High Country Real Estate Market Update – May 2026
High Country Real Estate Market Update: May 2026 Brings Strong Sales and a Wave of New Listings
By Lori Eastridge, Realtor®/Broker, NC High Country Real Estate, powered by EXP Realty.
Spring buying season hit its stride in May 2026 across the High Country, with closed sales, new listings, and overall inventory all climbing compared to the month before. Whether you’re buying, selling, or just keeping an eye on the local market in Alleghany, Ashe, Avery, and Watauga counties, here’s my breakdown of what the numbers from the High Country Association of REALTORS® MLS report are telling us — and what that means for you.
The Big Picture: 152 Closed Sales, $96.4 Million in Volume
The four-county High Country market recorded 152 closed sales of single-family homes, condos, and townhouses in May 2026, for a combined closing total of $96.4 million. The median sales price across all four counties came in at $482,500 for the month.
Inventory also opened up significantly. The region had 1,118 active single-family and condo/townhouse listings, up 17.7% compared to April. That growth was fueled by 410 new listings hitting the market, an increase of 5.4% month over month, which pushed the months’ supply of inventory to 7.4 months — generally considered more balanced territory between a buyer’s and seller’s market.
Land and Commercial Activity
The land market cooled off a bit after a strong April. The High Country closed 61 land sales in May, with a median sales price of $46,500 — a steep 41.1% decrease from the prior month. Active land listings stood at 1,296, with 160 new listings (down 23.4% from April), translating to a 21.2-month supply of land inventory — a reminder that land continues to move much more slowly than residential property in this market.
On the commercial side, there were 44 active commercial listings in the High-Country MLS during May, but zero commercial sales closed for the month.
County-by-County Snapshot
Alleghany County
Alleghany saw 10 closed residential sales, a 100% increase over April. The median sales price dropped to $297,500, down 13.8% from the prior month, with 95 active residential listings. On the land side, Alleghany recorded 4 land closings at a median price of $174,950 — up a dramatic 332% from April — alongside 229 active land listings and 6 new listings, totaling a 57.2-month supply of land inventory for the county.
Ashe County
Ashe County posted 36 closed residential sales, up 89.5% from April, with a median sales price of $496,000 (up 29.1%). The county had 209 active residential listings, including 76 new listings, which was actually a 12.6% decrease in new listings compared to April. Land activity showed a median sale price of $48,750, with 300 active listings and 38 new listings — a 29.6% drop in new land listings, creating a 25.0-month supply.
Avery County
Avery County closed 33 residential sales in May, with a median sales price of $465,000, down 17.0% from April. Inventory grew to 359 active residential listings, with 127 new listings — up a strong 41.1%. Land sales in Avery numbered 9, up 28.6%, though the median land price fell sharply to $80,000 (down 72.9%). The county had 322 active land listings and 53 new listings, for a 35.8-month supply.
Watauga County
Watauga remained the busiest county in the region, with 73 closed residential sales, up 17.7% from April. The median sales price was $549,000, a slight 3.7% dip from the previous month. Residential inventory rose to 455 active listings, with 181 new listings (up 3.4%). On land, Watauga closed 36 land sales at a median price of $39,450, with 445 active land listings and 63 new listings, resulting in a 12.4-month supply.
The National Backdrop
The local market update arrived alongside notable news from Washington: the National Association of REALTORS® applauded the U.S. House for passing the 21st Century ROAD to Housing Act, described as one of the most substantial bipartisan housing packages Congress has considered in decades. The legislation is aimed at expanding housing inventory, improving affordability, and broadening pathways to homeownership — including modernized zoning, streamlined federal permitting, and expanded financing options for manufactured and rural housing. The bill also modernizes key programs like CDBG and HOME to strengthen local housing investment, improve credit access for homebuyers, and help ensure veterans take full advantage of their VA home loan benefits. For a region like the High Country, where land and rural housing play an outsized role, that kind of policy shift is worth watching.
What This Means for Buyers and Sellers
Buyers are seeing more options than they had in April, with inventory up nearly 18% across the region — particularly helpful in Ashe and Avery counties, where new listings jumped sharply.
Sellers in Watauga and Ashe counties continue to command strong median prices, while Alleghany’s smaller market saw more price softening.
Land buyers should note the long months-of-supply figures (12 to 36+ months in some counties), signaling land remains a much slower-moving segment than residential property.
Investors and watchers of federal policy should keep an eye on the ROAD to Housing Act as it moves through Congress, since rural and manufactured housing financing provisions could directly affect High Country inventory dynamics down the road.
Thinking About Buying or Selling in the High Country?
Whether you’re eyeing a mountain cabin in Banner Elk, a downtown lot in West Jefferson, or a family home in Boone or Blowing Rock, I’d love to help you make sense of how these numbers apply to your specific situation. Every county — and honestly, every neighborhood — in the High Country tells a slightly different story, and I’m here to walk you through it.
Reach out anytime at 828.773.2080 or visit NC High Country Real Estate to get started
