Denver Market Update: July 2026

Denver single-family prices down 3.4% metro-wide — move-up buyers have real room to negotiate

Market Trends

Denver metro prices are down 3.4% year-over-year — sellers are asking less than they were this time last year, and buyers are getting it. The metro-wide median listing price fell to $589,000 (all property types, June 2026), down from $609,950 a year ago. If you're shopping single-family homes, the picture is even more pronounced: the median single-family list price sits at $825,000, and buyers are closing at essentially list price — the metro-wide sale-to-list ratio is 0.999, meaning sellers are accepting marginally below asking on average.

Here's what the data shows:

• Metro median list price: $589,000, down 3.4% year-over-year — sellers are pricing lower than a year ago
• Single-family median list price: $825,000 — the starting point for most move-up searches
• Median time on market: 42 days for single-family homes — enough time to do your homework before committing
• Active inventory: down 4.9% year-over-year — fewer homes available, but prices are still softening
• Closed sales: up 2.4% year-over-year — demand is steady, not surging

The combination of lower prices and rising transaction volume tells you something specific: buyers are active, but they're not panicking. Homes priced close to current comps are moving. If you're leaving a sub-$500,000 starter and shopping in the $700,000–$1,000,000 range, this is a market where you can negotiate — don't offer list price reflexively.

Interest Rates and Mortgage Impact

Year-over-year, the 30-year fixed is down 0.23 percentage points — from 6.72% on July 10, 2025 to 6.49% today. That's the number that matters most for your budget. On a $750,000 purchase with 5% down ($712,500 mortgage), today's rate puts your monthly principal and interest at $4,499 — $108 less per month than buyers were paying a year ago.

The one-month move was minimal: rates slipped from 6.52% on June 11 to 6.49% on July 9, trimming the same payment by $14. The three-month picture actually runs the other direction — rates rose from 6.37% in April, adding $56 to that monthly payment since spring. The path lower has not been linear.

One lever worth knowing: if you're negotiating seller concessions, a seller-paid 2-1 buy-down on a $712,500 mortgage costs the seller about $16,212 and cuts your year-one payment from $4,499 to $3,606 — $893 less per month in year one. The same $16,212 spent as a straight price cut only reduces your payment by $103 per month. If a seller is willing to contribute, the buy-down front-loads the relief when you need it most.

Homebuyer Tip

Verify the school district boundary before you fall in love with a house.

Move-up buyers shopping in the $700,000–$1,000,000 range often assume a neighborhood's school reputation applies to every street in it. It doesn't — Denver Public Schools uses a choice-based enrollment system, and boundary lines can split a single block.

1. Pull the DPS SchoolChoice boundary map at schoolchoice.dpsk12.org and enter the specific address — not just the neighborhood name.
2. Confirm the assigned school for each grade level your kids will need over the next five years, not just the current year.
3. Check whether your target school has a waitlist for out-of-boundary applicants, in case you want flexibility later.

The right school assignment can add meaningful resale value and save you years of commuting to a choice school across town. Confirm it before you're under contract, not after.

If you're tracking the Denver single-family market through the rest of 2026, I publish this Market Update every month. Subscribe at denverproperty.com and you'll get next month's edition the day it's out.

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Paul McCoy, Realtor | Fathom Realty | License #: FA.100105533 | (319) 325-0668 | pmccoy626@gmail.com

Paul McCoy is a licensed real estate professional in Colorado. Equal Housing Opportunity.