Arlington single-family homes continued to march closer to an average $2 million sales price in newly released data.
The average sales price of the 60 single-family detached properties that went to closing in September was $1,813,759 — up a whopping 23.5% year-over-year.
New figures were reported Oct. 10 by Bright MLS, using data from MarketStats by ShowingTime. For the month, single-family detached homes represented 33% of all sales, compared to 38.5% a year ago.
Increases in average single-family sales prices likely are a result of general housing inflation coupled with smaller, aging single-family homes in the county being torn down and replaced by larger ones.
The $2 million average sales price already has been surpassed among Arlington single-family homes with four or more bedrooms, which in September represented about 70% of all single-family homes sold.
In that segment of larger homes, the average sales price of $2,143,893 in September was up 20.2% from $1,784,024 a year before.
Late summer and early spring delivered an opportunity for buyers to get more for their money, if they financed purchases.
“Mortgage rates came down in August and early September, which brought some buyers into the market,” said Lisa Sturtevant, chief economist for Bright MLS.
At the same time, the impact of federal government and contractor layoffs and buyouts are causing headwinds likely to be further intensified by impacts of the government shutdown.
The local region “is showing us how sensitive the market is to broader economic and political uncertainty,” Sturtevant said. “In places where the federal government has a strong presence … we’re already seeing the impact of the shutdown and job insecurity.”
Overall for the month, 184 homes went to closing countywide, up from 143 a year before.
The average sales price of all homes sold was $986,422, up 3.6%.
While average prices in the single-family segment were up, they declined in the other two market sectors:
- The average sales price of attached homes — townhouses, rowhouses and condominiums — was $586,098, down 6.8% from a year ago
- The average sales price in the condo-only segment was $400,467, down 6.9%
Those declines pushed the month’s median price down 10.7% to $686,388, despite the increase in average sales price. The median is the point at which half of homes sell for more, half for less.
Add up all the transactions, and the total market volume countywide in Arlington was $184.2 million, up 34.1% from a year before.
Prospective buyers have more to choose from, with the number of active listings rising from 313 in September 2024 to 465 in September 2025.
“Sellers are adjusting to a new market reality,” Sturtevant said. “Buyers now have more options and more negotiating power, and price trends are starting to reflect that shift.”
In part because of the higher inventory, the average number of days between listing and ratified contract has ballooned nearly 60%, from 23 a year before to 36 in September, while the sales-price-to-listing-price ratio declined slightly (from 98% to 97%) during the same period.
Arlington home-sellers received an average $500 per square foot in September, down 4% year-over-year. For the month, Arlington’s per-square-foot cost trailed Falls Church at $545 and D.C. at $509, and was tied with Alexandria.
Across the Washington metro area, Bright MLS recorded 3,894 closed sales in September. That was up 4.4% year over year, growth attributed to lower interest rates.
But new pending sales across the region fell 3.3% year-over-year even as mortgage rates stabilized, “a result of many home shoppers hitting pause in the face of the federal budget gridlock and job insecurity,” Sturtevant said.
Home-price growth has essentially stalled across much of the metro area, with the regional median sold price of $600,500 up just 0.3% from a year ago.
Price performance varied widely across the region, with some suburban markets seeing modest growth while urban areas show declines, Bright MLS said.
The median days on market regionally in September was 21, 10 days longer than last year. Inventory has grown 27% year-over-year, largely because of longer times for homes to sell. Showings for the month essentially were flat at 90,805.
Figures represent most, but not all, sales across the market. September 2025 figures are preliminary and are subject to revision.
