Published October 22, 2026 in Market Update

Portsmouth has more listings, but homes are taking longer to move

By Vladimir Babic

Real estate, Portsmouth, NH

The one fact that changes what you should do right now: homes in Portsmouth are sitting longer. The Real Estate Data Aggregator counted a median of 44 days on market in ZIP 03801 for the three months ending August 31, 2026. That is 12 days longer than the same period a year ago. If you are selling, that gap is the thing to plan around.

More inventory is part of why. The Real Estate Data Aggregator counted 111 homes for sale in ZIP 03801 during that period, up 16.8% from a year before. Nationally, Realtor.com reported active listings topped 1.16 million homes in September 2026. Portsmouth is moving with that same current. Buyers have more to look at, so any one home has to earn more attention.

The median sale price came in at $790,000 for the three months ending August 31, 2026, according to the Real Estate Data Aggregator. That is down 7.3% from the same period a year ago. Prices dipped, but not off a cliff. The Federal Housing Finance Agency reported U.S. house prices rose 2.6% from July 2025 to July 2026, so Portsmouth's dip runs against the national direction. That is worth knowing if you are setting a number.

Not every home is sitting. Some are still moving fast.

The Real Estate Data Aggregator found that 45.3% of homes in ZIP 03801 went under contract within two weeks of listing during the three months ending August 31, 2026. That is down 7.3 points from a year ago, so fewer homes are flying off the shelf. But nearly half still moved quickly. The homes that did were almost certainly priced right and showed well.

Sellers who did close got close to their asking price. The Real Estate Data Aggregator put the average sale-to-list ratio at 99.3% for the three months ending August 31, 2026. That is down just 0.1 points from a year ago. And 27.7% of homes sold above list price, actually up 0.3 points year over year. The market is not broken. It is just more selective.

Rates are adding pressure too

Freddie Mac put the 30-year fixed rate at 7.40% as of October 15, 2026. Realtor.com noted that rates climbed above 7% for the first time since January 2025. That raises the monthly cost for buyers, which slows decisions. It also explains why Realtor.com reported that 20.8% of listings nationally took a price cut in September 2026, the highest share since October 2022. Buyers have more room to wait, and some sellers are adjusting to meet them.

One more thing worth saying: the numbers above cover all of ZIP 03801. One street can read very differently from the ZIP as a whole. A block near the water, a condo building downtown, a single-family pocket near a school, each one has its own pace. The ZIP gives you context. Your specific address gives you the real answer.