Market analytics · August 2026 archive
Vernal, Utah real estate market report.
Monthly sold prices, days on market, sale-to-list ratio, and absorption rate. Updated nightly from UtahRealEstate.com and the Washington County Board of Realtors.
Updated · Sources: UtahRealEstate.com & Washington County Board of Realtors
August 2026 · Market Analysis
Vernal's summer speed-up sticks as August closings pick back up to a 30-day median
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Homes that closed in Vernal this August took a median 30 days to sell, down from July's 40-day pace but still more than triple June's 8-day sprint — a middle-of-the-road reading after two months of wild swings. Eighteen homes closed, close to July's 16 but still light against the trailing 12-month average near 24, so treat this month's numbers as a smaller sample rather than a clean signal. Active listings kept climbing regardless, reaching 137 homes, up from 118 in July and 106 in June.
Market pulse
Median days on market has moved from 59 in May to 8 in June, up to 40 in July, and back to 30 in August — a market that hasn't settled into a steady cadence in months. Active inventory has climbed every month since March's 84, reaching 137 in August, while new listings held at 42, roughly in line with July's 38. Sale-to-list dipped to 91.14% in June before recovering to 95.27% in July and 95.86% in August, still below the 97-98% range that held from February through May. Only 2 of August's 18 closings sold above asking, with 15 below — a sign sellers are giving ground even as speed normalizes.
Mortgage context
The 30-year sits at 6.875% today, up 0.125 percentage points from 6.75% thirty days ago, and it's climbed steadily since February's 6.15% average through July's 6.79%. That steady climb is layering on top of an already-thin August closing count, and buyers financing a purchase are absorbing both a higher rate and a smaller pool of comparable sales to judge value against.
Payment math
A $376,000 median home with 20% down runs $1,976 a month in principal and interest at today's 6.875%, up $25 from $1,951 just 30 days ago at 6.75%, and up $143 from the $1,833 payment buyers locked in back in February 2026 when rates averaged 6.15% — that February figure is the low point of the past six months.
If you're buying
Eighteen homes closed in August, and 15 of them sold below asking, so there's still room to negotiate off list price. Look hardest in the under-$400K band, where the median sale was $286,250 and days on market matched the overall 30-day median — that's the segment with the most volume to choose from. On homes that carry a price cut already (six of August's closings did), push for another round off the reduced number rather than the original list.
If you're selling
Price to the 95.86% sale-to-list ratio, not to your neighbor's 2025 number — buyers are negotiating, and only 2 of 18 August closings went above asking. If your home is in the $400K-$700K range, expect a longer runway; that band's homes weren't moving inside 30 days like the entries in Westland Park or Cottonwood Heights Phase IV. A clean price from day one beats a cut later — six of August's 18 sales already had at least one price reduction before closing.
Outlook
With active listings at 137 — up from 118 in July, 106 in June, and 91 in May — buyers heading into fall will have more to choose from than they've had all year, even as closings stay in the high teens. If the 30-year holds near 6.875% or climbs further, expect the slower absorption pace to continue and sale-to-list to stay in the mid-90s rather than snap back toward par. Watch whether new listings, at 42 in August, keep pace with the inventory build — if they fall off, the active count could plateau into winter.
Watch for
If new listings drop below 35 a month while active inventory holds near 137, months-of-supply keeps climbing even without a rate move; if the 30-year instead pushes past 7%, expect the sale-to-list ratio to slide toward 94% as more sellers cut price before closing.
"Vernal cools its pace but not its price — August closings sped up while inventory kept climbing."
Common questions about Vernal this month
Is Vernal a buyer's or seller's market in August 2026? ▾
Leverage has shifted toward buyers. Active listings reached 137, the highest of the past six months, while only 18 homes closed and 15 of those sold below asking. Sellers are still closing deals, but the 95.86% sale-to-list ratio shows most are accepting less than list price to get there.
How much has the mortgage rate climb affected Vernal buyers? ▾
The 30-year sits at 6.875%, up from 6.15% back in February 2026, which adds about $143 a month in principal and interest on a median $376,000 home. Thirty days alone added $25 to that payment. Combined with more homes on the market, buyers have both higher borrowing costs and more room to negotiate on price.
Why did Vernal homes take 30 days to sell in August after such big swings earlier this year? ▾
Median days on market bounced from 59 in May to 8 in June to 40 in July before landing at 30 in August, reflecting a small monthly sample (17-18 closings) rather than a steady trend. With only about 18 sales a month against a trailing 12-month average near 24, single outlier listings can swing the median substantially.
Which Vernal neighborhoods are seeing the most activity right now? ▾
Westland Park led August with 2 closings at a median $483,500, while single sales closed in Rock Point Subdivision ($735,000), Cottonwood Heights Phase IV ($607,500), Briar Creek Subdivision ($595,000), and Green Field Downs Subdivision ($583,000). The spread across these five neighborhoods shows demand isn't concentrated in one price band or part of town.
Should I expect Vernal home prices to keep climbing into fall? ▾
August's median sale price was $376,000, close to July's $380,750 and roughly in line with the $345,000-$395,500 range seen most months over the past year. With active inventory building faster than closings, price growth looks more likely to flatten than accelerate through the fall.
Number of Listings
Active inventory · new listings · sold per month
Listing Prices
Active median list · new median list · sold median sale
Absorption Rate
Months of supply — active inventory ÷ monthly sold rate
Sale-to-List Ratio
Close price ÷ list price — buyer/seller leverage
Days on Market
Median days from listing to under contract
Price Volume
Total dollar volume — active · new · sold per month
August 2026 cohort breakdown
Distribution of what closed last month — by price band, sale-vs-list outcome, and top subdivisions.
How sales priced vs asking
18 sold homes that had a list price recorded
Days on market spread
Quartile distribution
Median 30 · 25th percentile 25 · 75th percentile 135
Needed a price change
Sold listings that had a recorded price change before close
6 of 18 sold homes had at least one price change while listed. Lower = sellers are pricing right the first time.
Sales by price band
Closed-price bucket → sold count and median days to contract
Top subdivisions this month
Ranked by closed count
- 1. Westland Park 2 sold · $484K · 30d
- 2. Rock Point Subdivision 1 sold · $735K
- 3. Cottonwood Heights Phase Iv 1 sold · $608K
- 4. Briar Creek Subdivision 1 sold · $595K
- 5. Green Field Downs Subdivision 1 sold · $583K
August 2026 by property type
How each housing type performed last month — 16 closings total across subtypes.
Summary Statistics
| Metric | Aug-26 | Aug-25 | % Chg | 2026 YTD | 2025 YTD | % Chg |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sold Count | 18 | 35 | -48.57% | 182 | 223 | -18.39% |
| Median Sale Price | $376,000 | $345,000 | +8.99% | $352,555 | $332,883 | +5.91% |
| Median DOM | 30 | 30 | 0.00% | 43 | 35 | +22.86% |
| Sale-to-List Ratio | 95.86% | 97.01% | -1.19% | 96.89% | 97.15% | -0.27% |
Sources: UtahRealEstate.com and the Washington County Board of Realtors, aggregated by Best Utah Real Estate. Sale-to-list ratio compares closing price to the final list price (post-reduction). Absorption rate = active inventory ÷ monthly sold rate.