May closed out spring with the sharpest split I've seen all year. Two counties moved firmly into Seller's Market territory, the rest held Balanced or buyer-friendly, and Hudson posted a one-month reversal that needs a careful read.
Union County posted +10.8% year-over-year price growth, the biggest gain of the 12 counties I track. It did that with a 19-day median DOM (days on market) and a 105% sale-to-list ratio, which put Union in Seller's Market territory (73/100) for the first time this cycle.
Morris County is still the fastest market at a 16-day DOM. Its health score of 75/100 makes it the only other Seller's Market. Together, Morris and Union are pairing speed and price growth in a way no other county is right now.
Data note: All figures in this report reflect May 2026 data sourced from the Redfin Data Center. Published June 12, 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 Union, the only Seller's Markets of the 12
Morris County widened its lead on speed. Median DOM held at 16 days, about the same pace as April, with a $748K median price (+9.8% YoY) and a 105.8% sale-to-list ratio. Active listings grew to 1,456, and the market absorbed the new supply without slowing down. A health score of 75/100 put Morris clearly in Seller's Market territory.
The consistency is what stands out. April's 17-day DOM wasn't a one-off, and May's 16 days says this is Morris's real pace right now. Buyers in Morristown, Madison, and Chatham are racing the clock, so I'd get pre-approved and settle on an offer before walking in the door.
Union County was May's biggest mover. Its median hit $720K, up +10.8% year over year, the top gain this month. DOM held at 19 days and sale-to-list at 105%, while active listings held flat at 1,258 (unchanged from April). A health score of 73/100 moved Union across the Seller's Market threshold.
Union draws NYC commuters to the Summit corridor (Midtown Direct) and to Westfield. Many have nowhere cheaper to land in Essex or Morris. With inventory flat and prices up nearly 11%, Union has become one of the most competitive markets I track.
Essex hits 108.7% sale-to-list
Essex County reached a 108.7% sale-to-list ratio in May, the highest reading of any county in my data this year. On a $723K median (+3.3% YoY), the average Essex home is closing roughly $62,000 above asking.
DOM fell to 29 days (from 36 in April). With 2,276 active listings, supply isn't the constraint; buyers are outbidding each other. Essex's health score of 51/100 now counts as Balanced. At 108.7% of asking, though, it plays more like a Seller's Market on the ground.
For buyers in Montclair, Maplewood, or Bloomfield, the approach hasn't changed. I'd budget 6–10% above asking, skip repair requests on competitive listings, and write every offer as if 5 others are on the table.
Hudson's reversal, explained
This is the number that will grab attention: Hudson County went from $753K (+9.5% YoY) in April to $683K (-5.8% YoY) in May. That's a $70K drop in the median and a 15-percentage-point swing in YoY growth in one month.
The other indicators don't look like a crash. DOM is 45 days, steady. Sale-to-list is 100.2%, right at asking. Active listings grew only modestly (2,259 vs. 2,155 in April). Nothing points to demand collapsing.
The likely explanation is mix shift. A median depends on which homes closed in a given month as well as on what prices did. Hudson probably closed more smaller units and lower-tier condos in May, after an April mix that leaned toward larger and waterfront homes. That pulls the median down even if no single property lost value.
Hudson's health score of 13/100 is the lowest of the 12 by a wide margin, and that does reflect something real. Listings take a long time to sell relative to supply, sale-to-list ratios are modest, and a $683K median strains affordability. It's possible that Jersey City and Hoboken are holding up better than the rest of the county, but county-level data can't show that.
Passaic speeds up, Mercer picks up
Passaic County's median DOM dropped to 30 days, down from 39 in April and one of the biggest one-month drops of the 12. Its median is $606K (+2.7% YoY), with a 104.0% sale-to-list ratio and 1,229 active listings. A health score of 48 sits just inside Buyer's Market territory, but the faster sales point toward balance.
Mercer County (the Princeton corridor) posted $479K (+5.2% YoY), a meaningful acceleration from April's +0.5%. DOM is 41 days and sale-to-list is 100.3%. With 1,373 listings, Mercer has enough supply to give buyers time. Still, 5%+ YoY appreciation suggests its affordability next to Morris and Somerset is drawing more competition.
Ocean's $50K jump
Ocean County had the most eye-catching price move of the month: a $517K median in May, up from $467K in April, a $50K jump in a single month. YoY is now +6.8%.
Ocean has nearly stopped selling below asking, with sale-to-list at 99.5% in May vs. 98.7% in April. It still has the most inventory of the 12 at 3,800 active listings, and DOM tightened to 28 days (from 34 in April). That doesn't look like a softening market. The higher-priced spring inventory is clearing.
Shore buyers who were counting on Ocean as the leverage market now have $50K less room to work with than they did six weeks ago. It's still the most supply-rich county, but the gap between Ocean and the other counties is narrowing.
Inventory: where buyers have options
Three counties have real supply depth.
Bergen County has 3,522 active listings, second only to Ocean. DOM tightened to 63 days (from 68 in April), and sale-to-list jumped to 104.2%, the highest Bergen reading in months. Bergen buyers still have selection, but over-asking offers are getting more common there too. The median is $788K, +4.7% YoY.
Middlesex County has 3,156 listings, a 64-day DOM (the longest of the 12), and a -2.1% YoY price. By the numbers it's still one of the most buyer-friendly counties, and over-asking is modest at 101.1%. Longer DOM (+10% YoY) and falling prices suggest supply is outpacing local demand, particularly in New Brunswick and the less-connected suburban pockets.
Ocean (3,800 listings) and Somerset (1,041) sit at opposite ends of the inventory range. Somerset's tight supply keeps it moving at a 20-day DOM despite a modest -1.5% YoY price dip. That dip is more likely mix shift than a real softening trend.
Full county breakdown, May 2026
| County | Score | Median Price | YoY | DOM | Sale/List | Listings |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bergen | 37 — Buyer's | $788K | +4.7% | 63 days | 104.2% | 3,522 |
| Burlington | 38 — Buyer's | $389K | −0.3% | 31 days | 100.9% | 1,852 |
| Essex | 51 — Balanced | $723K | +3.3% | 29 days | 108.7% | 2,276 |
| Hudson | 13 — Buyer's | $683K | −5.8% | 45 days | 100.2% | 2,259 |
| Mercer | 44 — Buyer's | $479K | +5.2% | 41 days | 100.3% | 1,373 |
| Middlesex | 19 — Buyer's | $538K | −2.1% | 64 days | 101.1% | 3,156 |
| Monmouth | 51 — Balanced | $723K | +2.5% | 19 days | 101.4% | 2,442 |
| Morris | 75 — Seller's | $748K | +9.8% | 16 days | 105.8% | 1,456 |
| Ocean | 50 — Balanced | $517K | +6.8% | 28 days | 99.5% | 3,800 |
| Passaic | 48 — Buyer's | $606K | +2.7% | 30 days | 104.0% | 1,229 |
| Somerset | 45 — Buyer's | $636K | −1.5% | 20 days | 103.7% | 1,041 |
| Union | 73 — Seller's | $720K | +10.8% | 19 days | 105.0% | 1,258 |
What to watch in June
Union's +10% YoY is an aggressive number. If June closes with the same inventory profile (flat supply, continued demand), the appreciation is real. A supply surge into summer would likely bring the YoY down.
Morris has now posted a sub-20-day DOM in both April and May (17 and 16 days), which is unusual for any NJ county outside peak spring. If Morris holds that pace into June, I'd call it structural, not seasonal.
For Hudson, the health score of 13 is the number to watch. Another score that low in June would mean the supply and demand imbalance is real and getting worse. A bounce back toward 30+ would make May's reading noise.
Bergen and Middlesex are both adding listings faster than buyers are absorbing them (Bergen +5.5%, Middlesex +17.4% YoY). If that continues into summer, prices in both could start to soften.
Find your county
All 12 county dashboards have May 2026 data: 13-month price charts, DOM trends, inventory levels, price per sqft by city, and market health analysis.
- Morris County: 16-day DOM, 105.8% sale-to-list, Seller's Market
- Union County: +10.8% YoY, 19-day DOM, Seller's Market
- Essex County: 108.7% sale-to-list, the highest of the 12
- Passaic County: 30-day DOM, a big drop from April
- Monmouth County: $723K, 19-day DOM, Balanced and moving fast
- Ocean County: $517K (+$50K from April), most inventory of the 12
- Bergen County: 3,522 listings, second-most of the 12, sale-to-list rising
- Somerset County: 20-day DOM, fewest listings of the 12
- Mercer County: Princeton corridor, +5.2% YoY and picking up
- Hudson County: median dip likely mix shift; watch June
- Middlesex County: longest DOM of the 12, Buyer's Market
- Burlington County: $389K entry point, 31-day DOM
Related reading
- NJ Real Estate Market Report — April 2026: last month's full data for comparison
- Best NJ Towns for NYC Commuters: includes Morris and Union County commuter towns
- NJ Closing Costs: What to Expect: budget the full cost before you offer in a competitive market
Note: Market data sourced from Redfin Data Center, May 2026. All information is deemed reliable but not guaranteed. Past market trends are not a guarantee of future performance.
