spots as demand for affordable housing surges.

Listings in the hottest markets drew roughly 2.9 times the national average views per property, and homes in those sought-after locations moved much faster than the national norm, with a median of 34 days on the market. 

With median prices ranging from $427,00 to $790,000, a clutch of Connecticut markets—Bridgeport, New Haven, and Hartford—consistently rank high. This strong performance reflects what Jones calls a "sustained demand spillover" from buyers priced out of Boston, which itself notched the 15th spot on the March list due to its tight supply and fierce competition among buyers.

Jones notes that the latest hottest markets ranking shows that affordability is the driving force this spring as mortgage interest rates remain on an upward trajectory.

The majority of the top-ranked metros boast median listing prices significantly lower than the national median, with Canton and Akron, OH, Rockford and Springfield, IL, all sitting at or below $240,000.

"These are markets where buyers can still find homes priced within reach of median household incomes, and the demand metrics reflect it," says the analyst.

For buyers looking to scoop up a home in one of the hottest markets in the coming months, Jones says they must be ready to act swiftly because they are forced to contend with not only local competition but also rate swings. 

Fleming, the Springfield real estate agent, agrees.

"There are homes hitting the market, but demand is strong enough that well-priced properties are moving quickly—often with multiple offers," she says. "So while there are opportunities, buyers definitely need to be prepared to act fast and come in with a strong strategy."

For sellers, limited supply in the top-ranked markets means that the ball remains in their court, but they still should not sleep on economic uncertainty, inflation fears, and shifting consumer confidence, which could keep buyers on the sidelines. In such a volatile environment, Jones says thoughtful pricing is key.