A County-by-County Look at September 2026
Which Pennsylvania and Maryland counties are still selling homes above asking price? In September 2026, only Lancaster County (103.1%) and Perry County (102.6%) averaged above original list price. Chester, York, Cumberland and Washington counties closed at 97.6% to 99.5%, and Franklin, Adams and Fulton closed below 96%.
Two sellers listed their homes in September 2026. One was in Perry County, PA, where the average home closed at 102.6% of its first asking price. The other was in Fulton County, PA, where the average closed at 94.4%. On a $300,000 first price, that is a gap of roughly $24,600 between the two (8.2 points x $3,000 per point). The state is the same. The market is not.
I pulled September numbers for nine counties across south-central Pennsylvania and northern Maryland, using Bright MLS data through MarketStats by ShowingTime, and ranked them. The pattern is clear: inventory reached a two-year high in seven of the nine, new contracts fell below last September in all nine, and the sold-to-list ratio now separates the strong markets from the softening ones.
Which counties are still selling above asking price?
Sold-to-original-list-price compares the final sale price with the first price a home was listed at, so price reductions pull it down. A reading above 100% means the average buyer paid more than the first asking price.
| County | Sold-to-list ratio | Avg days on market | Median Sold Price | vs. Sept 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lancaster, PA | 103.1% | 20 | $370,000 | +4.2% |
| Perry, PA | 102.6% | 40 | $240,950 | -1.5% |
| Chester, PA | 99.5% | 24 | $554,900 | +1.1% |
| York, PA | 98.5% | 23 | $316,000 | +10.9% |
| Cumberland, PA | 98.4% | 21 | $335,000 | +4.7% |
| Washington, MD | 97.6% | 40 | $328,500 | +5.8% |
| Franklin, PA | 95.7% | 41 | $294,223 | +7.0% |
| Adams, PA | 95.7% | 33 | $349,649 | +8.0% |
| Fulton, PA | 94.4% | 76 | $268,000 | -12.1% |
Lancaster County stands out because it has stayed above 100% in every one of the last 24 months. Chester County is the one to watch: its 99.5% reading is the first below 100% since February, after 102.5% in June.
Perry and Fulton counties are small markets. Perry recorded 35 closed sales and Fulton recorded 5, so one or two sales can move their medians and ratios. Treat those two as directional.
Why did inventory reach a two-year high in seven counties?
Active Listings hit the highest count in the two years of data in Lancaster (779), York (1,051), Chester (1,020), Cumberland (595), Washington County, MD (536), Franklin (443) and Adams (325). Only Perry County (72 listings, down 15.3% from last September) and Fulton County (20) did not.
The more important number is on the other side. New pending contracts were below last September in all nine counties:
- York: 440, down 17.1%
- Washington, MD: 137, down 9.9%
- Chester: 456, down 6.0%
- Cumberland: 264, down 5.0%
- Lancaster: 453, down 3.2%
- Adams: 94, down 1.1%
- Franklin: 162, down 0.6%
- Perry: 31, down 27.9%, and Fulton: 4, down 73.3% (both very small markets)
More homes on the market and fewer new contracts is how inventory builds. In York County, new listings actually fell 9.4% to 556, so its two-year-high 1,051 listings came from slower sales, not a surge of new sellers.
How many months of supply does each county have?
Months of supply here is Active Listings divided by that month's Closed Sales. It is a simplified measure, but it lets you compare counties on one scale.
- Washington, MD: 536 / 126 = 4.3 months (3.2 a year ago)
- Fulton: 20 / 5 = 4.0 months
- Adams: 325 / 112 = 2.9 months
- Franklin: 443 / 173 = 2.6 months
- Cumberland: 595 / 265 = 2.2 months
- York: 1,051 / 487 = 2.2 months
- Perry: 72 / 35 = 2.1 months
- Chester: 1,020 / 529 = 1.9 months
- Lancaster: 779 / 457 = 1.7 months
Washington County, MD has the most room for buyers to negotiate, and its 97.6% ratio and 40 days on market reflect it. Lancaster has the least, and its 103.1% ratio and 20 days on market reflect that.
How fast are homes selling in each county?
Lancaster (20 days), Cumberland (21), York (23) and Chester (24) are all moving in under a month. Adams averaged 33 days, Perry and Washington County, MD 40, Franklin 41, and Fulton 76.
Franklin County's move is the sharpest: 41 days in September against 29 in August, and its ratio dropped from 98.1% to 95.7% in the same month.
What does this mean for sellers?
Your first price carries more weight than it did in the spring. In the counties below 98%, Franklin, Adams, Fulton and Washington County, MD, buyers are negotiating roughly 2% to 6% off the first asking price. If you list 5% high, you should plan to give that back, and you will have spent weeks of market time getting there.
In Lancaster, Chester and Cumberland counties, demand still supports strong pricing, but the cushion is thinner. Chester County's drop below 100% is the early sign.
What does this mean for buyers?
More homes to compare, and more negotiating room in the counties with 2.6 or more months of supply. Check current mortgage rates through Freddie Mac's Primary Mortgage Market Survey before you set a budget, because the monthly payment moves more than a 2% price concession does.
FAQ
Is September 2026 a buyer's market or a seller's market in south-central Pennsylvania? It depends on the county. Lancaster, Chester, York and Cumberland counties have about 1.7 to 2.2 months of supply, which still favors sellers. Washington County, MD (4.3 months) and Fulton County (4.0 months) lean toward buyers.
What does "sold-to-original-list-price" mean? It is the final sale price divided by the first price the home was listed at. A ratio of 95.7% means the average home sold for 4.3% less than its first asking price.
Why do small counties like Perry and Fulton swing so much? Each had very few sales in September, 35 in Perry and 5 in Fulton. With so few sales, one high-priced or low-priced home can change the median by double digits.
Where do these numbers come from? Bright MLS data, compiled by MarketStats by ShowingTime and calculated October 8, 2026. For regional context, see Bright MLS and NAR Research and Statistics.
Want These Numbers for Your Own Home?
Text or call Jay Starr, REALTOR® with RE/MAX 1st Advantage, at (717) 658-0177 for a free home value review, serving Franklin, Fulton, Cumberland and Adams counties, PA, and Washington County, MD, or visit https://www.jaystarr.com/cma/property-valuation/