Washington DC Housing Market July 2026: $672K Median, 30 Days, the Only Market Where Inventory Fell

Key Takeaways: Washington DC's median sold price was $672,500 in July 2026 (Bright MLS) — down 0.4% year over year, essentially flat. Homes sold in a median of 30 days, four days faster than last July even as the rest of the region slowed. DC was the only jurisdiction in the DC Metro where active listings declined (−4.0%) while every other market built inventory. At 5.05 months of supply it remains the region's most balanced market and its best source of buyer leverage — but the gap between DC and the suburbs is narrowing from both directions.

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DC has spent this entire year as the DMV's outlier, and July was no exception — but the nature of the outlier status flipped.

For most of 2026, DC was the loose market in a tight region: deep condo inventory, months of supply near balanced, buyers with actual negotiating room while Fairfax and Montgomery buyers fought over eight-day listings. In May, DC posted the biggest sales surge in the region at +14.2%.

In July, the suburbs loosened and DC didn't. Every other jurisdiction in the metro added inventory — Montgomery +18.8%, Fairfax +20.3%, Alexandria +33.4%. DC's active listings fell 4.0%. Months of supply ticked down. Days on market improved by four days year over year while the metro's held flat and Montgomery's rose three.

DC is still the most balanced market in the region. It's just no longer moving away from the pack — the pack is moving toward it.

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Washington DC July 2026 Market Snapshot

Metric	July 2026	Year-over-Year Change
Closed Sales	608	−1.0%
Median Sales Price	$672,500	−0.4%
Median Days on Market	30 days	−4 days
New Pending Sales	519	−8.6%
New Listings	731	−8.3%
Active Listings	2,630	−4.0%
Months of Supply	5.05	−0.09 months
Showings	9,426	−14.3%

Source: Bright MLS, July 2026, Washington, DC. Data as of August 6, 2026.

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The Only Market in the Region Where Inventory Shrank

This is the number that makes DC unusual this month. Here is every DC Metro jurisdiction ranked by year-over-year change in active listings:

Jurisdiction	Active Listings	YoY Change
Alexandria City, VA	411	+33.4%
Fairfax County, VA	2,035	+20.3%
Montgomery County, MD	2,070	+18.8%
Prince George's County, MD	2,083	+15.5%
Frederick County, MD	755	+13.2%
Arlington County, VA	480	+11.4%
Loudoun County, VA	868	+8.5%
Falls Church City, VA	40	+5.3%
Fairfax City, VA	59	−3.3%
Washington, DC	2,630	−4.0%

Source: Bright MLS, July 2026 Local Markets data

The cause is on the supply side, not the demand side: new listings fell 8.3% in DC while they rose in most suburban jurisdictions. DC homeowners are listing less. Fewer homes coming in, combined with steady absorption, drew inventory down.

That's why DC's months of supply actually improved for sellers — from 5.14 to 5.05 — while the metro's rose from 2.48 to 2.75.

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30 Days on Market: Slower Than the Suburbs, Faster Than Last Year

DC's 30-day median is double the metro's 15 days and the slowest of any jurisdiction in the region. That's structural — DC's inventory skews heavily toward condos, and condos take longer to sell everywhere.

But the direction matters more than the level. DC improved by four days year over year. Compare that to the rest of the region:

• Washington, DC: −4 days (34 → 30)
• Alexandria City: −3 days
• Fairfax County: −1 day
• Loudoun County: +0 days
• Arlington County: +2 days
• Montgomery County: +3 days
• Prince George's County: +3 days
• Fairfax City: +7 days

Only three jurisdictions sped up at all — DC, Alexandria, and Fairfax County — and DC's four-day improvement was the largest of the three. In a month when the regional story was "everything slowed," DC didn't.

For context on seasonality: DC's median was 16 days in May. Going from 16 to 30 between May and July is a normal summer slowdown in a condo-heavy market, and the year-over-year comparison is the cleaner read.

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The Condo Market Is DC's Market

You can't read the DC numbers without reading the regional condo data, because that's what DC mostly is:

Metric (DC Metro condos)	July 2026	Year-over-Year
Median Sold Price	$392,500	−1.6%
Median Days on Market	30 days	+7 days
Closed Sales	1,129	−6.7%
New Pending Sales	1,050	−11.8%
New Listings	1,480	+0.4%
Active Listings	4,343	+23.7%
Months of Supply	4.21	+0.98 months

Source: Bright MLS, July 2026, Washington DC Metro — Condos Report

Regionally, condos are the weakest segment in the market: the only property type with negative year-over-year pricing, the slowest to contract, and the fastest-building inventory. Months of supply rose almost a full month, from 3.23 to 4.21 — putting condos inside the balanced band for the first time since 2020.

DC's advantage here is that its condo inventory didn't build the way the region's did. The regional +23.7% inventory jump in condos is being driven by the suburbs, not by DC, where total active listings fell.

What that means practically: DC condo buyers still have strong leverage — 5.05 months of supply and 30 days on market are real negotiating conditions. But the very best condo deals in this region right now may be in suburban buildings in Alexandria, Silver Spring, and Bethesda, where inventory is piling up fastest.

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Demand Softened Here Too

DC wasn't immune to the regional demand pullback:

• Showings: 9,426 — down 14.3%
• New pending sales: 519 — down 8.6%
• Closed sales: 608 — down 1.0%

A 14.3% showing decline is the third-steepest in the region, behind only Alexandria (−32.2%) and Arlington (−16.9%). That's a meaningful drop in buyer traffic.

The reason DC's supply picture still tightened despite that is simply that listings fell faster than demand did. This is a low-activity equilibrium — fewer sellers, fewer buyers, roughly the same balance between them. It is not the same thing as a strengthening market.

Worth remembering how different this looks from two months ago: in May, DC posted +14.2% closed sales, the biggest year-over-year gain in the entire region. In July it's −1.0%. That's a sharp turn in a short window.

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What This Means for DC by Situation

You're selling a condo in DC: You have less competition than you did a year ago — active listings are down 4.0% and new listings down 8.3%, which is genuinely unusual in this market. But regional condo pricing is negative year over year and buyer traffic is down 14.3%. Price to the current market and be realistic about a 30-day-plus marketing period. The thin new-listing pipeline is your advantage; use it by launching before other sellers return in the fall.

You're selling a single-family home in NW DC or Capitol Hill: The regional detached single-family segment is the strongest in the market — 2.23 months of supply, 11 days to contract, and supply tighter than last year. DC's overall 30-day median doesn't describe your segment. Price to comparable detached sales in your specific quadrant, not to the citywide number.

You're buying a condo in DC: This remains the best buyer leverage in the DMV. At 5.05 months of supply and 30 days on market you can negotiate price, closing costs, and repairs at the same time — and take a second look before deciding. Two priorities in your due diligence: the reserve study and the HOA's fee trajectory. In a softening condo market, a building with underfunded reserves and a special assessment coming is where buyers actually lose money, not on the purchase price.

You're buying a house in DC: Different market entirely from the condo tier. Detached inventory in DC is thin and competitive. Expect to compete, and don't assume the citywide buyer-leverage story applies to you.

You're an investor: DC's supply is contracting while the suburbs' expands — which is a rent-side positive and a purchase-side negative for DC specifically. The suburban condo markets with 20%+ inventory builds are where acquisition pricing has moved most.

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Frequently Asked Questions

What is the average home price in Washington DC in 2026?

The median sold price in Washington, DC was $672,500 in July 2026, down 0.4% from July 2025 — essentially flat. That's above the DC Metro median of $650,000. DC's May 2026 median was $740,000; the decline since then reflects normal summer seasonality in a condo-heavy market.

Is Washington DC a buyer's market in 2026?

DC is the closest thing to a balanced market in the DC Metro at 5.05 months of supply (4–6 months is considered balanced), compared with 2.75 months region-wide. Combined with a 30-day median time to contract, DC buyers — especially condo buyers — have meaningfully more negotiating room than buyers in Fairfax, Loudoun, or Montgomery County.

How fast are homes selling in Washington DC?

The median was 30 days from list to contract in July 2026 — double the metro median of 15 days, but four days faster than July 2025. DC's slower pace reflects its condo-heavy inventory; regionally condos also sold in a median of 30 days.

Why is DC inventory falling when the rest of the region is building?

New listings in DC fell 8.3% year over year in July 2026 while most suburban jurisdictions saw new listings rise. Fewer homes coming to market, combined with steady absorption, pulled DC's active listings down 4.0% — the only decline among major DC Metro jurisdictions.

Are DC condo prices falling in 2026?

Across the DC Metro, condo median prices were down 1.6% year over year in July 2026 at $392,500, with days on market up seven days and active listings up 23.7%. DC-specific inventory actually declined, so the citywide median held roughly flat at −0.4%. The softest condo pricing in the region is in the suburbs, not in DC proper.

Should I buy a DC condo now or wait?

The conditions favor buyers now: 5.05 months of supply, 30 days on market, and flat-to-declining prices give room to negotiate. Mortgage rates are the counterargument — the 30-year fixed remains in the mid-to-high 6% range (Freddie Mac PMMS), and Bright MLS's outlook flags the possibility of increases into the fall. Waiting for lower rates has not paid off for two years running.

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Related July 2026 Market Reports

• DC Metro housing market — July 2026 — full regional report with property-type breakdown
• Montgomery County housing market — July 2026 — the Maryland side
• Northern Virginia housing market — July 2026 — Fairfax, Arlington, Loudoun, Alexandria
• Washington DC housing market — May 2026 — the +14.2% sales surge month, for comparison
• Washington DC condo market 2026 — condo-specific deep dive
• Capitol Hill DC neighborhood guide — neighborhood-level detail

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What I'm Seeing on the Ground

The DC market I'm working in right now is quieter on both sides than it was in the spring. Fewer buyers at open houses, fewer new listings hitting the market each week. That combination keeps the balance roughly where it was, but it means less happens per week — and both buyers and sellers need to plan for that.

The thing I'd flag for DC sellers: the fall listing wave is coming. New listings are down 8.3% right now, which is why you have room. That window closes when September inventory arrives. If you were planning to list "sometime this fall," listing early in that range is worth real money.

For buyers, the condo tier in DC is still the best value proposition in the region, but the diligence matters more than it used to. I've walked clients away from two buildings this summer over reserve funding, not price.

If you want a straight read on your building, your block, or your budget — MD, DC, or VA — that's the conversation I'm happy to have.

Get in touch →