Fairfax County’s average home sales price tiptoed toward $1 million in April, as the spring buying market was dominated by upper-end properties.
“There is significant pent-up demand in the marketplace, but higher-income buyers are the ones primarily driving activity while budget-conscious buyers remain more sensitive to rate volatility and economic uncertainty,” said Lisa Sturtevant, chief economist for Bright MLS, the region’s multiple listing service.
A total of 1,148 Fairfax properties went to closing last month, according to data reported Monday (May 11) by MarketStats by ShowingTime. That’s up a fraction of a percent from the 1,148 sales in April 2025.
The average sales price rose 6.3% to $953,289, partly owing to a larger percentage of single-family homes in the overall sales mix compared to a year before.
The average price of the county’s single-family home transactions during the month was $1,280,940, up 7% from a year before. The average price of attached homes, such as townhouses, was relatively flat (+0.3%) at $566,178.
The average sales price for condominiums was down 2% to $414,898 across the county.
Should the average Fairfax sales price top $1 million in coming months, it would join rarified company among larger local jurisdictions.
Arlington in March surpassed the $1 million figure for the first time before setting an all-time high of $1,061,497 in April.
Falls Church also occasionally exceeds an average of $1 million, largely because of the high percentage of single-family homes in its relatively small monthly sales totals.
Counting both the slight increase in sales and higher prices, the total market value of Fairfax home sales in April was just under $1.1 billion, an increase of 8% year-over-year.
The average sales price per square foot was $377 for the month, effectively unchanged from $375 a year before.
Homes that went to closing countywide in April received 101% of original listing price, indicating healthy market dynamics that often flourish in springtime.
Fairfax and the rest of the D.C. region benefited from a solid month in local real estate.
“While the spring housing market got off to a slow start, both buyers and sellers were much more eager in April,” Sturtevant said.
In the City of Fairfax, sales for the month totaled 36, up from 33 a year before, and the average sales price of $854,493, down 0.5%. The average sales price of single-family homes in the city was $988,191 — an increase of 1.2% — and total sales volume of $30.24 million was up just under 8%.
Across the D.C. metro area in April, home sales totaled 4,851, up 2.9%. Increases were recorded in every jurisdiction except Falls Church and Prince George’s County.
Prospective purchasers had more to choose from, with new listings up 7.1% year-over-year. The median sales price regionally was a “very fast” pace of eight days, Sturtevant said.
Median sales price up from 2025 across metro area
The median sales price of single-family homes across the Washington metro area was $637,100 during the first quarter of 2026, according to new data from the National Association of Realtors.
That’s up 1% from the first quarter of 2025, twice the 0.5% increase — to a median $404,300 — recorded nationally.
“Gains were particularly solid across metro areas in the Northeast, where inventory shortages persist, and in the Midwest, where home prices remain relatively affordable,” said Lawrence Yun, chief economist for the National Association of Realtors.
Median single-family sales prices for the first quarter stood at $506,500 in the Northeast, up 4.9%; $308,100 in the Midwest, up 3.6%; and $362,300 in the South, up 0.2%. In the West, the median sales price of $607,600 was down 2.9%.
Five metro areas recorded median sales prices of more than $1 million, with four of the five posting increases:
- San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, California ($2,030,000, +0.5%)
- Anaheim-Santa Ana-Irvine, Calif. ($1,442,900, -0.5%)
- San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, Calif. ($1,350,000, +2.3%)
- Urban Honolulu, Hawaii ($1,175,100, +0.9%)
- San Diego-Carlsbad, Calif. ($1,050,000, +1.3%)
Year-over-year median prices rose in 71% (167 out of 235) of metro markets included in the trade group’s quarterly report. That’s essentially unchanged from the 73% recorded in the fourth quarter of 2025.
Va. homes market posts solid quarter
First-quarter home sales statewide were up 6.4% year-over-year as prices rose slightly, according to data from the Virginia Realtors trade group.
A total of 20,850 properties changes hands from Jan. 1 to March 31, according to new data. That compares to 19,596 sales during the same three-month period in 2025.
The median sales price increased slightly, rising 1.2% from $405,000 to $410,000. Total sales volume for the quarter increased from $10.1 billion in 2025 to $10.9 billion in 2026.
In March, sales rose 8.8% to 8,388, while median sales prices increased to $425,000 from $418,000 a year before.
According to the trade organization’s analysis of the data:
“Sales and pending sales rose in March as more buyers entered the market, and more listings are on the market, reflecting an increase in seller activity. Sold dollar volume rose sharply this month, and the average sold-to-list ratio also increased. Home prices rose modestly overall, but there was a lot of variation at both the local and regional levels.”
Slightly more than half — 52% — of the commonwealth’s cities and counties saw year-over-year sales increases in March.
Figures represent most, but not all, homes on the market. All 2026 figures are preliminary and are subject to revision.
