CHESTER COUNTY, PA — While much of the U.S. housing market edged toward balance in 2025, Chester County charged ahead, finishing the year as one of Pennsylvania’s strongest seller’s markets, marked by surging prices, tight inventory, and relentless buyer demand.
The county’s median home sale price climbed to $550,000 in December 2025, an 8.9% jump from a year earlier. Midyear figures were even more striking, with July’s median sold price reaching $579,745 — nearly 10% higher than July 2024. Homes routinely sold at or above asking price, with sold-to-list ratios hovering around 100% to 101% throughout the year.
Sales activity kept pace with rising prices. A total of 475 homes sold in December, up 7.2% from December 2024, while year-to-date data through September showed closed sales running 6.3% ahead of the prior year. New listings increased modestly, but not nearly enough to relieve pressure, leaving inventory critically tight.
Homes continued to move quickly despite a slight seasonal slowdown. The median days on market rose to 42 days in December, compared with 34 days a year earlier. Earlier in 2025, however, properties were often selling in under a month, with some reports showing median times as low as 18 to 21 days.
Inventory remained the defining constraint. The months’ supply of homes hovered near historic lows, ticking up only slightly to about 1.6 months in spring 2025 — far below the level considered balanced. The shortage fueled bidding wars and sustained high prices across the county.
Market dynamics were shaped heavily by cash buyers, who claimed a significant share of purchases and gave sellers leverage to favor offers without financing contingencies. At the same time, mortgage rates averaging around 6% strained affordability for first-time buyers and essential workers, pushing homeownership further out of reach for many local residents.
Strong economic fundamentals helped sustain demand. Chester County’s high median household income — the highest in Pennsylvania — along with steady job growth in healthcare, professional services, and finance, continued to attract buyers. Its location near Philadelphia and Wilmington, coupled with top-rated schools and quality-of-life amenities, reinforced its appeal.
New construction offered little relief. High labor and material costs, combined with zoning constraints and regulatory hurdles, pushed builders toward luxury developments rather than entry-level housing, further limiting options for working families.
Nationally, the picture looked far different.
According to the December 2025 national housing report from RE/MAX, U.S. home sales rose 5% year over year and nearly 15% from November, but price growth slowed sharply. The national median sales price was $434,000, up just 1.1% from December 2024 — the second-smallest annual gain in more than two years. Full details are available at https://www.remax.com/.
“The December housing market continued to show signs of normalization,” said Erik Carlson, CEO of RE/MAX, pointing to rising inventory, leveling prices, and longer selling times as evidence of a healthier national balance.
Inventory nationwide increased 16.5% from a year earlier, pushing the months’ supply to 3.5 — more than double Chester County’s level. Average days on market stretched to 61 days, the longest in at least four years, and buyers paid about 98% of asking prices on average.
The contrast highlights just how far Chester County has diverged from broader national trends. While many U.S. markets cooled and shifted toward equilibrium in 2025, Chester County remained firmly in seller territory — a market where demand consistently outpaced supply and prices showed little sign of retreat.
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