August 28, 2026
Contact: Kim Walker, 704-940-3149

Residential Sales Trends in York, Lancaster, Chester and  Chesterfield Counties 

CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Canopy MLS reports on residential sales trends in the contiguous counties to Mecklenburg County, which includes York, Lancaster, Chester, and Chesterfield, South Carolina. Data included in this report is for single-family, condo, and townhome property types only, for the geographies mentioned above. Data in this press release is sourced from Canopy MLS, a subsidiary corporation of the Canopy Realtor® Association, and reflects existing-home sales of single-family homes, condos, and townhomes only.

Home prices remained relatively steady across York, Lancaster, Chester and Chesterfield counties in July, even as buyers encountered more homes for sale and closed sales reached their highest monthly level of 2026. The median sales price increased 1.5 percent year-over-year to $416,000, while the average sales price rose 0.5 percent to $478,425. Compared to June, however, the median price declined 2.1 percent, and the average price dipped 0.7 percent. Sellers received 98.7 percent of list price on average, unchanged from June.

Sales activity strengthened during the month, with closed sales rising 11.8 percent year-over-year to 711 transactions and edging up 0.3 percent from June. July marked the strongest month for closings so far this year, and through the first seven months of 2026, closed sales are 2.8 percent ahead of the same period last year. New construction accounted for 150 July closings, or 21 percent of the month's sales.

"Our local market continues to demonstrate resilience as buyers and sellers adjust to changing conditions," said Angela Harris, 2026 President of the Piedmont Regional Association of Realtors® and a Realtor®/broker with Address Realty. "Buyers have more choices today, but we're also seeing home values hold relatively steady while sales activity remains healthy."

While closings increased, activity earlier in the sales cycle softened somewhat in July. New listings declined 1.9 percent year-over-year and 6.4 percent from June to 870 properties, while pending sales decreased 4.4 percent annually and 0.5 percent month-over-month to 615 contracts. New construction remained an important part of the market, accounting for 20 percent of new listings and 22 percent of pending sales during July.

Buyers also continued to benefit from a larger selection of available homes. Inventory reached 2,221 properties at the end of July, up 10.2 percent from a year ago and 0.5 percent from June. Months' supply held steady month-over-month at 3.9 months while remaining 5.4 percent higher than last July. New construction represented 21 percent of active inventory with 465 new builds listed for sale through Canopy MLS. For comparison, the four-county region had just 1,310 homes available for sale in July 2024, illustrating the significant improvement in buyer choice over the past two years.

ShowingTime data continued to reflect buyer engagement throughout the region, particularly in the larger York and Lancaster markets. York County averaged 3.7 showings per listing, while Lancaster County averaged 3.1. Chester County recorded 2.1 showings per listing, and Chesterfield County averaged 1.4. While buyers have more homes to consider than they did in recent years, well-positioned properties continue to attract interest. Homes across the four-county region averaged 50 days on market in July, 11.1 percent longer than a year ago but 2.0 percent faster than in June. Market pace varied by county, with homes averaging 43 days on market in York County, 54 days in Chester County, 64 days in Lancaster County, and 87 days in Chesterfield County.

Affordability remained an important consideration for buyers in July, even as the median sales price eased from the previous month. Based on July's regional median sales price of $416,000, a household would generally need an annual income of approximately $118,000 to purchase a median-priced home, assuming the current 30-year fixed mortgage rate, a 20 percent down payment, taxes and insurance. The region's Housing Affordability Index improved slightly from 86 in June to 87 in July and was unchanged from a year ago, illustrating that affordability continues to be a challenge despite greater housing inventory and more choices for buyers.

Harris continued, "Affordability isn't determined by the sales price alone. Financing options, down payment assistance and other resources can make a meaningful difference in what a buyer can afford. Realtors® can help consumers understand the local market, connect them with resources they may not know are available, and develop a strategy that reflects both their financial circumstances and their homeownership goals."

For buyers who may be struggling with the upfront costs of homeownership, the purchase price tells only part of the affordability story. Canopy MLS' Down Payment Resource program helps Realtors® connect eligible properties and buyers with available homeownership assistance programs, including grants, forgivable loans and other forms of financial assistance. More than 80 percent of active listings across the region may qualify for one or more programs, giving buyers another avenue to explore when determining what they can realistically afford. Assistance is not limited to first-time homebuyers, making it important for consumers to understand the programs that may be available before assuming homeownership is out of reach.

A closer look at the four South Carolina counties 

York County continued to account for the majority of residential activity across the four-county area in July. New listings declined 0.5 percent year-over-year to 550 properties, while pending sales decreased 5.2 percent to 402 contracts. However, closed sales edged up 0.5 percent to 444 transactions. The median sales price declined 2.3 percent to $425,000, while the average sales price increased 1.0 percent to $504,190. Sellers received 96.5 percent of their original list price on average, and homes averaged 43 days on market until sale. The average list price rose 3.9 percent to $497,885. Inventory expanded 10.8 percent to 1,374 homes, while months' supply increased to 3.7 months.

Lancaster County posted strong sales activity during July, with closed sales increasing 33.1 percent year-over-year to 201 transactions. New listings rose 5.8 percent to 236 properties, while pending sales increased 7.5 percent to 172 contracts. Despite the increase in activity, the median sales price was essentially unchanged from last year at $441,400, while the average sales price declined 2.2 percent to $468,017. Sellers received 96.0 percent of their original list price, and homes averaged 64 days on market until sale. The average list price increased 6.6 percent to $498,690. Inventory rose 10.6 percent to 595 homes, while months' supply increased to 4.1 months.

Chesterfield County recorded 32 new listings in July, compared to 24 a year ago, while pending sales totaled 13 compared to 18 last July, and closed sales increased from 14 to 18 transactions. The median sales price remained relatively stable at $252,950, up 0.8 percent from a year ago, while the average sales price increased 1.1 percent to $235,469. Sellers received 94.8 percent of their original list price, and homes averaged 87 days on market until sale. The average list price was $332,410, up 1.7 percent from last July. Inventory increased from 72 homes last July to 84 this year, while months' supply reached 6.0 months.

Chester County recorded 49 new listings in July, compared to 87 a year ago, a drop of 43.7 percent. Pending sales declined from 41 to 33 contracts while closed sales remained relatively steady at 30 transactions compared to 29 last July. The median sales price was $285,000, compared to $226,000 a year ago, while the average sales price reached $304,905, compared to $225,817 last July. Sellers received 95.2 percent of their original list price, and homes averaged 54 days on market until sale. The average list price increased 7.8 percent to $321,432. Inventory declined 9.4 percent to 154 homes, while months' supply decreased to 4.4 months.

Canopy Realtor^® Association provides monthly reports on residential real estate market activity for the Charlotte region based on data from Canopy MLS. This report is based on the four South Carolina counties that are also included in the Charlotte region (Chester, Chesterfield, Lancaster, and York Counties).  For more details, visit the monthly report this release is based on, and search for “Piedmont Regional Association of Realtors®". 

See also Charlotte region reports and individual county reports for York, Lancaster, Chester, and Chesterfield.  For more residential housing market statistics, visit www.CarolinaHome.com and click on “Market Data.” For an interview with Angela Harris, 2026 president of Piedmont Regional Assoc. of Realtors® and Realtor®/Broker with Address Realty, please contact Kim Walker.

Canopy Realtor® Association owns and operates Canopy MLS, the region’s primary source for accurate and timely property data in a multicounty service area including the Charlotte MSA, Asheville MSA, and Hickory-Lenoir MSA spanning across North Carolina and South Carolina to outside the Carolinas. Canopy MLS provides the latest technology, tools, and analytics that real estate licensees utilize to support consumers with their residential real estate transactions.