Boise Housing Market September 2026: Prices Holding, Contracts Slowing, and Why Fall Might Be Your Window

September by the Numbers

Here’s the quick snapshot across the valley:

• Median sold price: $540,000 in Ada County (up 1.4% year over year) and $400,000 in Canyon County (up 1.8%)

• Homes closed: 683 in Ada County, up 23% from last September, and 239 in Canyon County, up 8%

• Days on market: 36 in Ada, 37 in Canyon

• Sale-to-list ratio: 97.6% in Ada, 97.3% in Canyon

• Months of supply: 1.9 in Ada, 2.0 in Canyon

So, Is Boise Crashing?

Nope. Not even close.

Prices are still climbing, just slowly. Sales are up, not down. Homes are selling for about 97 to 98 percent of what sellers are asking. And Ada County has less than two months of homes for sale, when a balanced market usually sits around five to six months.

Here’s the stat I’d point any doom-scroller to: distressed sales, meaning foreclosures and short sales, are just 0.4 percent of Ada County sales. That’s about one out of every 250. In Canyon County it’s 1.3 percent. The crashes people remember were driven by a flood of distressed homes, and that just isn’t happening here.

What we’re actually seeing is a market cooling off from a frenzy into something a lot steadier. Honestly, that’s a good thing.

Ada County: Steady Prices, Slower Fall Pace

The median sold price in Ada County hit $540,000 in September, up from $539,000 in August. Year over year, prices are up 1.4 percent, which is actually better than the 1.0 percent gain from last month.

Volume is strong. 683 homes closed in September compared to 554 last September, and 6,955 homes sold across the county over the past 12 months.

Inventory is still tight, with 1,087 homes on the market and about 1.9 months of supply. Homes are selling for 97.6 percent of original list price in about 36 days, one day faster than August.

Now here’s something worth knowing. The median asking price for homes on the market right now is $615,000. That’s $75,000 above what homes are actually selling for. Before you panic or get excited, that gap mostly comes from which homes are sitting. Bigger, pricier homes take longer to sell, so they pile up in the active listings. Bottom line: what homes sell for matters way more than what your neighbor is asking.

The real shift was momentum. Pending contracts dropped from 610 in August to 509 in September, about 17 percent fewer. Monthly closings slipped from 757 to 683. That’s normal early fall behavior, not falling prices. But it does mean if you’re buying right now, you’ve got less competition than you did this summer.

Canyon County: Officially Crossing $400,000

Canyon County’s median sold price crossed $400,000 in September, with prices up 1.8 percent from last year. That’s about $140,000 less than Ada County, which keeps Canyon as the most affordable way into the Treasure Valley.

239 homes closed in September, up from 222 a year ago, and 2,856 sold over the past 12 months. Active listings dropped from 506 to 487, and months of supply dipped from 2.1 to 2.0. Homes are selling for 97.3 percent of list in about 37 days.

City by City

Ranges show the spread across a city’s ZIP codes, because Boise is a lot of different markets wearing one name.

A few neighborhoods jumped out. West Boise (83704) and the Southeast Foothills (83716) both posted gains above 4 percent, at 4.3 and 4.4 percent. West Boise homes are going under contract in just 29 days. The North End (83703) climbed about $16,500 in median price in a single month, landing at $566,500. Eagle (83616) is sitting at $800,000 with homes averaging 50 days on market, so buyers there have the most room to breathe. And in Canyon County, Northeast Nampa (83687) led the way with a 3.9 percent gain.

The Luxury Market Plays by Different Rules

Over the past 12 months, 631 homes sold for $1 million or more in Ada County, with 174 on the market today. That’s about 3.3 months of supply. Above $2 million, it stretches to about 9 months, so luxury buyers have real negotiating power. Canyon County saw 65 sales over $1 million in the past year.

Compare that to homes under $500,000 in Ada County, where there’s only about 1.3 months of supply. The cheaper the price range, the tougher the competition. That’s why entry-level homes still see multiple offers while high-end homes take their time.

If You’re Selling

Sellers still have the edge. With about two months of supply and homes going for 97 to 98 percent of asking, a well-prepared home can sell fast and close to full price.

But fall brings fewer buyers, so pricing it right on day one matters more now than it did in spring. Overpriced homes sit, and every day a home sits, buyers gain leverage. Want to know where yours actually lands? Grab a free home value report at iheartcityoftrees.com.

If You’re Buying

Fall is quieter, and quiet can be your opportunity. With pending contracts down about 17 percent in Ada County, fewer people are chasing the same homes. Selection is holding steady with roughly 1,100 active listings in Ada and nearly 500 in Canyon. And since prices are climbing slowly instead of spiking, this is a reasonable time to negotiate on terms, repairs, and inspections.

If budget is your top priority, Nampa, Caldwell, and Middleton still give you more house for the money. Set up a custom search at realestate-idaho.com and get new listings the second they hit.

What to Watch This Fall

Expect things to keep cooling through the holidays, like they do most years. Sales and new contracts usually slow from October through January, while prices tend to hold steady. The number to watch is inventory. If listings stack up faster than buyers can absorb them, buyers get more leverage heading into 2027. If inventory stays tight, expect that same slow, steady climb.

The Bottom Line

Boise isn’t crashing. It’s settling. Prices are up a little, sales are up a lot, distressed sales are rare, and homes are still selling for nearly full price. The pace has slowed for the season, which gives buyers some breathing room and rewards sellers who price realistically.

Want these updates every month, plus the best of what’s happening around the valley? Sign up for the weekly newsletter at iheartcityoftrees.com. And when you’re ready to make a move, the team at City of Trees Real Estate is here for every question in between.

Brent Hanson is co-owner of City of Trees Real Estate, the RealTrends Verified #1 Team in Boise, and the voice behind iHeart City of Trees, a Treasure Valley community info page covering everything locals and newcomers need to know about life in the Treasure Valley.