Free web tool · Imagen Index #5
Listing Difficulty Index: the hardest US markets to sell in, and the best month to list
The hardest US market to list in right now is Portland, OR (81/100): 66 days on market, 31.6% of listings with a price cut, 222 gray days a year. The easiest is San Francisco, CA (7). Nationally, May brings the most new listings.
Market data for September 2026 (Realtor.com).
- Hardest market
- 81
- Portland, OR
- Easiest market
- 7
- San Francisco, CA
- Median days on market
- 55
- all 43 markets, September 2026
- Busiest listing month
- May
- across all 43 markets
Find your market
81/100 · #1 hardest of 43
- Gray days a year222Harder than 98% of markets
- Days on market66Harder than 82% of markets
- Listings with a price cut31.6%Harder than 95% of markets
- Inventory vs last year+6.9%Harder than 48% of markets
Busiest listing months: May, June, April — 33.1% of the year’s new listings. Plan shoots ahead of them.
All 43 markets, hardest to easiest
Score 0–100: the average of four ranks among these markets — gray days, days on market, share of listings with a price cut, and growth in active listings. Higher means a listing has to work harder to stand out.
Every market
Click a column to sort; a market for its own page. Listing data for September 2026.
| Portland, OR | 81 | 66 | 31.6 | +6.9 | 222 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Indianapolis, IN | 77 | 53 | 30.5 | +19.9 | 179 |
| Seattle, WA | 77 | 51 | 25 | +28.5 | 226 |
| Columbus, OH | 68 | 48 | 28.8 | +13.8 | 190 |
| Charlotte, NC | 66 | 64 | 26.2 | +10.3 | 152 |
| Pittsburgh, PA | 65 | 54 | 22.2 | +15.6 | 203 |
| Salt Lake City, UT | 65 | 58 | 33.6 | +14.1 | 139 |
| Louisville, KY | 63 | 45 | 24.5 | +27.1 | 171 |
| Madison, WI | 62 | 56 | 21.3 | +15.2 | 180 |
| Cincinnati, OH | 61 | 44 | 22.3 | +18 | 186 |
| Nashville, TN | 60 | 62 | 22.4 | +12 | 156 |
| San Antonio, TX | 59 | 71 | 25.4 | +5.9 | 141 |
| Austin, TX | 58 | 80 | 27.3 | +1.5 | 136 |
| Cleveland, OH | 58 | 44 | 21.1 | +16.8 | 202 |
| Minneapolis-St. Paul, MN | 58 | 42 | 23 | +31.2 | 169 |
| Raleigh, NC | 57 | 59 | 24.1 | +7.6 | 149 |
| Denver, CO | 56 | 58 | 32.1 | +6.7 | 120 |
| Phoenix, AZ | 54 | 62 | 29 | +7.5 | 70 |
| Buffalo, NY | 53 | 44 | 12.9 | +28 | 208 |
| St. Louis, MO | 53 | 50 | 19.9 | +16.3 | 164 |
| Atlanta, GA | 51 | 60 | 23.7 | +4.3 | 149 |
| Baltimore, MD | 51 | 46 | 22 | +16.2 | 152 |
| Tampa, FL | 51 | 76 | 27.5 | -3.8 | 121 |
| Albuquerque, NM | 50 | 67 | 25.6 | +4.8 | 87 |
| Dallas-Fort Worth, TX | 50 | 62 | 27.5 | -2.4 | 133 |
| Detroit, MI | 49 | 43 | 21.5 | +13 | 185 |
| Jacksonville, FL | 47 | 66 | 24.8 | -13.7 | 144 |
| Orlando, FL | 47 | 77 | 22.7 | +0.3 | 130 |
| Washington, DC | 46 | 43 | 20.1 | +16.2 | 164 |
| New Orleans, LA | 45 | 80 | 19.1 | +0.5 | 146 |
| Philadelphia, PA | 45 | 49 | 18.5 | +14.7 | 160 |
| Houston, TX | 44 | 55 | 20.2 | +5.3 | 161 |
| Las Vegas, NV | 44 | 58 | 25.1 | +6.3 | 73 |
| Boston, MA | 41 | 43 | 16.6 | +16.1 | 164 |
| Milwaukee, WI | 37 | 37 | 17 | +9.9 | 175 |
| Miami, FL | 32 | 85 | 14.9 | -12.3 | 115 |
| Kansas City, MO | 31 | 50 | 19.4 | +0.4 | 149 |
| New York, NY | 31 | 56 | 10.3 | +6.3 | 132 |
| Sacramento, CA | 30 | 51 | 22 | +1.8 | 100 |
| Los Angeles, CA | 27 | 55 | 17.1 | +4.2 | 103 |
| Chicago, IL | 23 | 36 | 16.3 | -5.3 | 176 |
| San Diego, CA | 21 | 46 | 20.4 | -1.5 | 102 |
| San Francisco, CA | 7 | 37 | 13.4 | -10.9 | 105 |
Busiest listing months, nationally
Each month’s average share of the year’s new listings across the 43 markets, 2023–2025 (Realtor.com). The busiest months are in ink.
- 6.7% in January
- 7.5% in February
- 8.9% in March
- 9.9% in April
- 10% in May
- 9.9% in June
- 9.2% in July
- 8.8% in August
- 8.8% in September
- 8.4% in October
- 7% in November
- 4.9% in December
| Metro | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Seattle, WA | 6 | 7 | 9.1 | 10.3 | 11.7 | 11 | 9.7 | 8.7 | 9.7 | 7.5 | 5.8 | 3.4 |
| Portland, OR | 6.5 | 6.7 | 8.5 | 10.7 | 11.3 | 11.1 | 9.9 | 9 | 8.4 | 7.8 | 6.1 | 3.9 |
| Phoenix, AZ | 9.1 | 9.6 | 9.4 | 9.2 | 8.3 | 7.7 | 7.2 | 8.9 | 8 | 8.9 | 7.9 | 5.7 |
| Los Angeles, CA | 7.8 | 7.9 | 8.5 | 9.5 | 9.4 | 9.5 | 9.2 | 8.9 | 8.6 | 8.4 | 7.3 | 4.9 |
| San Diego, CA | 7.7 | 7.9 | 8.9 | 9.8 | 9.6 | 9.9 | 9.3 | 8.6 | 8.3 | 8.9 | 6.7 | 4.5 |
| San Francisco, CA | 7.2 | 7.9 | 9.3 | 10.7 | 11.2 | 9.8 | 8.6 | 8.3 | 10.5 | 8.3 | 5.5 | 2.7 |
| Sacramento, CA | 6.5 | 7.5 | 8.3 | 10.2 | 10.7 | 10.2 | 9.5 | 9 | 8.8 | 8.1 | 6.5 | 4.6 |
| Denver, CO | 6.5 | 7.7 | 9.6 | 11.1 | 11.4 | 10.8 | 9.1 | 8.6 | 8.9 | 7.4 | 5.7 | 3.2 |
| Dallas-Fort Worth, TX | 7 | 7.7 | 9 | 10.1 | 10 | 10 | 9.3 | 8.5 | 8 | 7.9 | 7 | 5.3 |
| Houston, TX | 6.9 | 7.9 | 8.9 | 9.7 | 9.8 | 9.9 | 9 | 8.5 | 7.8 | 8.1 | 7.3 | 6.2 |
| Austin, TX | 6.8 | 8 | 10.8 | 12 | 11 | 10 | 8.8 | 7.7 | 7.7 | 7.2 | 5.8 | 4.4 |
| Miami, FL | 9.4 | 9.5 | 9.1 | 8.8 | 8.2 | 7.8 | 7.5 | 7.7 | 8.1 | 8.3 | 8.3 | 7.3 |
| Tampa, FL | 8.5 | 9 | 9.3 | 9.5 | 9 | 8.4 | 8 | 7.9 | 7.8 | 8 | 8.1 | 6.3 |
| Orlando, FL | 8.1 | 8.6 | 8.8 | 9.2 | 9 | 9.1 | 8.7 | 8.4 | 7.9 | 8.1 | 7.7 | 6.5 |
| Atlanta, GA | 7.1 | 8 | 9.3 | 9.6 | 9.7 | 9.6 | 8.9 | 8.5 | 8.4 | 8.1 | 7.2 | 5.6 |
| Charlotte, NC | 7 | 7.8 | 9.3 | 10 | 9.7 | 9.4 | 9.2 | 8.8 | 8.7 | 8.1 | 7 | 5 |
| Raleigh, NC | 7.3 | 8.1 | 9.3 | 10 | 9.8 | 9.7 | 9.2 | 8.5 | 8.4 | 8.1 | 6.8 | 4.8 |
| Washington, DC | 6 | 7.1 | 9.6 | 10.7 | 10.9 | 10.1 | 8.6 | 8.2 | 9.2 | 8.7 | 6.5 | 4.5 |
| Baltimore, MD | 6 | 7.3 | 9 | 9.9 | 10 | 9.6 | 9.1 | 8.8 | 8.6 | 9 | 7.4 | 5.3 |
| Philadelphia, PA | 6.3 | 7.3 | 8.8 | 9.7 | 10 | 9.6 | 9.4 | 8.4 | 8.9 | 8.9 | 7.6 | 5.1 |
| New York, NY | 6.8 | 7.4 | 9.4 | 10.2 | 10.1 | 9.9 | 8.6 | 8 | 9.6 | 8.3 | 7.1 | 4.6 |
| Boston, MA | 5.7 | 5.9 | 8.5 | 10.9 | 11.4 | 11.3 | 8.6 | 7.9 | 11.2 | 8.7 | 6.5 | 3.4 |
| Pittsburgh, PA | 5.6 | 6.6 | 8.7 | 9.7 | 9.9 | 10.1 | 9.8 | 9.2 | 9.3 | 8.8 | 7.4 | 4.9 |
| Cleveland, OH | 5.8 | 6.7 | 8.1 | 9 | 9.9 | 10.3 | 9.7 | 9.6 | 9.2 | 9 | 7.5 | 5.3 |
| Detroit, MI | 6.4 | 6.3 | 7.7 | 9.1 | 9.7 | 10.1 | 10.2 | 10 | 9 | 8.7 | 7.6 | 5.1 |
| Chicago, IL | 6.2 | 7.6 | 8.8 | 10 | 10.2 | 10.4 | 9.8 | 8.9 | 9.1 | 8.2 | 6.6 | 4.2 |
| Milwaukee, WI | 5.2 | 6 | 8 | 9.5 | 10.1 | 10.9 | 10.1 | 10.4 | 9.8 | 9 | 7 | 4.1 |
| Minneapolis-St. Paul, MN | 5.5 | 6.8 | 8.6 | 10.1 | 10.9 | 10.9 | 10 | 9.4 | 9.2 | 8.3 | 6.5 | 3.9 |
| St. Louis, MO | 5.8 | 7.1 | 8.5 | 9.5 | 9.6 | 9.7 | 9.6 | 9.2 | 9.3 | 8.9 | 7.4 | 5.4 |
| Kansas City, MO | 5.4 | 6.8 | 8.7 | 10.3 | 10.3 | 10.2 | 9.5 | 9.1 | 9 | 8.6 | 7.1 | 5.1 |
| Nashville, TN | 6.8 | 7.6 | 9.1 | 10 | 9.5 | 9.8 | 8.8 | 8.6 | 8.8 | 8.3 | 7.2 | 5.4 |
| Las Vegas, NV | 7.9 | 8.3 | 9.1 | 9.8 | 9.1 | 8.8 | 8.6 | 8.9 | 8.5 | 8.2 | 7.2 | 5.6 |
| Salt Lake City, UT | 6.5 | 7.1 | 8.6 | 10.1 | 10.5 | 10.1 | 8.6 | 9.4 | 8.8 | 8.4 | 7 | 4.9 |
| Buffalo, NY | 4.3 | 5.2 | 7 | 9.2 | 10.3 | 11.7 | 10.7 | 10.4 | 10.2 | 9.5 | 7 | 4.4 |
| Columbus, OH | 5.8 | 6.7 | 8.2 | 9.5 | 10.2 | 10.5 | 10.6 | 9.4 | 9 | 8.6 | 7.1 | 4.4 |
| Indianapolis, IN | 5.6 | 6.9 | 8.7 | 9.7 | 10 | 10 | 9.5 | 9.5 | 9.2 | 8.7 | 7.2 | 4.9 |
| Cincinnati, OH | 5.8 | 6.6 | 8.6 | 9.4 | 9.6 | 10.4 | 9.8 | 8.8 | 8.8 | 9 | 7.9 | 5.3 |
| San Antonio, TX | 7.3 | 8.3 | 8.7 | 9.2 | 10 | 9.7 | 9.2 | 8.1 | 8.3 | 8.1 | 7.2 | 6 |
| Jacksonville, FL | 8 | 9.3 | 9.4 | 9.7 | 9.2 | 9.1 | 8.2 | 8.4 | 8.1 | 7.7 | 7.1 | 5.8 |
| New Orleans, LA | 7.7 | 7.7 | 10 | 10.3 | 9.2 | 9.2 | 8.5 | 7.9 | 7.9 | 8.3 | 7.6 | 5.8 |
| Albuquerque, NM | 6.8 | 7.5 | 8.7 | 9.4 | 9.7 | 9.8 | 9.3 | 9.1 | 8.5 | 8.3 | 7 | 5.7 |
| Madison, WI | 5.4 | 7 | 8.9 | 10.5 | 10.9 | 11.1 | 10.5 | 9.7 | 9 | 7.9 | 6 | 3.2 |
| Louisville, KY | 6.3 | 7.2 | 8.1 | 9.2 | 9.4 | 9.8 | 9.6 | 9.2 | 9.1 | 8.8 | 8 | 5.3 |
How long does it take to sell a house?
In September 2026, the median listing in the 43 markets we track spent 55 days on market. Listings sat longest in Miami, FL (85 days) and Austin, TX (80), and sold fastest in Chicago, IL (36).
What makes a listing stand out in a hard market
Where listings sit longest, the photos are the first showing: they decide which listings get the click. Shoot exteriors on the clearest days before your market’s peak, keep every room bright and consistent across the listing, and label any edit your MLS asks you to.
Method and sources
Each market’s score is the average of four percentile ranks among the 43 markets: gray days a year (NOAA), median days on market, the share of listings with a price cut, and the change in active listings from a year earlier (Realtor.com, September 2026). A higher score means a listing has to work harder to stand out. The score ranks markets against each other; it is not a forecast for any one listing. Busiest listing months are each month’s share of new listings, averaged over 2023–2025.
Sources: Realtor.com Economic Research: metro inventory core metrics; NOAA NCEI Comparative Climatic Data: mean number of clear, partly cloudy and cloudy days. Updated monthly.
Listing Difficulty Index: questions
What month is the hardest to sell a house?
Across the 43 markets we track, December has the fewest new listings, and buyers are scarcest in the same weeks. A listing in a slow month has to look its best to stand out.
What’s the best month to list a house in 2026?
Nationally, May brings the most new listings. In most markets the busiest months run from April to June; check your market’s own peak in the table above.
How long does it take to sell a house right now?
The median listing in the markets we track spends 55 days on market (Realtor.com, latest month). Each market’s figure is in the table.
Which US markets are hardest to sell in?
The ranking above scores each market on days on market, price cuts, inventory growth and gray days. The highest scores are the markets where a listing has to work hardest.
Do better listing photos sell a house faster?
Photos are the first showing. Bright, consistent, accurately edited photos earn the click that leads to a visit, which matters most where listings sit longest.
More free tools
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Gray days a year and by month in 43 US metros, the best month to shoot exteriors, and a 7-day shoot-today call.
Listing Photo Rules Tracker
Every state law and MLS rule on AI-edited and virtually staged listing photos: what to disclose, when it applies and the penalties.
