The Riverside County Housing Market: Prices, Inventory and Days on Market (2026)

What is the Riverside County housing market doing in 2026? It's steady on price and slower on sales. The county median held about level with a year ago in September 2026, while the number of homes sold fell and inventory sits at a pace that gives buyers real choices. Homes that are priced right still sell quickly. The rest sit, and that gap is the main story of this market.

This page collects the current numbers in one place and explains what they mean. The snapshot box is updated each month when the California Association of REALTORS® releases new county data. Everything else on the page explains how to read it.

I have been selling homes in Riverside County for 16 years with Leeper Realty Group, with more than 400 closings across Moreno Valley, Menifee, Perris, Beaumont, Riverside and the surrounding Inland Empire.

Where the market stands right now

Riverside County snapshot

Figures current as of September 2026. This is the only part of this page that carries dated numbers.

Median sold price, existing single-family home: $620,000

Down 2.1% from August 2026. Down 0.6% from September 2025.

Home sales: down 12.7% from September 2025.

Months of supply (Unsold Inventory Index): 4.4 months, up from 4.2 in September 2025.

Median days to sell (homes that sold): 42 days, up from 38 in September 2025.

Source: California Association of REALTORS® September 2026 sales and price report.

Median days on market (all listings): 62 days, the same as in August 2026.

Counts every listing, including ones that went off the market without selling.

Source: Realtor.com residential listing data via FRED, September 2026.

For comparison, the California statewide median was $899,720 with 3.7 months of supply.

Two things stand out. Prices are holding. Fewer homes are selling, and that is where the slowdown actually shows up.

Is it a buyer's market or a seller's market?

Riverside County sits between the two. The Unsold Inventory Index measures how many months it would take to sell every home on the market at the current pace of sales. At 4.4 months, the county has more supply than the state as a whole (3.7 months) and a little more than a year ago (4.2 months).

In practice that means buyers have options and time, and sellers who price well still get strong results. The homes that struggle are the ones priced for a faster market than this one.

For the full argument, read whether it's a buyer's market in the Inland Empire.

What are home prices doing?

The Riverside County median sold price for an existing single-family home was $620,000 in September 2026, down 0.6% from a year earlier and down 2.1% from August. Month-to-month moves like that one are normal and often reflect which homes happened to sell that month. The year-over-year number is the better read, and it says prices are about flat with a year ago.

The Inland Empire as a region came in at a median of $601,030 in September 2026, up 1.7% from a year earlier, according to the same C.A.R. report. Statewide, the median was $899,720. That gap of roughly $280,000 between the county and the state is the reason people keep moving here, and it's why I think the Inland Empire still has room to run.

How long are homes taking to sell?

It depends on which number you use, and the difference between them is the most useful thing on this page.

C.A.R. reports a median of 42 days for Riverside County homes that sold in September 2026, up from 38 a year earlier. Realtor.com reports a median of 62 days for all listings, including homes that were pulled off the market without selling. The homes that sell are selling in about six weeks. The homes that don't are pulling the second number up.

My own listings show the same split. Across the arm's-length sales I have listed in Riverside County since 2011, homes that went under contract within two weeks sold for a median 101.0% of original list price. Homes that sat past 90 days sold for 95.3%.

For sellers, the lesson is to price for the first two weeks. For buyers, it's that a home sitting well past the county median is often the one with room to negotiate. The Seller pillar and the Buyer pillar each go deeper on their side of that.

How are interest rates affecting the market?

Rates shape the market mostly through volume. When rates are higher than the rate most owners already have, fewer of them choose to sell and fewer buyers qualify for the same payment, so both sides of the market get thinner. That shows up in the 12.7% drop in county sales from a year ago more than it shows up in price.

I don't print a mortgage rate on this page because rates move weekly. Get a current quote from your lender.

If you're waiting for rates to fall before you buy or sell, waiting for interest rates to drop might be a mistake lays out what tends to happen when they do.

How are buyers and sellers negotiating right now?

With more homes to choose from, buyers are asking for more than a lower price. Seller credits toward closing costs, repair credits after inspection and rate buydowns are all part of the conversation, and how the buyer is paying changes what's realistic.

On my Riverside County listings that closed before August 2024, FHA and VA buyers received a seller credit of 1% of the price or more about a third of the time, conventional buyers about a fifth of the time, and cash buyers never did.

What does this mean for you?

If you're selling, this market rewards preparation and accurate pricing from day one. Start with our complete guide to selling a home in Riverside County, or request a home value estimate for your address.

If you're buying, you have more room to negotiate than buyers have had in years, especially on homes that have been sitting. Start with our complete guide to buying a home in the Inland Empire, and read should you buy now or wait if timing is the question.

Investors have their own guide. Our complete guide to real estate investing in Riverside County covers owning a rental here and selling one when the time comes.

Find out what your home is worth. Call or text 951-741-5311.

This content is for general information only and is not legal, tax or financial advice. Market figures come from the sources named, reflect the date shown, and may change. Talk with a qualified attorney, tax professional or lender about your specific situation. Equal Housing Opportunity.