Northeast Ohio Real Estate Market Report

This report was refreshed October 7, 2026 with the most recent figures available. Full September 2026 monthly statistics publish in October as the data providers close their books, so the figures below cite the newest readings released to date and are the same numbers behind our October 2026 Market Pulse. Lake County's median sale price stands at approximately $243,000, up 5.4% year-over-year, with homes selling after a median of 21 days on market, down from 28 days the year before (Redfin, three months ending May 2026, reported July 2026). The median price per square foot is approximately $174 (Redfin, 2026), and the county's median listing price reached about $316,950 in May 2026, up roughly 2.7% year-over-year as of July 2026 (FRED). Realtor.com's data shows a median listing price near $299,925 with median days on market around 37 (April 2026). Active inventory has increased compared to prior years, with roughly 518 active listings county-wide at the latest count (Redfin, late summer 2026), and other listing portals show an even wider range, from about 566 homes for sale on Homes.com to roughly 786 on Movoto, while Zillow currently lists about 717 homes for sale county-wide, depending on how listings are counted. The direction is the same across every source: buyers have noticeably more options than they have seen in recent years. That $243,000 median reflects the county's breadth: lakefront cottages in Mentor-on-the-Lake and Salida Beach, suburban homes in Mentor and Concord Township, and luxury properties approaching $1,000,000 in Waite Hill and Kirtland. As the easternmost county on Ohio's Lake Erie shoreline, Lake County pairs lakeside living and well-regarded school districts with pricing that remains well below national averages. Our complete Buying Guide walks through the home buying process step by step, and for a closer look at neighborhoods near outstanding parks and green spaces, read our Mentor Parks Guide.

Across Ohio, the statewide median home sale price reached approximately $285,000 (Houzeo, August 2026), up 14% year-over-year. Active listings statewide climbed to roughly 20,300 by June 2026, up about 3.5% year-over-year, with supply near 3.7 months at the end of July 2026 (FRED and state housing data), while Houzeo's mid-August 2026 reading put statewide days on market at roughly 40 days with about 1.1 months of supply under its methodology. Nationally, the median home sale price reached approximately $445,000 in the most recent report (Remax, April 2026), up 1.5% year-over-year. The Cleveland metro area remains the second most affordable major metro in the United States (Remax, April 2026), with a median sale price of approximately $262,000 (up 7.5% year-over-year) and roughly $183,000 below the national median. In Mentor specifically, the median sale price has reached approximately $280,000 (Redfin, three months ending July 2026), up 7.6% year-over-year, with Redfin's most recent monthly reading higher at roughly $289,855 (Redfin, July 2026), and Realtor.com's May 2026 median sold price at about $287,500. The freshest readings, published since the last refresh, come from Movoto's October 2026 snapshot, which put Mentor's median listing price at $308,000, down about 4% year-over-year, with roughly 228 active homes for sale and an average of about 27 days on market (Movoto, October 2026). Redfin's ZIP-level page for the 44060 area, updated September 2026, shows a median sale price near $289,000 with about 24 average days on market (Redfin, September 2026). Taken together, Mentor's sold prices remain up strongly year-over-year, while listing prices and inventory have softened and expanded slightly, a sign the market is moving toward greater balance even as well-priced homes still sell quickly. Earlier this summer, active inventory ran roughly 168 to 178 listings with sales measuring 15 to 23 days depending on the source (Movoto, Redfin, Realtor.com, summer 2026), an even faster, tighter market than the latest readings. Sale-to-list ratios near 99 to 100.6% show most well-priced homes selling at or above asking price (Redfin, 2026). Zillow's most recent Mentor snapshot, published August 31, 2026, put the average home value at approximately $277,706, up 3.6% year-over-year, with homes typically going under contract in about 10 days (Zillow, August 2026). The Mentor market scores 87 out of 100 on the Redfin competitiveness index, signaling a strong seller's market. Within the City of Cleveland proper, the median sale price reached approximately $149,901 in the most recent reading (Redfin, August 2026), up about 11.0% year-over-year, with city homes selling after roughly 32 days on market and drawing about 2 offers per sale (Redfin, three months ending August 2026). Cuyahoga County as a whole posted a median of approximately $234,000, up 11.0% year-over-year, at about $158 per square foot, up 9.7% year-over-year (Redfin, April 2026). Zillow, in its August 31, 2026 snapshot, put Cuyahoga County's average home value at approximately $223,555, up 3.4% year-over-year. A cleveland.com analysis of first-half 2026 sales found the median selling price across Cuyahoga County suburbs, outside the city, reached approximately $236,400, up 7% year-over-year, which gives Eastside buyers a clearer benchmark for suburban communities. For the metro as a whole, the RE/MAX National Housing Report put the Cleveland median sale price at $255,000 in both October and November 2025, up 10.9% to 11.8% year-over-year in back-to-back months that ranked Cleveland among the fastest-appreciating major U.S. metros (RE/MAX National Housing Report, 2025), while Homes.com put the metro-wide median at approximately $279,000 in July 2026, with about 6,568 homes for sale and roughly 46 days on market (Homes.com, July 2026). Zillow's latest snapshot put the Cleveland-Elyria metro typical home value at approximately $215,809, up 4.3% year over year, with homes going under contract in about five days (Zillow, September 2026). Cuyahoga County homes were selling after about 24 days on market in the most recent reading (Redfin, three months ending April 2026). For a deeper dive into the Mentor market, visit our detailed Mentor Market Report.

For buyers, this means acting quickly and working with an experienced local agent who understands neighborhood-level dynamics. For sellers, the current environment presents an excellent window to list, but pricing strategy and professional marketing remain essential to maximizing your return in a market that is gradually moving toward greater balance. Financing context is part of that math: the average 30-year fixed-rate mortgage stood at 7.28% for the week ending October 1, 2026, up from 7.03% the week before and 6.34% a year earlier, the highest reading in nearly three years (Freddie Mac Primary Mortgage Market Survey). The 15-year fixed-rate mortgage averaged 6.60% the same week. Other weekly surveys ran near 7.2% to 7.5% depending on the lender and loan type (Forbes Advisor, U.S. News, September 2026), so buyers should plan around a mid-7% quote. As the fall season settles in across Lake County, buyer activity remains steady. Many households are aiming to close before the holidays, making this a strategic window for sellers to capture motivated buyers. See our complete Buying Guide for a step-by-step walkthrough, and explore our Buyer's Guide for tailored advice. Sellers can review the Selling Guide for a comprehensive marketing and pricing strategy. Investors weighing rental properties should read our fresh Fall 2026 investor market update. For a five-minute read on where the market stands heading into the fourth quarter, see our October 2026 Market Pulse. Contact Sean for a current, personalized market analysis.

Northeast Ohio has shown steady price appreciation, with Ohio's statewide median reaching $285,000 (Houzeo, August 2026), up 14% year-over-year. Lake County's median listing price hit approximately $316,950 (FRED, May 2026), up 2.7% year-over-year, while the median sold price was approximately $243,000 (Redfin, Q2 2026), up 5.4% year-over-year. The Cleveland metro area remains the second most affordable major metro in the United States (Remax, April 2026), with a median sale price of approximately $262,000 (up 7.5% year-over-year), well below the national median of $445,000. In Mentor, the median sale price is approximately $280,000 (Redfin, three months ending July 2026), up 7.6% year-over-year, with homes selling in roughly 15 to 27 days across the year's readings (Movoto, October 2026; Redfin 44060 ZIP, September 2026; summer 2026 range from Redfin & Movoto). The price per square foot has climbed to $189, up 11.2% year-over-year. The Mentor market scores 87 out of 100 on Redfin's competitiveness index. Well-priced homes still sell steadily, often with an accepted offer within the first month. Strategic pricing from day one is critical: overpricing leads to stale listings, while accurate pricing generates urgency and competition among buyers. Professional marketing makes a measurable difference in maximizing your sale price. High-quality photography, AI-powered listing optimization, targeted digital advertising, and a polished online presentation ensure your property stands out and attracts the right buyers from the moment it goes live.

Now is a strong time to list. Steady demand, tight inventory, and consistent year-over-year appreciation create favorable conditions for sellers across Lake County and Cleveland's Eastside. Whether you are relocating, downsizing, or moving into your next chapter, a well-executed listing strategy can help you capture top dollar in less time. The key is partnering with an agent who understands current market dynamics and knows how to position your home for maximum impact. See our Selling Guide for every step of the process, and read our pricing strategy guide for tips on getting it right from day one.