New Hampshire Housing Market — Q1 2026 Recap
New Hampshire closed the first quarter of 2026 with 1,944 single-family sales at a median price of $540,000 — 1.3% fewer transactions than the first quarter of 2025, at prices 3.8% higher.
Q1 2026 at a glance
| Measure | Q1 2026 | Change vs. Q1 2025 |
|---|---|---|
| Closed sales (single-family) | 1,944 | −1.3% |
| Median sale price | $540,000 | +3.8% |
| January median | $540,000 | +7.5% |
| February median | $525,000 | +2.4% |
| March median | $550,000 | +3.8% |
The quarter in three movements
January opened with prices up 7.5% and inventory up 10.1% — the first winter in several years with meaningfully more to buy. Sales were essentially flat at 672.
February looked bad on the surface and good underneath. Closings fell 12.6%, but those closings reflected December contracts; pending sales signed during February rose 11.2%, and condo pendings rose 20.6%.
March paid off the February pendings: 728 closings, up 4.6%, with homes going under agreement three days faster than March 2025 despite inventory up 12.3%.
County themes
Rockingham County grew sales in all three months and ended March at a $675,000 median. The Seacoast remained the state's most expensive market and, unusually, one of its fastest-growing by transaction count.
Hillsborough County was the state's speed leader, with March homes going under agreement in 27 days. Prices climbed modestly, to a $560,000 March median.
Strafford County led the state on price growth in every month of the quarter — up 11.9% in January, 8.2% in February, 9.4% in March. Dover, Rochester and Durham are absorbing demand from buyers priced out of the Seacoast.
Merrimack County had the weakest January in the state, with closings down 20.7%, then recovered to modest growth by March. It remains the most affordable of the four southern counties.
Explore these markets: Rockingham County — Portsmouth, Exeter, Hampton, Rye, Stratham · Hillsborough County — Manchester, Nashua, Bedford, Amherst, Hollis · Strafford County — Dover, Rochester, Durham, Somersworth, Barrington · Merrimack County — Concord, Bow, Hooksett, Hopkinton, Pembroke
See every active listing across the state on the New Hampshire market hub.
The one number that defined the quarter
Inventory. It rose every month — 10.1% in January, 7.4% in February, 12.3% in March — and the market absorbed it without prices falling and without homes sitting longer. That is the definition of a market rebalancing rather than turning.
More market reports
January 2026 · February 2026 · March 2026 · Q2 2026 recap
About this data
Figures are from the New Hampshire REALTORS® Monthly Indicators reports for January, February and March 2026, drawn from New Hampshire REALTORS®, Inc. and PrimeMLS, Inc. data. Percent changes are calculated on rounded figures. "Days on Market" measures the average number of days between listing and accepted offer. "Median sales price" is the point at which half of sales were higher and half lower, and does not account for seller concessions.
MLS counts are revised as late-reported closings are entered, so figures for a given month may increase slightly in later reports.