Seattle Home Prices Rise to 2021 Boom Levels as Listings Surge

Seattle median home prices rose 11 percent in the first half of 2026, reaching $925,000 in June and matching the pace of gains recorded during the same stretch of 2021.

The parallel matters because many buyers who sat out the earlier surge now face similar monthly payment pressures even as mortgage rates sit near 6.5 percent. Sellers who purchased in 2021 are testing whether renewed demand will support asking prices that exceed their own purchase costs.

Properties listed along 15th Avenue in Capitol Hill drew multiple offers within days of hitting the market last month, echoing activity seen there five years ago. In Ballard, homes near Market Street and the Hiram M. Chittenden Locks moved at a clip not recorded since the post-pandemic rush, according to the Seattle-King County Association of Realtors. Local programs such as the city’s Mandatory Housing Affordability rules continue to shape new construction in both areas.

Inventory and Days on Market

The Northwest Multiple Listing Service recorded 2,850 active listings across King County in June 2026, nearly double the 1,520 listings posted in June 2021. Average days on market stretched to 22 this June compared with 11 days in the same month five years earlier. These figures show more choice for buyers even as price growth tracks the earlier cycle.

Outlook for Buyers and Sellers

Agents advise sellers to price within 3 percent of recent comparable sales on the same block rather than chase 2021 peaks. Buyers should review property tax assessments from 2021 and 2026 side by side before submitting offers, since assessed values in Capitol Hill and Ballard have risen between 28 and 34 percent over that span. Checking the city’s housing levy updates can also clarify future neighborhood costs.