The California enclave reclaimed the top position in PropertyShark’s annual ranking, while New York’s Hamptons recorded significant price increases and the New York metropolitan area matched the Bay Area with 31 entries each.
Atherton, California, has become the first ZIP code in the United States to record a median home sale price exceeding $10 million, reclaiming the top position in PropertyShark’s annual ranking of the country’s most expensive residential areas.
According to the 2026 report, the Silicon Valley community popular with technology executives recorded a median sale price of $10.725 million, representing a 29% increase from the previous year.
The result marks a reversal from 2025, when Fisher Island in Miami Beach, Florida, claimed the top spot for the first time. Fisher Island fell to third place this year after its median sale price declined 24% to $7.217 million, down from $9.5 million.
Sagaponack, New York, secured second place after its median home sale price increased 24% to $7.35 million. The Long Island community has now ranked as New York State’s most expensive ZIP code for the 10th time.
California and New York dominate the luxury housing market
California continues to account for the largest share of America’s most expensive ZIP codes, representing 57% of the ranking. However, that figure is down from a peak of 73% in 2019.
For the first time, the San Francisco Bay Area and the New York metropolitan region each recorded 31 ZIP codes on the list. The New York region accounted for a record 25% of all entries, reflecting the continued strength of its luxury residential market.
The Hamptons contributed significantly to New York’s performance. Bridgehampton’s median sale price more than doubled, climbing 114% to $6.15 million. Suffolk County, which includes the Hamptons, recorded 10 ZIP codes in the ranking, with three appearing in the top 10.
New Jersey also achieved a record result, placing seven ZIP codes on the list. Alpine led the state with a median sale price of $4.375 million, while Stone Harbor crossed the $3 million threshold for the first time, reaching $3.13 million.
Six of New Jersey’s seven entries recorded their highest median prices to date. Deal was the exception, with its median falling to $2.65 million.
Newport Beach retains its position as America’s most expensive city
Newport Beach, California, remained the country’s most expensive city, with all six of its residential ZIP codes appearing in the ranking.
Four of those ZIP codes reached record median sale prices. Newport Coast led the gains, recording an increase of nearly 20%.
Elsewhere in California, luxury markets delivered mixed results. Brentwood in Los Angeles experienced a 27% decline in its median sale price, which fell to $2.3 million.
In New England, Connecticut maintained its lead over Massachusetts in the number of entries, with seven ZIP codes on the list. Massachusetts, however, was home to the region’s two most expensive ZIP codes, led by Nantucket, where the median sale price reached $3.6 million.
New Hampshire also made progress, recording two ZIP codes in the ranking for the first time.
Coastal locations continued to feature prominently across the country. Of the 122 ZIP codes included in the ranking, counting ties, 72 were located within five miles of the coast.
Twelve of the 15 states represented recorded new price highs, including Washington, Nevada and New Jersey.
The Bay Area accounted for 31 of the country’s priciest ZIP codes.Michael Macor/San Francisco Chronicle via Getty Images
The cost of entering America’s most expensive markets keeps rising
The threshold for inclusion in the ranking has increased substantially over the past decade.
PropertyShark found that median sale prices rose in more than two-thirds of the country’s priciest ZIP codes. The minimum price required to make the 2026 list reached $2.221 million, 69% higher than in 2016.
Nine ZIP codes recorded median sale prices above $5 million, while 52 reached at least $3 million.
The figures highlight the continued concentration of high-value residential property in established luxury markets, particularly in California, the New York metropolitan region and sought-after coastal communities.
The 10 most expensive ZIP codes in the United States in 2026
| Rank | Location | State | Median sale price |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Atherton | California | $10,725,000 |
| 2 | Sagaponack | New York | $7,350,000 |
| 3 | Fisher Island, Miami Beach | Florida | $7,217,000 |
| 4 | Bridgehampton | New York | $6,150,000 |
| 5 | Newport Beach | California | $6,100,000 |
| 6 | Newport Beach | California | $5,770,000 |
| 7 | Water Mill | New York | $5,750,000 |
| 8 | Beverly Hills | California | $5,390,000 |
| 9 | Santa Barbara | California | $5,295,000 |
| 10 | Los Altos | California | $4,875,000 |
Atherton’s record-breaking performance underscores the extraordinary values being achieved in America’s most exclusive residential markets. At the same time, the growing representation of New York-area communities and continued strength in coastal destinations suggest that the geography of luxury real estate is gradually becoming more diverse, even as California remains dominant.
