Statistics · 2026 · Real Estate
Days on Market Statistics (2026)
The typical U.S. home spent 61 days on the market in September 2026, per Realtor.com, one day less than a year earlier. Redfin put its own national median at 50 days in August. Across 789 metros with 100 or more listings, the median metro stood at 64 days, from 29 in Lancaster, PA to 132 in Uvalde, TX.
Key takeaways
- Realtor.com puts the national median at 61 days in September 2026, 1 day fewer than a year earlier.
- Redfin reports a national median of 50 days for August 2026, unchanged from a year earlier; the two define the figure differently.
- The median of 789 metros with 100 or more listings is 64 days, and 76 of them take 90 days or longer.
- Lancaster, PA sells fastest at 29 days, while Uvalde, TX is slowest at 132 days.
- Among 789 metros, the median change in time on market is +2.5% from a year ago; 447 are longer, 331 shorter and 11 unchanged.
- The top price quartile of metros has a median of 70.5 days against 61 in the bottom quartile, a gap of 9.5 days.
How long does it take to sell a house in 2026?
The typical U.S. listing spent 61 days on the market in September 2026, according to Realtor.com. Redfin's national median was 50 days in August 2026 and 46 days in the four weeks ending September 13. The two define the figure differently, so compare each source with its own history.
1. Realtor.com: median time on market was 61 days in September 2026
The Realtor.com Research September 2026 housing report shows 61 days, up 1 day from August and down 1 day from September 2025. It is 1 day below September 2019 and 14 days above September 2022. Per its data dictionary, time on market runs from the initial listing to the closing date or the date the listing is taken off the market.
2. Redfin: 50 days median on market in August 2026, unchanged from a year earlier
Redfin's August 2026 housing market highlights list a national median of 50 days, unchanged from July and from August 2025. Redfin's metric definitions count the days homes that went under contract spent on the market before going under contract.
3. Redfin: 46 days in the four weeks ending September 13, 2026
Redfin's weekly housing market report gives a four-week median of 46 days, unchanged from a year earlier. The four-week reading covers a shorter window than the monthly one.
4. The median metro takes 64 days; the unweighted mean is 65.9
Across 789 metros with 100 or more active listings, metro medians run from 29 to 132 days. 324 metros sell faster than Realtor.com's national figure of 61 days. Each metro counts equally, whatever its size (WealthyBud data · 789 metros · Realtor.com listings · September 2026).
5. Realtor.com regions: Northeast (52 days), Midwest (48 days), South (68 days), West (63 days)
Median time on market by region in September 2026. Year over year, the Northeast and Midwest rose (1 and 2 days) while the South and West fell (1 and 2 days), per the Realtor.com report. Realtor.com's text calls the South flat; its table shows −1 day.
Which metros sell homes the fastest?
Lancaster, PA sells fastest, at 29 days. Kenosha, WI, New Philadelphia, OH and Wooster, OH come next, at 32 days. The ranking covers 789 metros with 100 or more active listings, so a handful of listings cannot decide the order.
6. Lancaster, PA leads at 29 days
Lancaster, PA is first. Kenosha, WI, New Philadelphia, OH and Wooster, OH tie at 32 days. 5 of the ten fastest have fewer than 500 active listings. 1 more metro ties tenth place at 35 days and is not shown. (WealthyBud data · 789 metros · Realtor.com listings · September 2026).
7. 4 states (IL, OH, PA, WI) tie with 2 each among the 10 fastest metros
The ten span 6 states: IL (2), OH (2), PA (2), WI (2), CT (1), NY (1). Browse the fast metros alongside price momentum on the momentum dashboard (WealthyBud data · 789 metros · Realtor.com listings · September 2026).
| Metro | Median days on market | Active listings | Median list price |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. Lancaster, PA | 29 | 623 | $400,525 |
| 2. Kenosha, WI | 32 | 378 | $389,900 |
| 2. New Philadelphia, OH | 32 | 134 | $260,700 |
| 2. Wooster, OH | 32 | 122 | $296,250 |
| 5. Racine, WI | 33 | 513 | $352,423 |
| 6. Rochester, NY | 34 | 1,198 | $298,350 |
| 7. Hartford, CT | 35 | 1,404 | $449,900 |
| 7. Lebanon, PA | 35 | 318 | $422,100 |
| 7. Peoria, IL | 35 | 658 | $179,300 |
| 7. Rockford, IL | 35 | 450 | $268,500 |
Sort every scored metro by days on market
Which metros take the longest?
Uvalde, TX is slowest, at 132 days, followed by Port Lavaca, TX at 127 days and Ruidoso, NM at 121 days. The ranking covers 789 metros with a floor of 100 active listings. Even so, 7 of the slowest ten have fewer than 500 listings.
8. Uvalde, TX is slowest at 132 days
The three slowest are Uvalde, TX, Port Lavaca, TX and Ruidoso, NM. The leader takes 2.1 times the median metro's 64 days and 103 days more than the fastest metro (WealthyBud data · 789 metros · Realtor.com listings · September 2026).
9. 76 of 789 metros take 90 days or longer
That is 9.6% of the guarded pool; for supply in these markets see housing inventory statistics. 3 states (HI, NM, TX) tie with 2 each among the 10 slowest metros; the ten span 7 states: HI (2), NM (2), TX (2), AL (1), FL (1), OR (1), WY (1) (WealthyBud data · 789 metros · Realtor.com listings · September 2026).
- Uvalde, TX takes 132 days at the median, with 182 active listings and a median list price of $398,000.
- Port Lavaca, TX takes 127 days at the median, with 202 active listings and a median list price of $325,000.
- Ruidoso, NM takes 121 days at the median, with 584 active listings and a median list price of $474,750.
- Kahului, HI takes 117 days at the median, with 1,367 active listings and a median list price of $995,000.
- Evanston, WY takes 116 days at the median (tied with Kapaa, HI [not shown]), with 219 active listings and a median list price of $562,425.
Is time on market getting longer?
Realtor.com's national median fell 1 day from a year earlier to 61 days in September 2026, and Redfin reports no change. Across 789 metros the median change is +2.5% versus a year ago: 447 metros take longer, 331 take less time and 11 are unchanged.
10. Realtor.com: −1 day year over year, a fourth straight month at or below year-ago levels
Time on market rose 1 day from August, which Realtor.com calls a smaller seasonal shift than the +3 days between July and August. See the September 2026 report.
11. Time on market rose in 27 of the 50 largest metros
Realtor.com's biggest year-over-year increases were Baltimore (+7 days), Boston (+6 days) and Charlotte (+6 days); the biggest declines were Jacksonville (−10 days), Tucson (−6 days) and Sacramento (−5 days). These are Realtor.com's own figures for the 50 largest metros.
12. Median change in metro time on market is +2.5% from a year ago
Among 789 metros with 100 or more active listings, 447 are longer, 331 are shorter and 11 show the same median as a year earlier. Realtor.com reports the change as a percent of the year-earlier median (WealthyBud data · 789 metros · Realtor.com listings · September 2026).
13. 212 metros are 10% or more slower; 111 are 10% or more faster
For the price side of the same trend, see home price appreciation statistics (WealthyBud data · 789 metros · Realtor.com listings · September 2026).
Do pricier markets sell more slowly?
The most expensive quarter of metros has a median 9.5 days longer than the cheapest quarter (70.5 against 61). The middle two quarters sit at 65 and 62, so the pattern across quarters is not steady. The Spearman rank correlation between price and days is 0.15.
14. Top price quartile: 70.5 days; bottom quartile: 61 days
Quartiles split the 789 guarded metros by median list price, from $99,900 to $5,890,000. The gap between the highest and lowest quartile is 9.5 days (WealthyBud data · 789 metros · Realtor.com listings · September 2026).
15. Price and days on market have a rank correlation of 0.15
A Spearman coefficient runs from −1 to 1, and 0 means no rank relationship. This compares metros and does not show that price causes the difference (WealthyBud data · 789 metros · Realtor.com listings · September 2026).
| Price quartile | Median list price range | Metros | Median days on market |
|---|---|---|---|
| Q1 (lowest) | $99,900 to $268,750 | 197 | 61 |
| Q2 | $269,900 to $340,000 | 197 | 65 |
| Q3 | $340,563 to $447,000 | 197 | 62 |
| Q4 (highest) | $448,225 to $5,890,000 | 198 | 70.5 |
How does time on market relate to price cuts?
Realtor.com says 20.8% of U.S. listings had a price cut in September 2026. Among 789 guarded metros the median price-cut share is 19.9%, and the quartile medians run from 18.7% to 20.6% across days on market. The slowest quartile's share is lower than the fastest quartile's.
16. Realtor.com: 20.8% of listings had price cuts, 0.9 points above a year earlier
The September 2026 report lists price reductions at 20.8% nationally. Read more in price reduction statistics.
17. Median price-cut share: 19.9% across 789 metros
18 metros have 30% or more of listings with a cut. The share is Realtor.com's price-reduced share of active listings (WealthyBud data · 789 metros · Realtor.com listings · September 2026).
18. Price-cut share by speed quartile: 19.9% / 20.4% / 20.6% / 18.7%
From the fastest quartile (29 to 53 days) to the slowest (78 to 132 days) the median cut share spans 1.9 points, and the slowest quartile is lower than the fastest. The rank correlation is −0.12 (WealthyBud data · 789 metros · Realtor.com listings · September 2026).
What this means for buyers, sellers and investors
For buyers, a 61-day national median leaves time to compare listings. Check your metro, not the headline: 76 metros take 90 days or more.
For sellers, plan on the local figure. Metro medians span 29 to 132 days. See home sales statistics for how many homes actually close.
For investors, treat days on market as one input beside price trends. The momentum dashboard ranks scored metros on appreciation and speed, and housing inventory statistics show where supply is building.
More Real Estate statistics
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View ResearchHousing Inventory Statistics (2026)
Active and new listings across U.S. metros, how inventory compares with 2019 and where supply is rising fastest.
View ResearchPrice Reduction Statistics (2026)
The share of home listings with price cuts across U.S. metros in 2026, where reductions are most common, and what they signal.
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