Loudoun County Market Update: September 2026
Loudoun County's market cooled noticeably in September 2026, but it did not crack. Fewer homes sold than in any September of the past six years, while buyers had more homes to choose from than at any point in that stretch. Prices, meanwhile, held essentially flat at a $750,000 median.
In other words, the balance is shifting toward buyers, slowly. Here is what the latest numbers from the Dulles Area Association of REALTORS® and Virginia REALTORS® show, and what they mean if you are thinking about buying or selling this fall.
Sales: the slowest September in six years
Loudoun recorded 344 sales in September, down 17.3% from 416 a year ago. That is the third straight monthly decline, and the lowest September total since at least 2021.
The slowdown is concentrated in single-family homes. Detached sales fell 27.7% (146 vs. 202), while townhome and condo sales slipped just 7.5% (198 vs. 214).
The next few months look similar. Pending sales, the best early signal of future closings, dropped 25.6% to 331. With 30-year mortgage rates back up to 7.40% in mid-October, I expect October and November closings to stay soft.
The year as a whole is holding up better: year-to-date sales are down only 4.0%, at 3,804 homes.
Inventory: buyers finally have choices
There were 962 active listings at the end of September, up 38.8% from 693 a year ago. That is the highest September inventory in six years. Sellers also kept coming: 726 new listings hit the market, up 11.3%.
Supply is building in both segments. Single-family actives rose 27.6% to 453; townhome and condo actives jumped 50.6% to 509.
Even so, Loudoun is still not a buyer's market. Single-family homes sit at 2.2 months of supply and townhomes/condos at 2.3 months, well below the five to six months usually considered balanced. Homes are also taking a little longer to sell, averaging 31 days on market.
Prices: the dip is a mix shift, not falling values
The countywide median sales price was $750,000, down 0.9% from $757,149. That headline sounds like prices are slipping, but look one level down.
Both segments rose in value. The single-family median rose 0.6% to $987,500, and the townhome and condo median rose 3.1% to $623,550. The overall median fell only because fewer expensive detached homes sold: they made up 42% of sales this September, down from 49% last year. Price per square foot confirms it, rising 2.1% overall and 5.2% for single-family homes.
Buyers are negotiating a little, not a lot. Homes sold for 99.3% of asking price on average, unchanged from last year.
Neighborhood snapshot
Conditions vary sharply across the county, so averages only tell part of the story.
Area (zip) | Sales | Median price | Active listings | Months of supply |
Lovettsville (20180) | 5 (-37.5%) | $955,000 (+17.9%) | 41 (+192.9%) | 3.7 |
Purcellville (20132) | 13 (-53.6%) | $915,000 (+12.0%) | 56 (+16.7%) | 2.4 |
Leesburg (20175) | 24 (-42.9%) | $739,000 (+7.3%) | 92 (+48.4%) | 1.7 |
Leesburg (20176) | 47 (-19.0%) | $850,000 (-0.9%) | 147 (+67.0%) | 1.8 |
Sterling (20165) | 25 (+8.7%) | $760,000 (+13.4%) | 67 (+63.4%) | 1.7 |
Ashburn (20147) | 63 (-14.9%) | $688,000 (-5.0%) | 121 (-12.9%) | 1.7 |
Aldie (20105) | 27 (0.0%) | $730,000 (-43.0%) | 69 (+13.1%) | 1.9 |
Western Loudoun is where buyers have the most leverage. Lovettsville now has 3.7 months of supply, the most in the county, and Purcellville sales fell by more than half. Medians rose in both, but on very few sales.
Leesburg slowed the most. Pending sales in 20175 fell 59.3%, and homes there averaged 43 days on market.
Sterling 20165 is the bright spot. It was the only area where both sales and pending sales rose.
Ashburn 20147 is the tightest. Inventory fell for the first time after eight months of growth, and homes sold in 17 days on average.
Aldie's 43% price drop is mostly noise. Last September's $1.28 million median reflected an unusual mix of high-end sales.
The report doesn't break out the rural estate and equestrian areas around Middleburg, Hillsboro, Round Hill and Bluemont, where sales are too few to measure monthly. Those markets move on their own rhythm; ask me for a property-specific read.
What it means for you
If you're buying, this fall offers more selection and less competition than you've seen in years. Bidding wars are rarer, and there's room to ask for inspections, closing help or a fair price on a home that has sat for a few weeks. Rates are the trade-off, so talk to a lender early about buydowns or locking.
If you're selling, values are holding, but buyers are choosier and have alternatives. Price to the current market rather than last spring's, present the home well, and expect a month or so on market. A well-priced home in good condition still sells close to asking.
If you're waiting for spring, inventory is building now. Listing ahead of the spring wave, or planning your timing carefully, could matter more than it has in recent years.
Let's talk
Every property and every neighborhood behaves differently from the county averages. If you'd like to know what this market means for your home or your search, call me at 443.254.5530 or email peter@hcsir.com.
Peter Leonard-Morgan, Associate Broker, Hunt Country Sotheby's International Realty, Middleburg, Virginia. Licensed in Virginia and Delaware.
Source: Virginia REALTORS® Market Indicators Report for the Dulles Area Association of REALTORS®, Loudoun County, September 2026 (data accessed October 15, 2026); mortgage rates from Freddie Mac. Figures are preliminary and deemed reliable but not guaranteed.
Comments