WEST CHESTER, PA — While the national housing market edges toward balance, Chester County continues to tilt in favor of sellers, with rising prices and limited inventory keeping competition strong.
Realtor.com®’s August report showed the U.S. market reaching five months of supply — the first time summer conditions have been this balanced since 2016. Nationally, that signals a gradual shift giving buyers more leverage. But local realities diverge sharply, and Chester County stands out as one of the regions where demand is still outpacing supply.
In Chester County, the median home sale price sits at roughly $576,000, up 8.1% from last year, while the average home value has climbed to $570,346, a 4.2% gain. Homes listed for a median of $594,900 are selling at a median of $602,000, underscoring buyers’ willingness to bid above asking.
Sales volume also remains healthy: 625 homes changed hands in July 2025, up from 599 a year earlier. Single-family homes, a mainstay of the local market, carried a median sale price of $510,000, while automated valuation models placed the median value closer to $561,000.
One clear sign of market pressure is the shrinking share of lower-cost housing. The number of homes sold for under $250,000 fell 5.9% year-over-year, pointing to an affordability squeeze as inventory at the entry level dries up.
By Realtor.com’s own rule of thumb, fewer than four months of supply defines a seller’s market. Chester County, with just 1,685 homes on the market against strong sales activity, sits well below that threshold. This contrasts with metros in Florida, Texas, and California, where abundant new construction has tipped the scales toward buyers and pushed supply above six months.
For local buyers, the national slowdown offers little immediate relief. Homes are still moving quickly, often closing above list price, and competition remains intense. For sellers, however, Chester County’s conditions provide continued leverage, even as the broader U.S. market edges toward equilibrium.
The message for both sides is clear: in real estate, national averages matter less than neighborhood realities. While buyers elsewhere may gain bargaining power, in Chester County, the market remains firmly in sellers’ hands.
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