Spring is fully underway. March hinted at the speed-up, and April confirmed it. Across the 12 NJ counties I track, days on market fell again in every high-demand market, Essex pushed its sale-to-list ratio to a new high for the year, and Morris County is now selling homes in under three weeks.
Morris County hit a 17-day median DOM (days on market), the fastest reading of any county I've recorded in 2026. At 105.2% sale-to-list, buyers there are also bidding over asking.
Inventory is moving the other way in Bergen (3,161 listings), Ocean (3,554), and Middlesex (2,850). Those counties are shifting toward buyers even as prices inch up.
Data note: All figures in this report reflect April 2026 data sourced from the Redfin Data Center. Published May 22, 2026.
Methodology note (Oct 2026): Market labels and scores in this post come from the site's earlier single "Market Health Score." Since October 2026, dashboards show two measures instead: Market Type (months of supply) and Market Temperature (vs. each county's own history). Labels here may not match today's dashboards. The figures in this post reflect the data available when this was published. See the current county dashboards for current numbers, or how the new measures work.
Morris and Monmouth lead on speed
Morris County is April's standout. DOM dropped to 17 days, down from 25 in March, with 1,322 active listings and a 105.2% sale-to-list ratio. The median hit $698K (+1.2% YoY). The $38K jump from March's $660K mostly reflects the mix of homes that closed in April, so I'd read the trend from DOM and sale-to-list instead. Both say Morris is tighter and faster than its median suggests.
Monmouth County followed at a 21-day DOM, also down from 27 in March, with a $723K median (+3.3% YoY) and a 101.2% sale-to-list ratio. At 2,313 active listings, Monmouth has more breathing room than Morris, but it's heading the same way.
Union County matched Monmouth at 21 days, though its price picture is more complicated (see below).
Essex peaks at 107% sale-to-list
Essex County reached 107.1% sale-to-list in April, the highest reading of any county this year and up from 106.5% in March. On a $684K median, the average Essex home is closing roughly $48,000 above asking. Active listings rose to 2,191 (up from 1,295 in March as spring inventory opened), so supply is loosening, yet competition is getting stronger. Buyers are absorbing the new listings quickly.
DOM dropped to 36 days from 49 in March, a 27% drop in a single month. That's more than listing mix usually explains, and most of it looks like spring urgency.
In Montclair, Nutley, or South Orange, I'd budget 5–8% above asking, have an escalation clause ready, and be prepared to decide without a second showing.
Hudson is still the appreciation leader
Hudson County posted a $753K median (+9.5% YoY), the largest year-over-year gain of the 12 this month. Inventory jumped to 2,155 active listings from March's 1,303, and prices still climbed.
DOM came in at 51 days, steady from March's 53. The 99.8% sale-to-list ratio is more modest than in Morris or Essex, so buyers in Hudson are paying just under asking.
The price dip in Union and Middlesex
Union County is the most interesting data point this month. DOM is just 21 days and the sale-to-list ratio is 104.1%, both signs of a competitive market. Yet its median sits at $661K, down 5.6% year over year. Fast sales and above-asking prices don't usually come with a YoY price decline.
The likely explanation is mix shift: the homes that closed this April skewed toward smaller or lower-priced properties compared with last April's closings. Demand looks intact, so the dip reads as a composition effect. I'd watch the next 2–3 months before drawing conclusions about where Union is headed.
Middlesex County posted $530K (-0.9% YoY) with 2,850 active listings, the third-most of the 12. At a 68-day DOM it's one of the slowest markets, but the 101.0% sale-to-list ratio shows well-priced homes are still clearing asking. Middlesex is one of the counties where buyers have the most options and the least competitive pressure.
Somerset: tightest supply, highest score
Somerset County has the fewest active listings of the 12 at 919, under a third of Bergen's supply. Its score of 52/100 makes it the only county in Balanced territory this month. The median is $621K (+4.9% YoY), with a 103.1% sale-to-list ratio and a 20-day DOM.
For buyers who want a rail commute to NYC (Raritan Valley Line) and a faster-moving market than Bergen or Middlesex, Somerset is consistently underrated. I don't see its supply constraint going away.
Inventory watch: Bergen and Ocean
The two counties with the most supply are the ones to watch for buyer opportunity.
Bergen County has 3,161 active listings (second only to Ocean), with a 68-day DOM and a 102.3% sale-to-list ratio. The median is $778K (+3.7% YoY). Prices are still climbing, but buyers have time, selection, and some room to negotiate. For anyone who's been priced out or rushed in Bergen, April is a better entry point than spring usually offers.
Ocean County has 3,554 active listings, the most of the 12. It pairs a $467K median (+1.6% YoY) with a 98.7% sale-to-list ratio, also the lowest. For Shore-area buyers, it's again the county with the most negotiating room.
Full county breakdown, April 2026
| County | Score | Median Price | YoY | DOM | Sale/List | Listings |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bergen | 28 — Buyer's | $778K | +3.7% | 68 days | 102.3% | 3,161 |
| Burlington | 46 — Buyer's | $389K | +1.0% | 34 days | 99.8% | 1,702 |
| Essex | 36 — Buyer's | $684K | +0.6% | 36 days | 107.1% | 2,191 |
| Hudson | 38 — Buyer's | $753K | +9.5% | 51 days | 99.8% | 2,155 |
| Mercer | 37 — Buyer's | $431K | +0.5% | 55 days | 100.4% | 1,220 |
| Middlesex | 29 — Buyer's | $530K | −0.9% | 68 days | 101.0% | 2,850 |
| Monmouth | 42 — Buyer's | $723K | +3.3% | 21 days | 101.2% | 2,313 |
| Morris | 46 — Buyer's | $698K | +1.2% | 17 days | 105.2% | 1,322 |
| Ocean | 39 — Buyer's | $467K | +1.6% | 34 days | 98.7% | 3,554 |
| Passaic | 48 — Buyer's | $610K | +5.1% | 39 days | 104.2% | 1,135 |
| Somerset | 52 — Balanced | $621K | +4.9% | 20 days | 103.1% | 919 |
| Union | 33 — Buyer's | $661K | −5.6% | 21 days | 104.1% | 1,238 |
What to watch in May
The number I'm watching most closely is Essex's sale-to-list, and whether it holds above 107%. Sale-to-list ratios above 106% are rare and usually short-lived. If Essex stays there into May, that points to a structural supply shortage.
Somerset (919) has the fewest listings in the data, and Morris (1,322) pairs low supply with the fastest DOM. If new listings don't show up in May, I'd expect DOM to fall further and prices to push higher in both counties, leaving buyers there with even fewer options.
Hudson's listings jumped from 1,303 in March to 2,155 in April, a 65% increase in active inventory, and prices still rose. A jump that size is worth confirming before reading much into it, so I'll be watching whether May's listings and DOM stay near April's levels.
Find your county
All 12 county dashboards have April 2026 data, including 13-month price trend charts, inventory levels, DOM trends, price per sqft by city, and market health analysis.
- Morris County: 17-day DOM, 105.2% sale-to-list, spring's fastest market
- Essex County: 107.1% sale-to-list, the most spring competition
- Hudson County: $753K, +9.5% YoY, leading appreciation
- Passaic County: $610K, +5.1% YoY, 104.2% sale-to-list
- Somerset County: fewest listings, the only Balanced market of the 12
- Monmouth County: 21-day DOM, shore and suburbs moving fast
- Union County: 104.1% sale-to-list, fast despite the YoY price dip
- Bergen County: second-most listings, 68-day DOM, buyer-friendly timing
- Middlesex County: 2,850 listings, third-most of the 12
- Ocean County: most inventory and lowest sale-to-list of the 12
- Burlington County: $389K median, affordable entry, 34-day DOM
- Mercer County: Princeton corridor holding steady at $431K
Related reading
- NJ Real Estate Market Report — March 2026: last month's full data for comparison
- New Construction vs. Resale in NJ: useful as spring listings peak
- NJ Closing Costs: What to Expect: budget the full cost before you offer
Note: Market data sourced from Redfin Data Center, April 2026. All information is deemed reliable but not guaranteed. Past market trends are not a guarantee of future performance.
