NAR: Northeast Median Home Sale Price Rose 5.5% in 2025
WASHINGTON—Home prices rose in 73% of metro markets (168 out of 230) during the fourth quarter of 2025, according to the National Association of Realtors latest quarterly report released today. That was down from 77% in the third quarter.
Five percent of metro areas (12 out of 230) recorded double-digit price gains, up slightly from 4% last quarter. The national median single-family existing-home price grew 1.2% year over year to $414,900, down from 1.7% annual growth in the third quarter.
“Home sales squeaked out a gain in the final quarter of 2025, helped by improving affordability conditions,” said NAR Chief Economist Lawrence Yun. “Mortgage rates fell, income growth outpaced home price growth, and the income required to buy a typical home declined.”
Yun added, “While most metro markets continue to see record-high housing wealth, some areas are experiencing home price declines. These declining markets are concentrated primarily in Florida and Texas, where robust supply and recent home construction are increasing competition among sellers to attract buyers.”
Median Existing Single-Family Home PriceBy Region (Year-Over-Year Change)
Northeast: $514,600
(+5.5%)
Midwest: $317,100 (+4.3%)
South: $367,300 (+0.2%)
West: $625,800 (-1.2%)
10 Large Markets with the BiggestYear-Over-Year Median Price Increases
Mobile, AL (+13.7%)
Canton-Massillon, OH (+9.8%)
Nassau County-Suffolk County, NY (+9.6%)
Montgomery, AL (+9.4%)
St. Louis, MO-IL. (+9.1%)
Shreveport-Bossier City, LA (+8.4%)
Youngstown-Warren-Boardman, OH-PA (+8.3%)
Providence-Warwick, RI-MA(+8.2%)
Fort Wayne, IN (+8.0%)
Hartford-West Hartford-East Hartford, CT (+8.0%)
10 Most Expensive Markets
San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA ($1,920,000; 0.0%)
Anaheim-Santa Ana-Irvine, CA ($1,396,500; +2.7%)
San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA ($1,305,000; -0.8%)
Urban Honolulu, HI ($1,142,100; +3.5%)
San Diego-Carlsbad, CA ($994,000; +0.9%)
Salinas, CA ($955,500; +1.2%)
Los Angeles-Long Beach-Glendale, CA ($939,700; 0.0%)
Oxnard-Thousand Oaks-Ventura, CA ($936,700; +1.8%)
San Luis Obispo-Paso Robles, CA ($917,100; -1.1%)
Nassau County-Suffolk County, NY ($818,800; +9.6%)
Housing Affordability
- 25% of markets experienced declining home prices, up from 23% last quarter.
- $2,057: monthly mortgage payment on a typical existing single-family home with a 20% down payment, 5.7% decrease from the previous quarter, 3.1% decrease year-over-year.
- 22.9%: average share of income typical families spent on mortgage payments, down from 24.5% last quarter, down from 24.7% last year.
First-Time Buyers
- $2,019: the monthly mortgage payment for a typical starter home valued at $352,700 with a 10% down payment, $122 decrease from last quarter, $62 decrease from last year.
- 34.6%: share of income first-time buyers spent on monthly mortgage payments, down from 37.0% last quarter, down from 37.3% last year.
