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Fairfax County entered the spring housing season with stronger sales, higher average prices and more homes under contract, but the conflict in Iran has introduced fresh uncertainty for buyers and sellers already confronting affordability pressures.

The county recorded 691 home sales in February, a 6.2% increase from the same month in 2025. Total sales volume climbed 14.3% to $591.6 million.

The average sales price rose 6.2% year over year to $859,078. However, the median price slipped to $729,000, while the average price per square foot declined slightly to $376.

Single-family homes sold for an average of $1,194,616, up 7.1%. The average for attached properties, including townhouses, rowhouses and condominiums, increased 4.6% to $559,392. Condominiums alone averaged $445,670, a 9.6% gain.

Properties that closed in February spent an average of 28 days on the market before reaching a ratified contract, compared with 22 days a year earlier. Sellers received an average of 99.8% of their listing prices, down from 100.6%.

Inventory also expanded. Fairfax County had 1,066 homes available at the end of February, 9% more than a year earlier. Another 879 sales were pending, representing a 15% annual increase and suggesting solid activity in the near term.

Conflict adds uncertainty before spring

Lisa Sturtevant, chief economist for Bright MLS, said buyers and sellers were proceeding with “extreme caution” as recent U.S. military actions in Iran added uncertainty just when the spring market would ordinarily accelerate.

Despite mortgage rates reaching their lowest level in three and a half years, Sturtevant said closed sales across the region were essentially unchanged from a year earlier and new listings fell to record lows in many areas.

She said a limited conflict could allow the housing market to rebound quickly, while a prolonged one could stall spring sales. Fewer owners listing their homes, combined with cautious buyers, has made the outlook less predictable.

The balance between supply and demand will remain critical. If sellers continue holding back while buyers return, the Washington-area market could tighten and become more competitive.

Fairfax lands in the regional middle on price per square foot

Fairfax County’s average of $376 per square foot in February was down 0.5% from a year earlier and placed the county near the middle of the Washington region.

Falls Church led at $570 per square foot, a 12.7% annual increase. Arlington averaged $485 and the District of Columbia $475, with both falling 7.8%. Loudoun County declined 0.3% to $299, while Prince William County dropped 0.4% to $255.

Across roughly 70 Mid-Atlantic jurisdictions in six states and the District, homes averaged $251 per square foot, down 0.4%.

Regional sales dip as prices rise

The broader Washington region recorded 2,890 transactions in February, a 2.2% decline from the previous year. Its median sales price moved in the opposite direction, rising 2.2% to $610,000.

The regional totals cover the District; Arlington, Fairfax and Loudoun counties; the Virginia cities of Alexandria, Fairfax and Falls Church; and Montgomery, Prince George’s and Frederick counties in Maryland.

Home showings increased 3% to slightly more than 81,000. Active listings reached 7,612 at the end of February, an 11% annual gain.

The February 2026 figures cover most, but not all, homes offered for sale and remain preliminary.