Monroe County Home Inventory Reaches Post-Pandemic High — What 1.2 Months Means for Buyers and Sellers

The Monroe County housing market hit two milestones in September: inventory reached 1.2 months of supply — the highest since 2020 — and the median sale price hit $301,000, up nearly 10% from a year ago. The two numbers together describe the same condition: supply is rising, and rising demand is still beating it.

What 1.2 Months of Supply Means for the Monroe County Housing Market

What 1.2 Months of Supply Means for the Monroe County Housing Market

To understand 1.2 months of supply, one comparison clarifies it. A balanced market — where neither buyers nor sellers hold a clear advantage — typically carries 6.0 to 6.5 months of available homes. Monroe County is sitting at roughly one-fifth of that.

The trend line is real. Data from the Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis shows Monroe County had 538 active listings in May 2026 and 707 by September — a 31% gain in four months. New listings hit 901 in September, up 8.3% from a year earlier and 15% from August — the strongest September showing since the pandemic compressed inventory. A year ago, in July 2025, months supply was 1.1 — the first time it had surpassed 1.0 since August 2020. The jump from 1.1 to 1.2 in fourteen months shows how slowly this market moves toward balance.

Prices Crossed $300,000 — Why More Listings Haven't Cooled Them

Prices Crossed $300,000 — Why More Listings Haven't Cooled Them

Monroe County's median sales price reached $301,000 in September 2026, up from $273,000 in September 2025 — a $28,000 gain in twelve months while available homes were climbing. More sellers are listing. Buyers are still outnumbering them.

Jim Yockel, CEO of the Greater Rochester Association of Realtors, told the Rochester Business Journal this week:

"I wouldn't call it a hot market; I'd call it a stressed market."

— Jim Yockel, GRAR CEO, October 27, 2026

Hot markets rise on optimism. Stressed markets rise because people need housing and there isn't enough of it. Monroe County's median price was $290,000 in July 2025, up 9.4% year-over-year, with 643 homes for sale — up 27.8% year-over-year. The September 2026 reading adds $11,000 more in price and 64 more active listings in fourteen months.

What Buyers and Sellers Around Pittsford Should Expect Right Now

What Buyers and Sellers Around Pittsford Should Expect Right Now

The Pittsford corridor sits at the center of Monroe County's most contested real estate. Realtor.com ranked Fairport — directly next door — as the country's fourth-hottest housing market in August 2026. That ranking reflects the demand concentrated in towns along the 31F and Erie Canal corridor, where buyers compete for the school districts, the village walkability, and the canal trail access.

Sellers still hold the advantage. Well-priced, move-in-ready homes continue to draw multiple offers in a 1.2-month environment. The increase in listings gives buyers more options, not more time to decide.

For buyers, preparation is the non-negotiable. Financing secured before searching, and the ability to act on a day-one showing, remain the table stakes. The 707 active listings across Monroe County represent real choice — just not in a market where well-priced homes sit long.

The next inventory reading covers October — when listings traditionally thin as the selling season closes.