NH Seacoast Market Brief — September 2026
September single-family sales were lower than a year earlier in all five towns in this comparison, while prices and inventory moved in different directions. Portsmouth and Exeter reported higher monthly median prices; Hampton, Dover and Rye reported lower ones. Each town's result describes a different set of homes, with as few as two closings in Rye.
This brief compares Portsmouth, Hampton, Exeter, Dover and Rye using the New Hampshire REALTORS® Local Market Updates for September 2026, with published source data current as of October 5, 2026. It is a comparison of five towns, not a combined statistic for the entire NH Seacoast. All tables cover single-family homes, not condos or every residential property type.
Compare Seacoast towns · Explore Seacoast homes · Discuss your move with Michael Bean
September prices and sales
Changes below compare September 2026 with September 2025. The linked town reports include the complete monthly and year-to-date tables.
| Town | Closed sales | Median sale price | Median change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Portsmouth | 10 | $1,179,950 | +52.8% |
| Hampton | 16 | $712,500 | -9.2% |
| Exeter | 6 | $698,500 | +4.7% |
| Dover | 24 | $647,500 | -0.7% |
| Rye | 2 | $1,282,056 | -19.4% |
Portsmouth's 10 closings compare with 18 in September 2025. Its monthly median rose 52.8%, but its year-to-date median was $887,500, down 0.6%. Those measures describe different periods and samples. The monthly increase is not evidence that an individual Portsmouth home gained 52.8% in value.
Rye shows the reverse contrast: its September median declined 19.4% across just two closings, while its year-to-date median rose 40.9% to $1,550,000 across 49 closings. With such a small monthly sample, review the properties behind the number before using it to make a pricing decision.
Inventory and time on market
These inventory counts belong to the September source reports. Current search results describe a later date and may use a different property-type selection.
| Town | Homes for sale, September 2026 | September 2025 | Days on market until sale, September 2026 | Months supply |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Portsmouth | 45 | 40 | 133 | 3.6 |
| Hampton | 35 | 33 | 32 | 3.1 |
| Exeter | 18 | 24 | 7 | 2.3 |
| Dover | 54 | 35 | 17 | 3.2 |
| Rye | 19 | 20 | 45 | 3.5 |
Portsmouth, Hampton and Dover had more homes for sale than a year earlier; Exeter and Rye had fewer. Dover's inventory rose from 35 to 54, while Exeter's fell from 24 to 18. These differences are a reason to compare the particular towns and homes on your shortlist.
Portsmouth's reported days on market until sale increased from 36 to 133; Exeter's declined from 25 to 7. Those are the published results for the period, not a forecast of how quickly your home will sell. Condition, location and the actual comparable properties still matter.
What to compare if you are buying
Use the town reports to set questions for your search. Compare current asking prices with recent sales of similar homes, then examine condition, lot, layout and maintenance needs. A higher town median does not by itself make a particular listing overpriced, and a lower median does not establish a bargain.
Keep single-family and condo searches separate when interpreting the figures. For a condo, review association fees, reserves, rules and responsibilities alongside the purchase price; the statistics above do not describe condo sales.
Portsmouth homes · Hampton homes · Exeter homes · Dover homes · Rye homes
What to compare if you are selling
Start with recent comparable sales and today's competition for your home's property type and location. Use the monthly and year-to-date figures together, especially where only a few homes closed. Discuss preparation, pricing and your moving timeline before choosing an asking price.
Request a property-specific home value review or discuss your Seacoast sale or purchase with Michael Bean. A town median is not an appraisal or a valuation of your home.
September reports for more Seacoast towns
The September release also includes North Hampton, Greenland, Stratham, Newmarket, Seabrook, Durham and Somersworth. Each uses its own town's source; county statistics are not substituted for unavailable town data.
The August Seacoast brief remains available as a historical report. Find earlier town reports and other areas in the market report library.
Sources and method
Source: New Hampshire REALTORS®, PrimeMLS and ShowingTime Plus, September 2026 Local Market Updates, published data current as of October 5, 2026:
- Portsmouth original report
- Hampton original report
- Exeter original report
- Dover original report
- Rye original report
Figures and percentage changes retain the values printed in the reports. Comparisons are with the same period one year earlier, not the preceding month. Median prices do not account for sale concessions or downpayment assistance. Published changes use rounded figures, and small samples can produce large percentage changes. Later reports may revise earlier data.
Bean Group prepared this comparison from the published sources. Town medians are not averaged into a regional median, and no appreciation rate or market forecast is inferred from them. The NHAR report library provides the original reporting series.