Markets  ›  VA  ›  Charlottesville

Charlottesville, VA housing market

Charlottesville, VA metro median sale price $484K in Jul–Sep 2026, up 5.1% year over year.

The median sale price in the Charlottesville, VA metro is $484K over Jul–Sep 2026, up 5.1% from the same 3 months a year earlier. The gain is larger than in most of the 383 U.S. metros Pecan Street ranks on this measure. FHFA's repeat-sales index for the metro shows a smaller change, up 3.0% through Q2 2026, 2.0 points apart; Price reconciliation below shows both.

Charlottesville has the highest median sale price of the nine Virginia metros Pecan Street tracks ($484K), ahead of Richmond ($417K). On median days on market, Charlottesville (59 days) ranks 2nd of the nine Virginia metros, between Blacksburg (65 days) and Lynchburg (59 days). Charlottesville has the lowest share of listings with a price cut of the nine Virginia metros (30%); Virginia Beach / Norfolk (34%) is next.

Listings spent a median 59 days on market in Oct 2026. 30% of active listings carry a price cut; the 3-month average vs a year earlier is 1.2 points higher. That share is lower than in most of the 385 metros. Median asking prices sit about 8% above the median sale price. Building permits authorized 83 new housing units in Sep 2026.

At the 7.12% 30-year fixed rate with 20% down, principal and interest on a median-priced home come to $2,607 a month; at 28% of gross income, that takes about $112K a year. The median sale price equals about 20 years of HUD Fair Market Rent, a ratio up 16.7% from a year earlier. That ratio is the 34th-highest of the 373 metros. Active listings ask a median $259 per square foot; the 3-month average vs a year earlier is down 3.4%.

In nine of the 11 ZIP codes in the table below, median list prices are lower than a year earlier; two are higher.

Headline

Median sale price

Jul–Sep 2026

$484K

+5.1% year-over-year

How it’s calculated

Average of the last three monthly median sale prices vs. the same three months a year earlier.

Mortgage rate

Nov 4, 2026

7.12%

30-year fixed

Where it comes from

National benchmark: Optimal Blue OBMMI 30-year conforming, via FRED. An average of rates borrowers have actually locked, updated daily.

The same rate appears on every market page.

Monthly payment

Principal & interest

$2,607/mo

$112K/yr income needed

How it’s calculated

Payment — this market’s median sale price with 20% down, on a 30-year fixed loan at the rate shown. Principal and interest only — no property tax, insurance, PMI or HOA.

Income needed — that payment at 28% of gross income. A rule of thumb, not a lending decision.

How Charlottesville compares to other U.S. metros

Price-to-rent↑34th of 373 (top 10%)
Home-price growth↑83rd of 383 (top 22%)
Asking-vs-sale gap↑85th of 300 (top 29%)
Price cuts↓261st of 385
Days on market205th of 385

Rank across the U.S. metros Pecan Street tracks, on market data alone — a higher rank means more of that measure (more price cuts, faster price growth, a wider asking-vs-sale gap, a higher price-to-rent ratio, or more days on market). The bar shows where this metro sits within that metric’s own cohort (left is more, right is less); ↑ and ↓ mark the positions furthest from the middle, and rows are ordered the same way. Metrics without data for this metro are omitted.

Affordability

Price-to-rent ratio≈ 20 +16.7% YoY
↑34th of 373 (top 10%)
Asking price / sq ft$259 -3.4% 3-month average vs a year earlier

Price-to-rent divides the median sale price by the annual HUD Fair Market Rent (a 3-bedroom, 40th-percentile benchmark), so it is a directional rent-vs-buy read, not a cap rate; its year-over-year change is directional in the same way. Asking price per square foot is the median across active for-sale listings (Realtor.com), as of Oct 2026. The bar under a figure places this metro among the U.S. metros we track on that measure, highest first.

Market pressure

Listings with a price cut≈ 30% +1.2 pts 3-month average vs a year earlier
↓261st of 385
New housing units permitted83

The median asking price $525K runs about 8% above the median sale price $484K.

Price-cut share is the portion of active for-sale listings that have taken a price reduction (Realtor.com), as of Oct 2026. New housing units authorized by residential building permits in the metro that month — new supply in the pipeline, which counts of existing listings don't capture (US Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey), as of Sep 2026. Asking is the median list price of active listings (Realtor.com, Oct 2026); sale is the headline median of recent closings (Redfin, Jul–Sep 2026) — distinct sources and windows, so the gap is a directional read, not a like-for-like difference. The bar under a figure places this metro among the U.S. metros we track on that measure, highest first.

Market facts

ZIPs with listing data11 shown of 35
MLS board of record—
Price methodologyRedfin vs FHFA HPI
Sale-price windowJul–Sep 2026

Recent signals

No signals flagged for this market right now.

Housing Economy

Charlottesville · ConstructionCOPIED

Charlottesville builders pulled 7.9% fewer single-family permits than a year earlier

Single-family building permits in the Charlottesville metro area, by month, one line per year, units

AprJulOct4560759010520252026
AprJulOct4560759010520252026
2024
Chart data
Month202420252026
Dec8459—
Nov7371—
Oct8279—
Sep736966
Aug817581
Jul899884
Jun848497
May9610286
Apr889587
Mar8790104
Feb788387
Jan8010153

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey · data through September 2026

Builders in the Charlottesville metro area pulled 954 single-family permits in the twelve months through September 2026, 7.9% fewer than in the twelve months before. So far in 2026, permits are running 6.5% below the same months of 2025.

Why it matters. Permits come before starts, and starts come before new homes for sale, so this is the earliest read on how much new building is planned in the Charlottesville area. When the permit pipeline shrinks, buyers see fewer new-build options later; when it grows, sellers of existing homes face more competition from builders.

Charlottesville · Home pricesCOPIED

Charlottesville home prices are 3.0% higher than a year ago, the weakest gain since the second quarter of 2019

Home prices in the Charlottesville metro area, change from a year earlier, FHFA all-transactions index, quarterly, percent; shaded bars mark recessions

1990200020102020-8%0%8%16%24%Charlottesville
1990200020102020-8%0%8%16%24%Charlottesville
No changeRecession
Chart data
DateCharlottesville
Jun 20263%
Mar 20264.3%
Dec 20254.4%
Sep 20253.6%
Jun 20254.3%
Mar 20255.9%
Dec 20245.9%
Sep 20244.1%
Jun 20248.3%
Mar 20244.8%
Dec 20236.3%
Sep 20237.6%
Jun 20235.5%
Mar 202312.7%
Dec 202213.8%
Sep 202215.4%
Jun 202219.6%
Mar 202215.8%
Dec 202113.3%
Sep 202112.7%
Jun 20219%
Mar 20215.1%
Dec 20203.1%
Sep 20203.9%
Jun 20203.6%
Mar 20205.5%
Dec 20196.5%
Sep 20194.2%
Jun 20192%
Mar 20191%
Dec 20182%
Sep 20184.5%
Jun 20186.1%
Mar 20187.5%
Dec 20176%
Sep 20175.3%
Jun 20173.7%
Mar 20173.9%
Dec 20163.3%
Sep 20161.3%
Jun 20163.2%
Mar 20161.9%
Dec 20153.1%
Sep 20152.6%
Jun 20155.7%
Mar 20153.4%
Dec 20142.5%
Sep 20144%
Jun 2014-0.5%
Mar 20141%
Dec 20130.4%
Sep 20130.6%
Jun 20131.9%
Mar 2013-1.4%
Dec 2012-2.4%
Sep 2012-0.8%
Jun 2012-0.7%
Mar 2012-1.7%
Dec 2011-1.8%
Sep 2011-5.3%
Jun 2011-3.5%
Mar 2011-2.8%
Dec 2010-0.6%
Sep 2010-2%
Jun 2010-5.6%
Mar 2010-6.2%
Dec 2009-7.2%
Sep 2009-4.3%
Jun 2009-4.6%
Mar 2009-4.2%
Dec 2008-5.1%
Sep 2008-3.5%
Jun 2008-2%
Mar 20080.3%
Dec 20073.2%
Sep 20071.6%
Jun 20073.7%
Mar 20076.4%
Dec 20067%
Sep 200610.6%
Jun 200612.8%
Mar 200616.8%
Dec 200519%
Sep 200516.8%
Jun 200519.5%
Mar 200516.3%
Dec 200413.5%
Sep 200415.8%
Jun 200411.1%
Mar 200410.7%
Dec 200310.9%
Sep 20037.3%
Jun 20038%
Mar 20038%
Dec 20028.6%
Sep 20028.4%
Jun 20028.3%
Mar 20027.9%
Dec 20017%
Sep 20019.4%
Jun 20018.1%
Mar 20019.3%
Dec 20008%
Sep 20008.3%
Jun 20008.7%
Mar 20007%
Dec 19996.2%
Sep 19994.9%
Jun 19994%
Mar 19993.3%
Dec 19982.7%
Sep 19982.7%
Jun 19984.3%
Mar 19982.7%
Dec 19974.4%
Sep 19974.5%
Jun 19971.3%
Mar 19972.5%
Dec 19961.4%
Sep 19962%
Jun 19963.3%
Mar 19961.9%
Dec 19953.4%
Sep 19952.4%
Jun 19951.5%
Mar 19951.3%
Dec 19940.5%
Sep 1994-1.5%
Jun 19941.2%
Mar 19941.6%
Dec 19931.2%
Sep 19932.5%
Jun 19931.5%
Mar 19933.4%
Dec 19922.2%
Sep 19925.1%
Jun 19922.6%
Mar 19922.9%
Dec 19915.8%
Sep 19910.9%
Jun 19911.6%
Mar 19913.7%
Dec 19901.2%
Sep 19904.9%
Jun 19907.2%
Mar 19906.3%
Dec 19899.1%
Sep 19898.9%
Jun 19899.9%
Mar 19898.2%
Dec 198811.2%
Sep 19888%
Jun 19888.1%
Mar 19889.9%
Dec 19876.8%
Sep 19877.8%
Jun 19876%
Mar 19873.5%
Dec 19863.9%
Sep 19865.1%
Jun 19865.1%
Mar 19865%
Dec 19855.8%
Sep 19851.6%
Jun 19851.3%
Mar 19852.4%
Dec 198411.6%
Sep 19846.7%

Source: FHFA house price index; recession dates from NBER · data through Q2 2026

FHFA's all-transactions index for the Charlottesville metro area in the second quarter of 2026 was 3.0% above its level a year earlier. Since 1984, prices have risen an average of 4.8% a year. That is the weakest reading since the second quarter of 2019. Nationally, prices were 3.0% higher than a year earlier.

Why it matters. Long-run context shows how the latest change in Charlottesville home prices compares with the market's own history, including the recessions shaded on the chart. When appreciation slows, sellers have less room for a list price to run ahead of recent sales, and buyers feel less pressure to stretch to keep up; when it speeds up, the reverse holds: list prices can run ahead of recent sales and buyers compete harder.

Price reconciliation

amber · 2.0pp

Redfin (metro)

+5.1%

FHFA HPI · Q2 2026

+3.0%

Year-over-year home-price change from two independent methods — Redfin (sale prices over the last 3 months) and FHFA (quarterly repeat-sales index). When they diverge, the market is mid-shift; cite the figure with that in mind.

Market dispatches

Citable market dispatches for Charlottesville → Latest dispatch: Jul 10, 2026.

More markets in VA

BlacksburgHarrisonburgLynchburgRichmondRoanokeStauntonVirginia Beach / NorfolkWinchester

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ZIP-level data

ZIPMedian list priceActive listingsNew listingsPrice reductionsDays on marketHome value
22901$540K↓196↑80↑76↑47↓$529K↑
22902$512K↓105↑20↓36↑71↑$478K↑
22903$482K↓105↑32↑20↑58↑$530K↑
22911$657K↓130↑24↑36↑73↑$512K↑
22932$699K↑58↑16↑20↑72↑$602K↑
22947$737K↓35↑16↑8↑41↑$816K↑
22963$390K↓112↑24↓36↑68↑$375K↑
22967$459K↑72↑20↓16↑61↑$416K↑
22968$463K↓42↓16↑8↑47↓$396K↑
22973$369K↓31↑4↓8↑135↑$338K↑
24590$464K↓54↑4↓16↑82↑$344K↑

ZIP figures from Realtor.com listing data; home value from Zillow ZHVI. ZIP codes shown have the most complete listing-data history and active for-sale inventory in this metro; the latest available month is shown per ZIP. Arrows show the direction of each figure against the same three months a year earlier; no arrow means the change rounds to zero or the comparison isn't available.