| Signal | Buyer's market | Seller's market | Source / vintage |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median days on market | ≥ 60 | ≤ 45 | Realtor.com, September 2026 |
| Sale-to-list ratio | < 98% | ≥ 100% | Redfin, July 31, 2026 |
| Listings with a price cut | > 20% | < 15% | Realtor.com, September 2026 |
| Pending-to-active ratio | < 30% | ≥ 50% | Realtor.com, September 2026 |
Housing market ranking · September 2026 data
Is it a buyer's market or a seller's market by metro?
276 of 707 liquid U.S. housing markets are buyer's markets under WealthyBud's published rule as of September 2026, versus 33 seller's markets and 398 balanced. West Plains, MO ranks first among buyer's markets, with median days on market of 78 and a Redfin sale-to-list ratio of 68.6%.
Labels computed by WealthyBud from Realtor.com September 2026 listing metrics and Redfin sale-to-list for July 31, 2026. For education only, not real-estate or investment advice.
What is a buyer's market vs a seller's market?
A buyer's market is one where homes sit longer, sellers cut prices more often, sale prices fall short of list prices, and pending contracts are thin relative to active listings. WealthyBud applies a four-signal rule to 707 metros with at least 100 active listings and all four metrics for September 2026.
- Buyer's market: longer marketing times, more price cuts, sale prices below list, thinner pending demand.
- Seller's market: faster sales, fewer cuts, closes at or above list, stronger pending demand.
- Balanced: fewer than three matching signals on either side (398 metros here).
How does WealthyBud classify each metro?
Buyer's markets need at least three of four: days on market at or above 60, sale-to-list below 98%, price cuts above 20% of listings, and pending-to-active below 30%. Seller's markets need at least three of: days on market at or below 45, sale-to-list at or above 100%, cuts under 15%, and pending-to-active at or above 50%.
Universe: 707 metros with all four fields and at least 100 active listings. Missing sale-to-list drops a metro from this page rather than guessing.
Where are the strongest buyer's markets?
West Plains, MO leads the buyer's-market list, followed by Odessa, TX and Laurel, MS. Across all 276 buyer's markets, median days on market is 77, median sale-to-list is 96.9%, and the median price-cut share is 21.2%. The table below ranks the 50 strongest buyer's markets.
| # | Metro | Days on market | Sale-to-list | Price cuts | Pending ratio | Active listings |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | West Plains, MO | 78 | 68.6% | 19.1% | 27.4% | 203 |
| 2 | Odessa, TX | 53 | 72.6% | 23.0% | 5.9% | 468 |
| 3 | Laurel, MS | 78 | 75.6% | 22.6% | 37.2% | 171 |
| 4 | Wichita Falls, TX | 59 | 78.5% | 22.2% | 18.2% | 479 |
| 5 | Laredo, TX | 65 | 84.0% | 13.7% | 6.7% | 622 |
| 6 | Columbia, MO | 51 | 85.8% | 23.9% | 6.4% | 676 |
| 7 | Beeville, TX | 88 | 88.5% | 15.1% | 13.4% | 123 |
| 8 | Douglas, GA | 103 | 91.0% | 17.5% | 1.8% | 112 |
| 9 | Eufaula, AL | 110 | 91.2% | 18.9% | 5.9% | 127 |
| 10 | Columbus, MS | 88 | 90.9% | 21.6% | 9.5% | 200 |
| 11 | Big Spring, TX | 60 | 88.9% | 16.4% | 10.1% | 179 |
| 12 | Brookings, OR | 115 | 92.8% | 22.9% | 14.2% | 229 |
| 13 | Vidalia, GA | 92 | 90.6% | 18.0% | 18.6% | 111 |
| 14 | Opelousas, LA | 93 | 90.1% | 18.8% | 26.1% | 199 |
| 15 | McComb, MS | 98 | 89.5% | 13.5% | 28.7% | 162 |
| 16 | Laurinburg, NC | 96 | 94.5% | 29.7% | 21.1% | 124 |
| 17 | Nacogdoches, TX | 67 | 90.4% | 11.2% | 23.6% | 159 |
| 18 | Kerrville, TX | 87 | 93.6% | 18.6% | 13.5% | 445 |
| 19 | Uvalde, TX | 132 | 95.7% | 14.1% | 12.1% | 182 |
| 20 | Camden, AR | 105 | 92.1% | 6.9% | 25.2% | 111 |
| 21 | Port Lavaca, TX | 127 | 95.4% | 14.9% | 16.8% | 202 |
| 22 | Morgan City, LA | 106 | 95.2% | 22.5% | 18.1% | 133 |
| 23 | Newport, OR | 100 | 95.7% | 27.2% | 15.7% | 685 |
| 24 | Macomb, IL | 83 | 93.7% | 26.6% | 25.0% | 112 |
| 25 | Marion, NC | 82 | 93.3% | 21.7% | 22.7% | 266 |
| 26 | Waycross, GA | 70 | 93.2% | 23.1% | 19.4% | 229 |
| 27 | El Campo, TX | 93 | 94.0% | 17.8% | 20.0% | 133 |
| 28 | Key West, FL | 114 | 94.9% | 12.6% | 18.5% | 1,163 |
| 29 | Clewiston, FL | 93 | 94.9% | 20.4% | 16.7% | 357 |
| 30 | Clearlake, CA | 91 | 95.1% | 22.1% | 17.2% | 474 |
| 31 | Ukiah, CA | 97 | 94.7% | 21.0% | 24.0% | 413 |
| 32 | Evanston, WY | 116 | 95.6% | 8.6% | 12.1% | 219 |
| 33 | Arcadia, FL | 107 | 94.9% | 19.1% | 27.4% | 121 |
| 34 | Sevierville, TN | 95 | 96.1% | 27.7% | 19.5% | 2,180 |
| 35 | Kahului, HI | 117 | 96.1% | 12.5% | 13.4% | 1,367 |
| 36 | Alexander City, AL | 90 | 95.1% | 20.3% | 19.0% | 298 |
| 37 | Brevard, NC | 101 | 95.3% | 17.1% | 19.3% | 375 |
| 38 | Naples, FL | 101 | 94.4% | 12.3% | 23.1% | 4,523 |
| 39 | Palatka, FL | 88 | 95.5% | 25.7% | 22.4% | 311 |
| 40 | Bonham, TX | 89 | 96.1% | 26.3% | 18.5% | 265 |
| 41 | Tifton, GA | 89 | 96.9% | 26.7% | 11.2% | 135 |
| 42 | Brownsville, TX | 85 | 94.0% | 14.4% | 22.4% | 1,555 |
| 43 | Crossville, TN | 87 | 95.2% | 24.9% | 25.2% | 616 |
| 44 | Rockingham, NC | 83 | 93.9% | 22.3% | 34.9% | 108 |
| 45 | Arkadelphia, AR | 93 | 95.0% | 17.6% | 23.8% | 120 |
| 46 | Danville, VA | 86 | 94.8% | 17.8% | 22.6% | 372 |
| 47 | Alice, TX | 83 | 94.5% | 10.0% | 14.0% | 150 |
| 48 | Lake City, FL | 86 | 95.5% | 21.9% | 21.8% | 246 |
| 49 | Mineral Wells, TX | 109 | 97.0% | 15.6% | 11.9% | 289 |
| 50 | Sulphur Springs, TX | 93 | 96.6% | 20.7% | 13.5% | 200 |
Which metros are still seller's markets?
Only 33 of 707 liquid metros meet the seller's-market rule. Lancaster, PA is the fastest among them, with median days on market of 29 and a sale-to-list ratio of 101.7%. Seller's markets cluster where homes sell quickly and close at or above list price. The second table lists every seller's market we label.
| # | Metro | Days on market | Sale-to-list | Price cuts | Pending ratio |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Lancaster, PA | 29 | 101.7% | 14.0% | 95.7% |
| 2 | Rochester, NY | 34 | 111.1% | 5.9% | 185.9% |
| 3 | Hartford, CT | 35 | 103.9% | 12.6% | 103.4% |
| 4 | Lebanon, PA | 35 | 100.3% | 17.3% | 64.9% |
| 5 | Rockford, IL | 35 | 100.3% | 17.0% | 104.6% |
| 6 | Reading, PA | 36 | 101.6% | 14.0% | 99.5% |
| 7 | Oshkosh, WI | 36 | 101.1% | 14.5% | 4.5% |
| 8 | Chicago, IL | 36 | 100.2% | 16.3% | 68.6% |
| 9 | San Francisco, CA | 37 | 109.1% | 13.4% | 41.9% |
| 10 | Springfield, IL | 37 | 100.9% | 18.7% | 85.5% |
| 11 | Toledo, OH | 37 | 100.2% | 15.5% | 58.1% |
| 12 | Bloomington, IL | 38 | 100.9% | 20.4% | 96.1% |
| 13 | York, PA | 38 | 100.5% | 19.4% | 85.2% |
| 14 | Springfield, MA | 39 | 102.3% | 19.7% | 74.4% |
| 15 | Providence, RI | 39 | 100.4% | 14.2% | 71.3% |
| 16 | Topeka, KS | 39 | 100.2% | 21.3% | 63.9% |
| 17 | Norwich, CT | 40 | 102.2% | 12.3% | 84.6% |
| 18 | Appleton, WI | 40 | 101.3% | 14.6% | 3.7% |
| 19 | Allentown, PA | 40 | 100.3% | 15.7% | 81.3% |
| 20 | Janesville, WI | 40 | 100.3% | 20.3% | 69.2% |
| 21 | Jefferson City, MO | 41 | 102.2% | 13.6% | 56.9% |
| 22 | Hutchinson, KS | 41 | 100.3% | 16.3% | 64.4% |
| 23 | New Haven, CT | 43 | 100.8% | 15.3% | 77.8% |
| 24 | Boston, MA | 43 | 100.5% | 16.6% | 61.2% |
| 25 | Buffalo, NY | 44 | 104.3% | 12.9% | 124.1% |
| 26 | Cedar Rapids, IA | 44 | 99.3% | 14.2% | 104.4% |
| 27 | La Crosse, WI | 45 | 100.5% | 15.0% | 55.2% |
| 28 | Wausau, WI | 45 | 100.3% | 19.8% | 82.2% |
| 29 | Worcester, MA | 45 | 100.1% | 21.3% | 66.9% |
| 30 | Binghamton, NY | 48 | 100.5% | 14.0% | 101.8% |
| 31 | Syracuse, NY | 53 | 105.2% | 8.5% | 172.5% |
| 32 | Albany, NY | 54 | 101.5% | 14.8% | 100.4% |
| 33 | Muscatine, IA | 58 | 101.8% | 11.7% | 66.0% |
Compare inventory pressure on the supply-risk dashboard and year-over-year prices on where home prices are falling.
How should you read these labels?
These labels describe metro-level listing and closing conditions, not advice on any property. Days on market, price cuts and pending ratio are Realtor.com figures for September 2026. Sale-to-list is Redfin's settled average for July 31, 2026. We require at least 100 active listings so thin samples do not flip the label.
For a single metro, open its market page for the full scorecard. State rollups live on the state housing hubs.
Frequently asked questions
Is it a buyer's market in 2026?
In WealthyBud's screen of 707 liquid U.S. metros as of September 2026, 276 qualify as buyer's markets, 33 as seller's markets, and 398 as balanced under the four-signal rule on this page. That is a plurality of buyer's markets, not a universal national label for every city.
How do you define a buyer's market vs a seller's market?
A buyer's market needs at least three of four signals: days on market at or above 60, sale-to-list below 98%, price cuts above 20%, and pending-to-active below 30%. A seller's market needs at least three of the opposite thresholds published in the rule section above.
Which cities are buyer's markets right now?
West Plains, MO; Odessa, TX; and Laurel, MS lead the buyer's-market ranking. In total 276 metros with at least 100 active listings meet the rule as of September 2026. Open any row for that metro's full market page See the tables and methodology notes on this page.
Which cities are still seller's markets?
33 liquid metros still qualify as seller's markets, led by Lancaster, PA with 29 median days on market and a 101.7% sale-to-list ratio. They tend to show faster sales and fewer price cuts than the buyer's-market group See the tables and methodology notes on this page.
What data sources power this classification?
Median days on market, price-reduced share, pending listings and active inventory come from Realtor.com Research for September 2026. Average sale-to-list comes from the Redfin Data Center for the settled month ending July 31, 2026. Both sources are linked in the Sources section.
Does a buyer's market mean home prices will fall?
Not automatically. A buyer's-market label means negotiating conditions favor buyers on pace, list concessions and pending demand. Prices can still rise or fall. Pair this page with the falling-prices ranking and the supply-risk dashboard before drawing a price conclusion See the tables and methodology notes on this page.
Key takeaways
- 276 of 707 liquid metros are buyer's markets; 33 are seller's markets; 398 are balanced.
- West Plains, MO leads the buyer's-market ranking on the four-signal score.
- The classification rule is published above and uses Realtor.com and Redfin fields already on every market page.
- Sale-to-list is Redfin's settled month (July 31, 2026); listing pace metrics are September 2026.
- Labels are screens, not forecasts and not advice on a specific property.
For education only, not real-estate, investment, tax or legal advice.