Denver Market Update: September 2026
Denver metro list prices are down 4% YoY and inventory is up. Here's what move-up buyers need to know about rates and negotiating this September.
Denver metro list prices are down 4% year-over-year — buyers have real room to negotiate this fall.
Market Trends
Denver metro list prices have softened meaningfully from a year ago — and if you're shopping in the $700,000–$1,000,000 range, that shift is working in your favor.
The metro-wide median list price is $574,900, down 4.18% from $599,990 a year ago. Inventory is up 2.07% year-over-year, giving you more homes to choose from than this time last year. Price per square foot has also pulled back, down 3.45% year-over-year to $280. And sellers are transacting right at asking price — the sale-to-list ratio is exactly 1.00 —. Closed sales are up 1.34% year-over-year, a sign that demand is still clearing inventory at a steady pace.
| Metric | Now | Year ago |
|---|---|---|
| Metro median list price (all types) | $574,900 | $599,990 |
| Median list price per sq ft | $280 | $290 |
| Active inventory (YoY change) | +2.07% | — |
| Sale-to-list ratio | 1.00 | 1.00 |
| Closed sales (YoY change) | +1.34% | — |
| Median days on market (YoY change) | -1.72% | — |
The play here: homes priced close to current comps are selling. If you find a home that's been sitting, the softening price environment gives you a factual basis to negotiate — bring recent comps and make the case.
Interest Rates and Mortgage Impact
Rates have drifted higher over the past three months, and that's the number worth paying attention to right now.
The 30-year fixed is sitting at 6.71% right now — up from three months ago and up from this time last year. The month-over-month move was small, but the three-month drift adds up. The table below shows where rates have been.
| Metric | Now | Prior |
|---|---|---|
| 30-yr fixed rate | 6.71% (Sep 3) | 6.48% (Jun 4, 3-mo ago) |
| Monthly P&I — $750K / 5% down | $4,602 | $4,494 (3-mo ago) |
| Monthly P&I — 3-month change | +$108/mo | — |
| Monthly P&I — year-over-year change | +$99/mo | — |
On a $750,000 home with 5% down, you're paying $108 more per month than buyers who locked in June — and about the same gap versus a year ago. That's real money over time — the 0.02 percentage point tick from last month alone shifts lifetime interest by $3,240 on the same loan.
If you're negotiating seller concessions, ask about a 2-1 buydown. On this loan, a seller-paid 2-1 buydown costs about $16,368 and cuts your payment by $902 in year one — compared to just $105 per month from an equivalent price cut. The buydown's relief is temporary (it steps up to the full payment after year two), but the first-year advantage of $797 per month is significant when you're most stretched.
Homebuyer Tip
Know your school-district boundary before you fall in love with a house.
Move-up buyers with kids in school often discover — after they're emotionally committed to a home — that the address falls in a different enrollment zone than they assumed.
- Look up the specific address on the Denver Public Schools SchoolChoice boundary map before your first showing, not after your offer is accepted.
- If the boundary matters to you, make it a written contingency or confirm it directly with DPS before you go under contract.
Getting this right before you're attached to a home saves you from a painful decision later — and keeps your offer strategy clean.
If you're tracking the Denver single-family market through fall, I publish this Market Update every month. Subscribe at denverproperty.com/subscribe 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.