Statistics · 2026 · Real Estate
Housing Inventory Statistics (2026)
Realtor.com counted 1,161,615 homes for sale in the U.S. in September 2026, 5.4% more than a year earlier and 9.1% below typical pre-pandemic levels. Across 775 metros with 100 or more listings and a 2019 comparison, the median metro now holds 95.9% of its 2019 inventory, and 345 have passed it. Supply is rising fastest in the Northeast and Midwest.
Key takeaways
- Realtor.com reports 1,161,615 active listings nationally in September 2026, up 5.4% from a year earlier and 9.1% below typical pre-pandemic levels.
- The median metro with 100 or more listings holds 95.9% of its 2019 inventory, and 345 of 775 metros are at or above 100%.
- The median metro's active listings are up 8.7% from a year ago; 584 of 789 metros are up, 201 are down and 4 are unchanged.
- Sevierville, TN has the biggest inventory surplus against 2019, at 311%, while Hartford, CT sits at 30.0%.
- The median metro has 33.7 pending listings for every 100 active listings, a rough gauge of how fast homes go under contract.
How many homes are for sale in the U.S.?
About 1,161,615 existing homes were actively listed for sale in the U.S. in September 2026, according to Realtor.com, and sellers added 394,830 new listings during the month. WealthyBud's metro data covers 1,089,269 of those active listings across 940 metros, or 93.8% of the national count.
1. Realtor.com: 1,161,615 active listings in September 2026
The Realtor.com Research September 2026 housing report lists active listings of 1,161,615, up 5.4% from September 2025 and up 1.9% from August. Listings count existing single-family homes and condos, townhomes and co-ops; new construction is excluded unless an MLS that feeds Realtor.com lists it.
2. FRED shows the same count: 1,161,615 in September 2026
The St. Louis Fed's Housing Inventory: Active Listing Count in the United States series (monthly, not seasonally adjusted) shows a latest observation of 1,161,615 for September 2026, matching Realtor.com's count.
3. Realtor.com: 394,830 new listings in September 2026, −0.7% from a year earlier
The same report shows new listings down 0.7% year over year. Sellers are listing at about last year's pace, so the rise in inventory is not coming from a surge of new sellers.
4. 1,089,269 active listings sit in 940 metros
Summing each metro's active-listing count gives 1,089,269, which is 93.8% of the national total. The remainder sits outside the metros in this dataset, and Realtor.com does not break it down here. Four metros published under two WealthyBud page slugs each count once, and Puerto Rico is excluded (WealthyBud data · 940 metros · Realtor.com listings · September 2026).
5. 376,786 new listings a month equals 34.6% of active inventory
New listings across the 940 metros total 376,786, or 95.4% of Realtor.com's national new-listing count. The new-to-active ratio is WealthyBud's calculation (WealthyBud data · 940 metros · Realtor.com listings · September 2026).
Is housing inventory rising or falling?
Inventory is rising. Realtor.com reports active listings up 5.4% year over year in September 2026, faster than August's 3.6%, and 43 of the 50 largest metros grew. In WealthyBud's data the median metro with 100 or more listings is up 8.7%, and 584 of 789 are higher than a year ago.
6. National active listings up 5.4% in a year, from 3.6% in August
Realtor.com calls it the fastest year-over-year growth in six months. Its analysts note that listings growth is accelerating in the season when it usually slows, while mortgage rates rise this September after falling last September (see mortgage rate statistics).
7. All four regions grew: Northeast (+11.6%), Midwest (+11.3%), West (+6.2%), South (+2.6%)
Year-over-year changes in active listings by Census region, per the Realtor.com September 2026 report.
8. 43 of the 50 largest metros saw inventory grow, up from 37 in August
Realtor.com's sharpest increases were Minneapolis (+31.2%), Seattle (+28.5%) and Buffalo (+28.0%); the steepest declines were Jacksonville (−13.7%), Miami (−12.3%) and San Francisco (−10.9%).
9. Median metro active listings: +8.7% year over year
Among 789 metros with 100 or more active listings and a reported year-over-year change, 584 are up, 201 are down, 4 are unchanged at exactly 0.0% and 171 are up 20% or more (WealthyBud data · 789 metros · Realtor.com listings · September 2026).
Is inventory back to pre-pandemic levels?
Nationally, not yet. Realtor.com puts inventory 9.1% below typical pre-pandemic levels in September 2026, the narrowest gap since the pandemic. Metros differ widely: the median metro holds 95.9% of its 2019 listings, and 345 of 775 metros with 100 or more listings have reached or passed that level.
10. Inventory is 9.1% below typical pre-pandemic levels nationally
That gap was 11.1% in August 2026, per the Realtor.com September 2026 report. Realtor.com attributes part of the narrowing to base effects from last year's August and September jump in contracts.
11. Median metro inventory is 95.9% of its 2019 level
Active listings as a share of the same month in 2019 are available for 775 metros with 100 or more listings; 50 sit below 50% of their 2019 supply and 93 are at 150% or more (WealthyBud data · 775 metros · Realtor.com listings · September 2026).
12. 345 of 775 metros (44.5%) have at least their 2019 inventory
A reading of 100% or more means the metro lists at least as many homes as it did in 2019. Compare metros in housing market by state statistics (WealthyBud data · 775 metros · Realtor.com listings · September 2026).
13. Sevierville, TN leads at 311% of its 2019 inventory
Listings are above last year in 8 of the ten, so a big gap to 2019 does not always mean fast current growth (WealthyBud data · 775 metros · Realtor.com listings · September 2026).
| Metro | Active listings | Inventory vs. 2019 | Change from a year ago |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. Sevierville, TN | 2,180 | 311% | +8.9% |
| 2. Sulphur Springs, TX | 200 | 286% | +7.2% |
| 3. Pueblo, CO | 1,266 | 283% | +8.5% |
| 4. Clewiston, FL | 357 | 266% | +7.7% |
| 5. Ellensburg, WA | 491 | 260% | +34.2% |
| 6. Nantucket, MA | 145 | 250% | −17.2% |
| 7. Shelby, NC | 425 | 230% | +21.3% |
| 8. Rio Grande City, TX | 137 | 225% | +27.0% |
| 9. Bonham, TX | 265 | 223% | −3.3% |
| 10. Del Rio, TX | 286 | 222% | +13.5% |
See supply risk for every scored metro
Which metros have the most inventory growth?
Shawano, WI has the fastest inventory growth, with active listings +123.9% from a year ago, followed by Appleton, WI at +104.4% and Green Bay, WI at +83.1%. The ranking covers 789 metros with 100 or more active listings; small metros can post large swings.
14. Shawano, WI leads: active listings +123.9% year over year
The top three are Shawano, WI, Appleton, WI and Green Bay, WI. 8 of the top ten have fewer than 500 active listings, so a small absolute change can move the percentage a lot (WealthyBud data · 789 metros · Realtor.com listings · September 2026).
15. Wisconsin holds 4 of the 10 fastest-growing inventories
The top ten spans 7 states: WI (4), AR (1), MA (1), MN (1), NC (1), NE (1), PA (1). 5 of the ten are also at or above their 2019 listing level (WealthyBud data · 789 metros · Realtor.com listings · September 2026).
Where is inventory still tightest?
Hartford, CT has the tightest inventory, at 30.0% of its 2019 level, followed by Bloomington, IL at 30.1% and Peoria, IL at 30.2%. The ranking covers 775 metros with 100 or more active listings and a reported 2019 comparison. Metros that round to the same value are marked as tied in the list below.
16. Hartford, CT is lowest at 30.0% of 2019 inventory
The three tightest are Hartford, CT, Bloomington, IL and Peoria, IL. Listings are down year over year in 2 of the ten tightest metros (WealthyBud data · 775 metros · Realtor.com listings · September 2026).
17. Connecticut holds 4 of the 10 tightest inventories
The bottom ten spans 5 states: CT (4), IL (2), PA (2), LA (1), NM (1). Low inventory can support prices; see home price appreciation statistics for the price record (WealthyBud data · 775 metros · Realtor.com listings · September 2026).
- Hartford, CT holds 30.0% of its 2019 inventory, with 1,404 active listings and a year-over-year change of +9.4%.
- Bloomington, IL holds 30.1% of its 2019 inventory, with 205 active listings and a year-over-year change of −1.9%.
- Peoria, IL holds 30.2% of its 2019 inventory (tied with Stamford, CT), with 658 active listings and a year-over-year change of +11.9%.
- Stamford, CT holds 30.2% of its 2019 inventory (tied with Peoria, IL), with 1,784 active listings and a year-over-year change of +16.4%.
- Monroe, LA holds 30.9% of its 2019 inventory, with 356 active listings and a year-over-year change of −27.1%.
How quickly are listings going under contract?
The median metro has 33.7 pending listings for every 100 active listings, and Rochester, NY has the most at 186. Realtor.com reports the national stock of homes under contract down 4.1% from a year earlier in September 2026, while active listings rose.
18. Homes under contract down 4.1% year over year nationally
Per the Realtor.com September 2026 report, pending sales fell after August's first negative reading in eight months. Realtor.com calls pending sales falling while inventory rises a sign of stagnation.
19. Median metro pending ratio: 33.7 pending per 100 active listings
Realtor.com's pending ratio compares pending listings with active listings. Across 788 metros with 100 or more active listings, the median is 33.7, 10 metros are at 100 or higher and 20 are below 10 (WealthyBud data · 788 metros · Realtor.com listings · September 2026). 1 metro in the guarded pool has a blank ratio and is left out.
20. Rochester, NY tops the pending ratio at 186
The three highest are Rochester, NY, Syracuse, NY and Buffalo, NY, all in New York. A ratio above 100 means more homes are under contract than are actively listed, so more homes are under contract than on the market (WealthyBud data · 788 metros · Realtor.com listings · September 2026).
21. Douglas, GA is slowest at 1.8 pending per 100 active
The three lowest are Douglas, GA, Appleton, WI and Grand Island, NE. Across the 939 metros that report a pending count, 405,561 listings were pending against 1,089,046 active, a combined ratio of 37.2 (WealthyBud data · 939 metros · Realtor.com listings · September 2026). For days-to-sell data, see days on market statistics.
What this means for buyers, sellers and investors
For buyers, national inventory is up 5.4% and pending sales are down, which gives buyers more time to compare listings. The median metro still has fewer listings than in 2019 (95.9% of that level), so check your own metro first.
For sellers, 345 of 775 metros now carry at least their 2019 inventory. Where supply has rebuilt, sellers face more competing listings; see price reduction statistics for how often they cut prices.
For investors, low inventory and rising inventory point in different directions. Pair these counts with new construction statistics to see whether builders are adding homes.
More Real Estate statistics
New Construction Statistics (2026)
Building permits by metro and national housing starts — where new homes are being built in 2026, from Census data.
View ResearchDays on Market Statistics (2026)
How long homes take to sell across U.S. metros — the fastest and slowest markets and how time on market is changing.
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.
View HubAll U.S. Housing Markets
950 metros scored, mapped and forecast from public data.
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