A newly released “hottest neighborhood” list for 2026 ranks two Florida communities as the most popular for homebuyers and sellers in the country.
The real estate brokerage firm Redfin recently unveiled its list of the hottest neighborhoods, placing Land O’ Lakes, in Pasco County, in the No. 1 spot, and Plant City, in Hillsborough County, in No. 2.
Most of the other communities on the list are in the Midwest. So what do many of them share in common? They’re affordable, and homebuyers like the convenience of living near a large city — but not actually in one.
These communities “are having a moment — and affordability is the reason,” Asad Khan, a Redfin senior economist, said in a Redfin News article. “Many of these neighborhoods sit just outside major hubs like Milwaukee, Chicago and Tampa, hitting a sweet spot: lower cost of living without giving up access to highly rated schools, shopping and dining. They have the convenience of big cities without the big-city price tags.”
Ranking communities
Redfin used two factors to determine how ‘hot’ ZIP codes in the country’s 100 most popular metropolitan areas are: year-over-year growth in listing views on Redfin.com, and each location’s “Redfin Compete Score,” which rates how competitive homebuying is.
The median number of views per home listing in Land O’ Lakes nearly doubled year-over-year, rising 90.9%.
Plant City saw a 30.6% increase in year-over-year median views per listing.
Increasing development in the community is a key factor behind rising levels of activity in the real estate market, the report described, with a combination of new builds and established neighborhoods.
Walkability in some parts of town and more “breathing room” compared to more densely-populated cities also makes homebuying attractive, with residents additionally being able to enjoy nearby parks and trails.
A rise in home sales
Year-over-year home sales are up almost 36% in Land O’ Lakes, a community of more than 38,000.
The community, located about a 30-minute drive north of Tampa, has a median home sale price of $425,000, according to the Redfin report.
Home sales in Plant City rose 5.9% year-over-year, the report said, and the median home sale price is $320,000. The population is about 45,000.
It’s located a little more than 30 minutes east of Tampa, sitting farther inland than Land O’ Lakes. It’s only about a 40-minute drive to Walt Disney World and about an hour drive to Universal Studios, making it an attractive location for people looking for proximity to entertainment.
Other neighborhoods on list
Six other communities that ranked among Redfin’s ten hottest neighborhoods are in the Midwest, including three in Wisconsin. Those also making the Top 10 are:
3. Oak Creek, Wisconsin4. Oceanside, New York5. West Bend, Wisconsin6. Lincoln Park, Michigan7. Lee’s Summit, Missouri8. Little Neck, Queens, New York9. Howell, Michigan10. Menomonee Falls, Wisconsin