February is always a transitional month in NJ real estate. Winter inventory is still thin, serious buyers are actively searching, and sellers who list early face the least competition before the spring wave hits. That pattern shows up clearly in this year's data, with some sharp differences from county to county.
Data note: All figures in this report reflect February 2026 data sourced from the Redfin Data Center. Published March 19, 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.
The headline numbers (February 2026)
Across the 12 counties:
- Average median sale price: $590K (+6.2% YoY)
- Average days on market: 60 days (+14.4% YoY)
- Average active listings: ~995 per county (-1.7% YoY)
- Average sale-to-list ratio: 100.6%
Price growth is broad, with 9 of 12 counties posting positive appreciation. Rising DOM (days on market) and a sale-to-list ratio still above 100% fill in the rest: demand is solid, but buyers have more time to decide than they did a year ago.
The big movers
Passaic County: +20% YoY
Passaic posted the largest year-over-year price gain of any county this month, with a $615,000 median, up 20% from February 2025. With only 582 active listings and a 101.9% sale-to-list ratio, supply is still constrained and the competition is real. A market health score of 56/100 puts it in Balanced Market territory.
For buy-and-hold investors eyeing Passaic, this run points to real demand in Clifton, Wayne, and Pompton Lakes. The open question is how long the momentum holds at this pace.
Somerset County: +17% YoY
Somerset is the tightest market heading into spring. Its median is $585,000 (+17% YoY), it has only 353 active listings (the fewest of the 12), and its market health score of 61/100 is the highest. DOM sits at 52 days, and the sale-to-list ratio is essentially flat at 100.2%.
Somerset still gets less attention than it deserves, and its median sits below both Morris's and Bergen's. If inventory stays this low through March, expect a competitive spring.
Bergen County: -1.1% YoY
Bergen is the clear outlier. Its $700,000 median is down 1.1% year over year, it has the longest DOM at 95 days, and its market health score is just 30/100, making Bergen the most buyer-friendly market of the 12 right now.
Bergen still closed 385 sales in a single month at a $700K median, which is a sign of a healthy market. Even so, buyers who've been waiting for negotiating power finally have it, and in Ridgewood, Teaneck, and Fort Lee they have more of it than they did 18–24 months ago.
Fastest-moving markets
Morris County had the lowest DOM of the 12 at 33 days, and it was the only county where DOM fell year over year (down 13.2%). Every other county saw DOM rise, a typical winter pattern. Morris has only 459 active listings and a 101.5% sale-to-list ratio. Chatham, Mendham, and Chester continue to attract buyers at a price point below Bergen or Hudson.
Union County posted a 103.3% sale-to-list ratio, second only to Essex among the 12. The average home there sold for 3.3% over asking. With a $652,500 median and a 38-day DOM, Union is running hot.
Essex County cleared asking by the widest margin, at 103.9% sale-to-list, with a $670,000 median (+6.8% YoY). Montclair ($587/sqft) and Nutley ($425/sqft) drive the premium end, while Newark ($296/sqft) is still the most accessible entry point in the county.
Full county breakdown, February 2026
| County | Score | Median Price | YoY | DOM | Sale/List | Listings |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bergen | 30 — Buyer's | $700K | −1.1% | 95 days | 100.7% | 1,676 |
| Burlington | 48 — Buyer's | $373K | −0.5% | 47 days | 99.8% | 830 |
| Essex | 47 — Buyer's | $670K | +6.8% | 70 days | 103.9% | 1,199 |
| Hudson | 42 — Buyer's | $703K | +8.1% | 65 days | 99.1% | 1,171 |
| Mercer | 55 — Balanced | $476K | +10.9% | 63 days | 99.0% | 652 |
| Middlesex | 37 — Buyer's | $535K | +1.9% | 79 days | 100.0% | 1,565 |
| Monmouth | 46 — Buyer's | $672K | +3.4% | 49 days | 99.6% | 1,037 |
| Morris | 55 — Balanced | $625K | +2.5% | 33 days | 101.5% | 459 |
| Ocean | 42 — Buyer's | $470K | 0% | 49 days | 98.4% | 1,838 |
| Passaic | 56 — Balanced | $615K | +20% | 74 days | 101.9% | 582 |
| Somerset | 61 — Balanced | $585K | +17% | 52 days | 100.2% | 353 |
| Union | 55 — Balanced | $653K | +5.6% | 38 days | 103.3% | 582 |
What it means heading into spring
Inventory is tightening in most counties. Eight of 12 have fewer active listings than a year ago, and Burlington (+11.1%) and Middlesex (+9.1%) are the exceptions. For buyers, the window to shop with little competition is closing. March and April will bring more listings, but also far more competing buyers.
DOM is up almost everywhere, and that's seasonal. A 14.4% average rise in days on market is normal for February. The number to watch is what DOM does in April and May, when spring listings hit. Based on current inventory levels, I expect DOM to drop significantly in the high-demand counties (Morris, Union, Somerset) once spring activity picks up.
Two distinct markets are emerging. Bergen and Middlesex are buyer-friendly, with more inventory and longer days on market, which leaves room to negotiate. Morris, Union, Somerset, and Passaic are seller-friendly, with tight supply and above-asking sale ratios. As a buyer, I'd figure out which of the two you're shopping in before you settle on an offer strategy.
If you're selling, I'd list now, before April. I think a late-March listing can catch the spring buyer surge before the sellers who waited add to the competition. With inventory already low, a well-priced home listed now faces fewer competing listings while buyer demand is already ramping up.
Find your county
Every county dashboard on this site has February 2026 data, including 12-month price trend charts, inventory levels, DOM trends, price per sqft by city, and a detailed market health analysis.
- Hudson County Dashboard: $703K median, +8.1% YoY
- Bergen County Dashboard: $700K median, most buyer-friendly of the 12
- Essex County Dashboard: 103.9% sale-to-list, hot pockets in Montclair
- Morris County Dashboard: 33-day DOM, fastest-moving county
- Union County Dashboard: 103.3% sale-to-list, second only to Essex
- Somerset County Dashboard: highest market health score (61/100)
- Passaic County Dashboard: +20% YoY, biggest price mover
- Middlesex County Dashboard: +9.1% inventory growth, room for buyers
- Mercer County Dashboard: +10.9% YoY, with Princeton at the premium end
- Monmouth County Dashboard: Shore towns and suburbs, -9.4% inventory
- Ocean County Dashboard: most active listings of the 12
- Burlington County Dashboard: $373K median, most affordable
Note: Market data sourced from Redfin Data Center, February 2026. All information is deemed reliable but not guaranteed. Past market trends are not a guarantee of future performance.
