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BUYER BRIEFING Raleigh, NC
Raleigh, NC vs Durham, NC Market Analysis

Why Raleigh is the smarter buy right now.

Raleigh is a seller's market with a Market Action index of 36.72 — yet it offers dramatically more inventory, faster-declining days on market, and stronger price-per-sqft value than Durham.

Total Inventory

Total active listings. Low inventory favors sellers with less competition; high gives buyers more choice and negotiating power.
Total Inventory Single Family (Jun 2025 – Jun 2026)
Raleigh, NC · Durham, NC
Price & Value
Counts & Metrics
Percentages
CTRL+Click to display two data sets
Total Inventory: Total active listings. Low inventory favors sellers with less competition; high gives buyers more choice and negotiating power.
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Data supplied by Altos
Median List Price
$600K vs $475K
Price Per Sq Ft
$267 vs $247
Days on Market (Median)
49 days vs 42 days
Total Inventory
1,021 vs 695

Top Signals

Four Data Points
Median List Price
$600K vs $475K
Raleigh lists higher, but buyers are getting 2,560 sq ft vs Durham's 1,940 — 32% more space. On a per-dollar basis, Raleigh delivers significantly more home for the price paid.
Price Per Sq Ft
$267 vs $247
Raleigh's per-sqft rate is nearly flat YoY (down -1.6% from $271), while Durham's has fallen -4.1% from $257, signaling weakening value retention in Durham over the past 12 months.
Days on Market (Median)
49 days vs 42 days
Both markets improved sharply — Raleigh fell from 84 to 49 days over 3 months (-42%), matching Durham's pace of decline. Raleigh's momentum signals rising buyer competition ahead.
Total Inventory
1,021 vs 695
Raleigh carries 47% more active single-family listings than Durham (1,021 vs 695 as of June 2026), giving buyers more options, better negotiating position, and more comps to support offers.
What This Means

More Home, More Options, Same Market Heat

Raleigh gives you 32% more square footage per home, nearly 50% more listings to choose from, and a market heating up fast — all before prices rebound to prior peaks. Act before inventory tightens further.

Honest Caveats

Durham's median days on market (42) is 7 days faster than Raleigh's (49), and its Market Action index (38.44) is slightly higher than Raleigh's (36.72), meaning Durham homes face marginally stiffer competition today.

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Jim and Lori Hill
328898/327431
JimandLori@HillnHills.com (919) 906-1636
Source: June 2025 - June 2026 Market Data
Updated June 30, 2026