Market analytics
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
May 2026 · Market Analysis
Vernal's May pace resets: days on market more than tripled as listings build across Uintah Basin
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The defining shift in Vernal's May 2026 market was a sharp reversal in closing speed. Median days on market climbed from 15 in April to 49 in May — more than a threefold increase in a single month — signaling that the brisk April pace was a short-lived window rather than a new normal. Active inventory reached 133 homes in May, up from 123 in April and 107 in March, while 24 homes closed compared to 22 in May 2025, a modest year-over-year gain in volume that masks the slower pace at which individual listings are finding buyers.
Market pulse
Median days on market in Vernal has been anything but steady over the past six months: it sat at 41 days in December 2025, climbed to 69 days in January 2026, dropped to 25 days in February, spiked to 75 days in March, compressed sharply to 15 days in April, and then rebounded to 49 days in May. That volatility reflects a market where a handful of well-priced listings can move the median dramatically in a small-volume town. The sale-to-list ratio, however, has been more consistent — it reached 98.7% in May, the strongest reading since the spring selling season opened, suggesting sellers who price correctly are still closing near asking. Active inventory has grown steadily since February's 107 homes, adding listings each month through May's 133, while new listings in May came in at 45, down from April's 54 but well above the winter pace of 11 in December.
Mortgage context
The 30-year fixed rate in Vernal's lending environment now sits at 6.75%, up 0.25 percentage points from 6.50% thirty days ago and 0.56 percentage points above February's monthly average of 6.19% — the low point of the past seven months. After dipping through January and February, rates climbed through March and April before pushing higher again in May and June, compressing what buyers can afford on a given income. FHA and VA options at 6.25% remain meaningfully cheaper for qualifying buyers, which matters in a market where the majority of closings happen under $400,000.
Payment math
On a median-priced home here — about $340,000 with 20% down — the monthly principal-and-interest payment lands at $1,764 at 6.75% — $45 more than 30 days ago at 6.50%, and $100 above the February low when rates averaged 6.19% and the payment would have been $1,664.
If you're buying
Target listings in Vernal that have been sitting 60 days or longer — the $400,000–$700,000 band had a median days on market of 64 in May, and sellers in that range have more room to negotiate than the sale-to-list headline suggests. Neighborhoods like Haven Estates and Basin Acres have seen individual listings linger well past the market median, which creates an opening for buyers willing to make an offer on a home that's been passed over. If you qualify for FHA or VA financing, the 6.25% rate available now is 0.50 percentage points below the conventional 30-year, which on a $340,000 purchase translates to a meaningful monthly savings worth running the numbers on before locking.
If you're selling
With 133 active listings competing for 24 May closings, Vernal sellers need to price at or just below what similar homes have recently sold for — not where the market was in early spring when April's 15-day median created a false sense of urgency. Homes in the under-$400,000 range are still moving in a median of 41 days, but the $400,000–$700,000 segment is taking 64 days on average, so sellers in that band should expect a longer hold and price accordingly from day one rather than chasing the market down with reductions. Condition and presentation matter more now that buyers have 133 active choices in Uintah Basin — a home that shows well and is priced to May's actual sales data, not April's, will close faster and closer to list.
Outlook
Over the next 60–90 days, Vernal's market will likely remain in a holding pattern shaped by two competing forces: seasonal demand from families wanting to move before the school year, and rising borrowing costs that are nudging the monthly payment on a median-priced home toward $1,800. If inventory continues building at its current pace — adding roughly 10–26 homes per month since February — buyers will have more choices heading into July and August, which typically softens the sale-to-list ratio. Sellers who watched April's speed and priced aggressively into May may find themselves adjusting as the summer progresses, particularly in the $400,000-and-up segment where days on market are already running long.
Watch for
If the 30-year fixed rate crosses 7.00% before August, expect the under-$400,000 segment — which has been carrying Vernal's volume with 17 of 24 May closings — to slow noticeably, pushing median days on market back toward the 60–75 day range seen in January and March.
"Speed mirage: after April's 15-day sprint, Vernal closings slowed back to 49 days — but sellers are still getting 98.7 cents on the dollar."
Common questions about Vernal this month
Is Vernal a buyer's or seller's market in May 2026? ▾
It's moving toward a more balanced market. With 133 active listings and only 24 closings in May, it would take about 5.5 months to sell every home currently listed at that pace — a level where neither buyers nor sellers hold a clear edge. The sale-to-list ratio of 98.7% still favors sellers on well-priced homes, but the growing inventory and longer days on market give buyers more room to negotiate, especially above $400,000.
Why did homes take so much longer to sell in May than April in Vernal? ▾
April's 15-day median was unusually fast and driven heavily by a cluster of under-$400,000 homes that moved quickly — 22 of April's 31 closings were in that price range with a median of just 12 days. May's mix shifted slightly, with more $400,000-and-up closings that typically take longer, and the overall pool of active listings grew to 133, giving buyers more options and less urgency. The 49-day May median is closer to Vernal's typical pace than April's sprint was.
Are home prices falling in Vernal? ▾
The median sale price in May was $340,000, down from $359,500 in March and $327,000 in April — the month-to-month swings reflect a small market where a few higher- or lower-priced closings can move the median significantly. Year over year, May 2026's $340,000 median is modestly below May 2025's $360,000, but with only 24 closings in the sample, individual transactions carry a lot of weight. The sale-to-list ratio of 98.7% suggests sellers are not being forced to accept deep discounts.
Which neighborhoods or subdivisions are selling fastest in Vernal right now? ▾
In May 2026, Hunter Hill had a closing at 10 days on market, and West Side Drive Subdivision closed in 27 days — both well below the market median. Haven Estates Subdivision, which has been a consistent presence in Vernal's monthly top closings, took 64 days in May, while Basin Acres came in at 95 days. Homes priced under $400,000 in established neighborhoods near central Vernal are generally moving faster than larger or higher-priced properties on the outskirts.
How are rising mortgage rates affecting Vernal buyers in mid-2026? ▾
At today's 6.75% rate, the monthly principal-and-interest payment on a median-priced $340,000 home with 20% down is $1,764 — $100 more per month than it would have been in February when rates averaged 6.19%. That's a real affordability squeeze, particularly for first-time buyers. FHA and VA loans are currently available at 6.25%, which brings the payment down meaningfully for qualifying buyers, and given that most Vernal closings happen under $400,000, those programs are worth exploring before locking into a conventional rate.
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 ÷ original list — buyer/seller leverage
Days on Market
Median days from listing to close
Price Volume
Total dollar volume — active · new · sold per month
May 2026 cohort breakdown
Distribution of what closed last month — by price band, sale-vs-list outcome, and top subdivisions.
How sales priced vs asking
25 sold homes that had a list price recorded
Days on market spread
Quartile distribution
Median 41 · 25th percentile 3 · 75th percentile 83
Needed a price change
Sold listings that had a recorded price change before close
3 of 25 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. Hunter Hill 1 sold · $618K · 10d
- 2. Bonnie Lass 1 sold · $520K · 380d
- 3. West Side Drive Subdivision 1 sold · $500K · 27d
- 4. Haven Estates Subdivision 1 sold · $431K · 64d
- 5. Basin Acres 1 sold · $413K · 95d
May 2026 by property type
How each housing type performed last month — 22 closings total across subtypes.
Summary Statistics
| Metric | May-26 | May-25 | % Chg | 2026 YTD | 2025 YTD | % Chg |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sold Count | 25 | 22 | +13.64% | 131 | 139 | -5.76% |
| Median Sale Price | $350,000 | $360,000 | -2.78% | $353,748 | $331,748 | +6.63% |
| Median DOM | 41 | 19 | +115.79% | 46 | 33 | +39.39% |
| Sale-to-List Ratio | 98.81% | 97.17% | +1.69% | 97.97% | 97.30% | +0.69% |
Past months
Browse historical Vernal reports — each month's snapshot stays at its own permanent URL.
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.