Published October 18, 2026 in Market Update

East of the River still has tight pockets despite a looser national market

Redfin reported in October 2026 that sellers outnumbered buyers by 62.6% across the U.S. in September. That is the most sellers since March 2020, according to Redfin. Yet the Real Estate Data Aggregator counted just 1 to 1.5 months of supply in several East of the River ZIP codes for the three months ending August 31, 2026. The national story and the local story are not the same story.

These numbers cover the three months ending August 31, 2026. Read them with that date in mind.

How tight is supply here?

Six months of supply is the traditional balance point. The Real Estate Data Aggregator found every ZIP code in this market well below that. The tightest was 06074, at just 1 month. Realtor.com reported that Northeast inventory rose 11.6% year over year in September. East of the River is not immune to that trend, but it is still far from balanced.

Low supply means buyers are still competing for a small pool of homes. That has kept sale prices above list in every ZIP code the Real Estate Data Aggregator tracked here.

Most homes are still selling above list

Redfin reported the median U.S. home-sale price rose just 0.5% year over year in the week ending October 15, 2026. East of the River is doing better than that. The Real Estate Data Aggregator counted price gains of 6.9% to 16.3% across most ZIP codes here for the same three-month window. One exception: 06033 dipped 0.4%, a small but honest admission that not every pocket is rising.

06042 led the market. The Real Estate Data Aggregator found 83.6% of homes there sold above list. That is up 2.7 points from the same period in 2025. Buyers in 06042 are still bidding hard.

Speed: most homes are moving fast, but not all

The Real Estate Data Aggregator found the median home in 06074 sold in 10 days. In 06042 it was 12 days. Not every home moved that quickly. In 06447, the median was 36 days, and months of supply there rose 0.8 months year over year. Speed and competition vary a lot by ZIP code.

What about the national headwinds?

Redfin reported the weekly average mortgage rate hit 7.4% on October 8, 2026, a three-year high. Redfin also put the typical buyer's monthly payment at $2,777, the highest on record except the week before. Those costs are real. Realtor.com reported that median list prices in the Northeast fell 3.8% year over year in September. Some of that pressure is reaching East of the River, especially in 06033 and 06447.

Realtor.com reported the Hartford-West Hartford-East Hartford area median asking rent at $1,856 in September 2026. That gives renters a reason to look at buying, even with rates where they are.

A closer look at two ZIP codes

06042 saw 83.6% of homes sell above list and a median of just 12 days on market. 06447 saw 60% sell above list and a median of 36 days. Both are still seller-leaning, but the gap between them is wide.

Prices are still rising in most ZIP codes

06073 led with a 16.3% gain, reaching a median of $890,000, per the Real Estate Data Aggregator. 06033 was the only ZIP code where the median dipped, down 0.4% to $587,500. The Federal Housing Finance Agency put U.S. house price growth at 2.6% for the year ending July 2026. Most of East of the River is well ahead of that.

What this means for you

If you are a seller, the data suggests careful pricing still earns close attention in most of these ZIP codes. The Real Estate Data Aggregator found average sale-to-list ratios of 103.3% to 107.4% across the market. That means sellers are generally getting more than they asked.

If you are a buyer, competition is real in the tightest ZIP codes. 06074 had just 1 month of supply and 62% of homes went under contract within two weeks, per the Real Estate Data Aggregator. Going in prepared matters.