2026 Property Forecast: Which Midlands towns are beating the national average?
While national headlines might predict a steady 1.5% price growth for 2026, those of us on the ground know that a "national average" rarely reflects the reality of local micro-markets.
At Carpenter Surveyors, we understand that property performance varies significantly from street to street, let alone town to town.
To give you a clearer picture of the Midlands landscape, Zoopla have broken down the predicted market health for our region’s key postal towns.
These rankings move beyond simple price tags. We have analysed four critical indicators of market strength: annual price growth, average days to sell, the volume of significant price reductions, and the percentage of stagnant stock (homes on the market for 6+ months).
The West Midlands Analysis
The West Midlands is proving to be one of the UK’s most resilient markets for 2026, characterised by high transactional activity and a healthy turnover of stock.
Wolverhampton (WV) and Walsall (WS) are currently the regional pace-setters. In these areas, homes are finding buyers in a swift 26 days on average, with price growth outperforming the national benchmark at over 3%. This agility is largely driven by competitive entry prices and a shortage of older inventory, keeping the market fluid compared to the slower-moving southern regions.
Birmingham (B) continues to act as a hub of stability. While showing a more modest growth rate of 1.2%, the city maintains steady demand with very few sellers forced to slash asking prices to secure interest.
Conversely, we are seeing a cooling effect in more rural or higher-value pockets such as Hereford (HR) and Telford (TF). Here, average selling times are stretching toward 45 days, and stock levels are beginning to accumulate. However, for the region as a whole, the data suggests a seller-friendly environment where accurately valued homes are attracting immediate attention.
| UK Rank | Postal Area | Avg House Price | Annual Growth | Days to Sell | Price Cuts (5%+) | Stagnant Stock (6m+) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 12 | Stoke-on-Trent | £189,800 | 2.8% | 32 | 8% | 23% |
| 13 | Wolverhampton | £208,700 | 3.2% | 26 | 9% | 20% |
| 29 | Coventry | £263,400 | 1.3% | 35 | 9% | 22% |
| 32 | Walsall | £222,500 | 3.1% | 26 | 9% | 22% |
| 34 | Birmingham | £234,900 | 1.2% | 31 | 9% | 26% |
| 43 | Worcester | £301,500 | 2.2% | 29 | 9% | 26% |
| 48 | Dudley | £229,700 | 2.4% | 40 | 9% | 26% |
| 57 | Telford | £226,800 | 0.8% | 42 | 7% | 32% |
| 81 | Hereford | £295,400 | 1.5% | 46 | 9% | 37% |
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