April 2026 Home Sales Report
Solid Market Performance Continued in April
Date: May 21, 2026
April 2026 at a glance
For the second straight month, existing home sales grew at a healthy pace, rising 7.4% compared to April 2025. Likewise, median prices increased to $340,000, which is up 6.3% over the last 12 months. Revised March figures show sales were up 8.5% relative to a year earlier, and prices rose 6.5% over that same period.
After a slow start to the year, solid performance in March and April pushed year-to-date sales up 4.1% relative to the first four months of 2025, and the median price rose 4.9% to $325,000 compared to the January-through-April period last year.
Inventory remains quite limited. Even though new listings were up 5.6% compared to April 2025, the strong sales resulted in an increase of just 0.2% in total listings.
Mortgage rates fell 40 basis points from an average of 6.73% in April 2025 to 6.33% in April 2026, and median family income rose 1% over that same period.
Overall, this remains a strong seller’s market, with 3.7 months of available supply, down 2.6% compared to 12 months earlier. This is well below the six-month benchmark that signals a balanced existing home market.
Available supply fell over the last 12 months across all urban and rural classifications. Still, counties with less densely populated areas continued to have greater supply than more populated areas. The large metropolitan areas had the tightest supply at just 3.4 months. This was followed by smaller towns and cities that are in micropolitan areas, which had 3.9 months of supply, and the sparsely populated rural areas that had 4.8 months of available supply in April.
Affordability dropped 1.6% since April 2025, primarily because robust home price appreciation offset the improvements in mortgage rates and family income.
Additional analysis
Strong Spring Home Sales
“We’re pleased to see March’s sales momentum extend into April across Wisconsin. Even with limited inventory, the consistency in activity reflects resilient buyer demand and continued strength in our existing home market.”
Amy Curler, 2026 Chair of the Board of Directors, Wisconsin REALTORS® Association
Housing Shortage Continues
“The spike in sales has put significant stress on the limited supply. With just 3.7 months of supply, we would need inventory to increase by nearly 62% to get to a balanced market with six months of supply. For potential sellers, this is an excellent time to list as we move into the all-important peak summer market.”
Tom Larson, President & CEO, Wisconsin REALTORS® Association
U.S. Economy Remains on Solid Footing
“Not surprisingly, the annual headline inflation rate jumped from 2.3% in April 2025 to 3.8% in April 2026 because of the unresolved conflict in the Middle East. However, even with the additional uncertainty generated by higher inflation, the economy remains on solid footing. Recent jobs reports revealed stronger than expected job growth, and the initial estimate of inflation-adjusted GDP was up 2% in the first quarter. The resilience of the economy combined with a predictable spike in inflation from higher oil prices will likely result in the Fed holding the line on interest rates for the foreseeable future.”
Dave Clark, Professor Emeritus of Economics and WRA Consultant
About the WRA
The Wisconsin REALTORS® Association is one of the largest trade associations in the state, representing over 17,500 real estate brokers, salespeople and affiliates statewide. All county figures on sales volume and median prices are compiled by the Wisconsin REALTORS® Association and are not seasonally adjusted. Median prices are only computed if the county recorded at least 10 home sales in the quarter. All data collected by the WRA is subject to revision if more complete data becomes available. Beginning in June 2018, all historical sales volume and median price data from 2015 forward at the county level have been re-benchmarked using the Relitix system that accesses MLS data directly and in real-time. Data prior to January 2015 is derived from the Techmark system that also accessed MLS data directly. The Wisconsin Housing Affordability Index is updated monthly with the most recent data on median housing prices, mortgage rates and estimated median family income data for Wisconsin. Data on state foreclosure activity is compiled by Dr. Russ Kashian at the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater.
Note that the WRA employs a slightly different protocol to determine inventory levels than the protocol used by the REALTORS® Association of South Central Wisconsin (RASCW). For consistency, the summary tables for the South Central region reported in the WRA release employ the WRA approach. However, a modified table employing the RASCW methodology is available from the WRA upon request.