10/22/2026
Are home prices going up or down? It depends on where you look.
Over the past year, prices in Chicago climbed almost 7%. In Seattle, they dipped about 1.6%. That’s a nearly 9-point gap between two major cities.
Look at little closer, though. Home prices are rising in 13 of the 19 major cities on this chart. And where prices are down, the dips are small (less than 2%).
So, this isn’t a crash. It’s just a market normalizing after overheating during the pandemic. And that’s hitting some areas differently than others.
Here’s what it really means. Your local market matters.
If you’re selling where prices are still rising, you may not need to cut your price. And if you’re buying where prices are softer, you may have more room to negotiate.
National headlines can’t tell you which side your neighborhood is on. Local data can. Let’s look at how prices are moving in your area, so you can set your price or make your offer with confidence.
