June produced a counterintuitive result. Statewide inventory grew +9.4% year over year to 32,264 active listings, more homes on the market than at any point this cycle. That should have handed buyers leverage. Instead, the market tightened.
Four of the 12 counties I track are now Seller's Markets (Morris, Passaic, Ocean, and Union), up from two in May. Hudson is the only Buyer's Market left, and the other seven are Balanced. A month that added inventory across the board still ended with sellers gaining ground almost everywhere.
The statewide median hit $598K, up +5.9% year over year, with a 41-day median DOM (days on market) and a 101.2% sale-to-list ratio. Buyers are getting more choices and paying up for them anyway.
Data note: All figures in this report reflect June 2026 data sourced from the Redfin Data Center. Published July 17, 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.
June's four Seller's Markets
In May, Morris and Union were the only Seller's Markets. In June, Passaic and Ocean joined them, each crossing the 60/100 health threshold on real movement in demand.
Morris County stayed the strongest market of the 12 at 71/100. The median price is $773K (+6.6% YoY), with a 17-day median DOM and a 105.5% sale-to-list ratio. That's three straight months under 20 days in Morris (April through June), which looks structural to me, since it held past the spring peak. Buyers in Morristown, Madison, or Chatham are competing against a clock and a bidding pool.
Passaic County is June's breakout story. Its health score jumped to 64/100, into Seller's Market territory, on +9.2% YoY price growth ($633K median), a 105.5% sale-to-list ratio, and a 30-day DOM. Passaic is the release valve for NYC commuter demand that can no longer afford Bergen or Essex, and June's numbers show that demand fully arriving. Its 1,317 active listings are up only 2% YoY, the smallest supply growth of any county this month.
Ocean County crossed into Seller's territory (61/100) while posting the highest price gain this month (+10.2% YoY to $524K). It also carries the most inventory, 3,922 active listings, and buyers are absorbing it: DOM compressed to 24 days, even with sale-to-list at 99.6%, still a hair under asking. The shore premium is real and getting stronger.
Union County held its Seller's Market status (61/100) with a 19-day DOM and a 105.2% sale-to-list ratio. Price growth cooled to +2.7% YoY after May's county-leading +10.8%, which reads as a normalization after a hot comparison month. Union has NYC commuter rail (Summit on Midtown Direct, Westfield on the Raritan Valley Line), it draws buyers priced out of Essex, and its inventory is flat.
Essex hits 108.9% sale-to-list, again the bidding-war capital
Essex County posted the highest sale-to-list ratio of the 12 for the third straight month: 108.9%. On a $786K median (+4.8% YoY), that works out to roughly $70,000 over asking, and DOM is a fast 20 days.
Its health score of 60/100 technically puts it in Balanced territory, but on the ground the sale-to-list number says Seller's Market. Same playbook as May for buyers in Montclair, Maplewood, or Bloomfield: I'd still budget 6–10% over asking and skip repair requests on competitive listings.
Somerset: don't misread the -12.7%
The headline number looks alarming: Somerset County's median price fell 12.7% year over year. Look at everything else before reading that as a collapse. DOM is 18 days, second only to Morris. Sale-to-list is 103.7%, well above asking. Active listings are just 1,103, the tightest supply of all 12.
None of that describes a weakening market. It's a textbook mix shift: the median reflects which homes closed, not what any individual home is worth. Somerset closed a higher share of lower-tier and townhome inventory in June than in last year's larger, luxury-skewed mix, which pulls the median down while the underlying market stays tight. A 43/100 health score, squarely Balanced, is the more honest read.
Bergen: priciest county, most patient market
Bergen County is still the most expensive of the 12 at $873K, and its +8.4% YoY gain trails only Ocean and Passaic. It's also the slowest-moving of the strong markets, with a 68-day DOM (the longest) and 3,852 active listings (the second-highest inventory).
High prices, strong appreciation, and long marketing times are what a healthy high-end market looks like, because luxury homes take longer to sell. A 104.0% sale-to-list means well-priced Bergen homes still draw competitive offers; finding the right buyer just takes patience. Health score: 49/100, Balanced.
Hudson: the last Buyer's Market standing
Hudson County is now the only Buyer's Market, at 37/100, though that's a big recovery from May's 13. The median price is $736K (+4.4% YoY), DOM is 38 days, and the sale-to-list ratio is 100.1%, almost exactly at asking.
Ten of the other 11 counties closed above asking; only Ocean (99.6%) came in under. Hudson is the Buyer's Market where you can still buy at list price with room to negotiate. Jersey City and Hoboken may be holding up better than the rest of the county, but county-level data can't confirm that.
Inventory: more homes, less relief than expected
Statewide active listings grew +9.4% YoY, but the supply is heavily concentrated.
Middlesex County added the most on a percentage basis, +19.8% YoY to 3,390 listings, and it shows: a 63-day DOM (among the longest) and a Balanced 45/100 score despite $598K (+7% YoY) pricing. Buyers in New Brunswick and less-connected suburban pockets have real time to shop.
Burlington County added +19% YoY to 1,901 listings and is still the most affordable of the 12 at $429K (+2.1% YoY), with a 33-day DOM. It remains the value option for first-time and cash-flow-focused buyers.
Ocean (3,922) and Bergen (3,852) hold the most raw inventory, but both are absorbing it, Ocean quickly and Bergen patiently. Supply is outpacing demand only in Middlesex and Burlington.
Full county breakdown, June 2026
| County | Score | Median Price | YoY | DOM | Sale/List | Listings |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bergen | 49 — Balanced | $873K | +8.4% | 68 days | 104.0% | 3,852 |
| Burlington | 45 — Balanced | $429K | +2.1% | 33 days | 100.7% | 1,901 |
| Essex | 60 — Balanced | $786K | +4.8% | 20 days | 108.9% | 2,347 |
| Hudson | 37 — Buyer's | $736K | +4.4% | 38 days | 100.1% | 2,399 |
| Mercer | 48 — Balanced | $491K | +3.3% | 35 days | 101.0% | 1,406 |
| Middlesex | 45 — Balanced | $598K | +7.0% | 63 days | 101.9% | 3,390 |
| Monmouth | 58 — Balanced | $748K | +3.9% | 20 days | 102.2% | 2,520 |
| Morris | 71 — Seller's | $773K | +6.6% | 17 days | 105.5% | 1,531 |
| Ocean | 61 — Seller's | $524K | +10.2% | 24 days | 99.6% | 3,922 |
| Passaic | 64 — Seller's | $633K | +9.2% | 30 days | 105.5% | 1,317 |
| Somerset | 43 — Balanced | $599K | −12.7% | 18 days | 103.7% | 1,103 |
| Union | 61 — Seller's | $719K | +2.7% | 19 days | 105.2% | 1,316 |
What to watch in July
Passaic and Ocean both crossed into Seller's Market territory in June on strong demand. If July keeps them there, with DOM at or under 30 days, I'd read it as a durable shift. That matters most for buyers in Wayne, Clifton, Toms River, and Brick.
Morris is at 17 days, its third straight month under 20 and the fastest of the 12. First-time buyers targeting it are working on a compressed timeline.
Then there's the inventory paradox. Statewide supply is up nearly 10%, yet the market tightened. If summer brings the usual seasonal listing surge and demand holds, NJ could see rising inventory and rising competition at the same time. Watch whether Middlesex and Burlington, the two counties where supply is outrunning demand, start to soften on price.
Finally, Somerset's mix shift. If July's median snaps back toward $650K+, June's -12.7% was noise. If it stays low while DOM holds under 20 days, something more interesting is happening in the county's transaction mix.
Find your county
All 12 county dashboards are updated with June 2026 data: 13-month price charts, DOM trends, inventory levels, price per sqft by city, and market health analysis.
- Morris County: 17-day DOM, 105.5% sale-to-list, strongest Seller's Market of the 12
- Passaic County: +9.2% YoY, broke into Seller's territory
- Ocean County: +10.2% YoY (highest of the 12), a Seller's Market with the most inventory
- Union County: 19-day DOM, 105.2% sale-to-list, held Seller's status
- Essex County: 108.9% sale-to-list, the bidding-war capital
- Monmouth County: $748K, 20-day DOM, balanced and fast
- Bergen County: $873K, priciest county, most patient high-end market
- Somerset County: 18-day DOM, tightest supply; the -12.7% is mix shift
- Mercer County: Princeton corridor, $491K, +3.3% YoY
- Middlesex County: +19.8% YoY listings, the biggest inventory growth of the 12
- Hudson County: the last Buyer's Market, with sales at list price
- Burlington County: $429K entry point, +19% YoY inventory
Thinking about buying or selling in this market? Every county is telling a different story right now, from Morris's 17-day sprints to Hudson's at-asking opportunity. Send me your county and price range through the contact page, and we'll look at the June numbers for your situation together.
Related reading
- Types of Homes in New Jersey: A Complete Guide for Buyers: understand what you're actually buying before you make an offer
- NJ Property Taxes Explained: county-by-county rates on a $598K median
- NJ Closing Costs Guide: every buyer fee itemized
