Lehigh Valley Market Data: What the Numbers Mean

Headlines about the housing market tell a national story, not the story of your street. The numbers that matter for a Lehigh Valley decision come from local sources, and knowing what each figure means is the difference between a confident move and a guess. Here is how I read the market reports for Northampton, Lehigh, and Carbon Counties, and how you can too.

Where does the Lehigh Valley market data come from?

The Greater Lehigh Valley REALTORS (GLVR) compiles the region's official monthly statistics from the multiple listing service, including median price, pending and settled sales, new listings, and days on market. Every licensed agent in the region works from the same data, so the GLVR report is the baseline for any honest market conversation. I publish the headline figures in plain language in my monthly Lehigh Valley market updates, and I share the full county reports with anyone who asks.

What do median price and days on market really mean?

Median price is the middle sale price of all homes sold in a period, so it is not the same as an average and it shifts when the mix of homes sold changes. Days on market shows how long listings take to go under contract, which is a direct read on competition and buyer urgency. Look at both together, and compare them to the same month a year ago, to see the direction a market is moving rather than a single snapshot.

How can I tell if the market favors buyers or sellers?

Compare how many homes are for sale against how many are selling. When active inventory is low and homes go under contract quickly, sellers generally have more leverage, and the reverse is true when supply is high. The useful measures are months of inventory, price trends, and days on market for your specific town or ZIP, because each community in the Valley can move differently. Ask your agent for the trend over several months instead of the single most recent number.

What are the current numbers for the Lehigh Valley?

The most recent figures published on this site come from the GLVR data summarized in the October 2026 market update. For Lehigh and Northampton Counties combined, the median sales price was reported at $375,000, up 6.8% from a year earlier, with homes averaging about 20 days on market and supply still below a balanced market (September 2026 report). Carbon County was reported separately at a median of $245,000, down 3.9% from a year earlier, with a median of 27 days on market. Those numbers are a snapshot of one reporting month, and the full details are in the October 2026 Lehigh Valley housing market update.

Why should I be careful with national headlines?

National mortgage rate stories and price headlines are averages across many markets, and they often do not match what is happening on a given street in the Lehigh Valley. Rates affect everyone, but local supply and demand set local prices. Pair any national story with the local GLVR numbers for the town you are watching before you make a decision, and ask a local professional for context on how your specific community is trending.

Quick tips at a glance

I publish the current figures in plain language on my Lehigh Valley market update page, with the Northampton County page for that county's numbers. Want the quick answers instead? Head back to the Ask Tim Tepes Tips & Tricks page, where the market data questions here each have a one-paragraph answer and a tip.