Howard County, MD, August 2022 - As prices rise throughout the region, they are increasing at a slower rate, especially in Howard County, where prices increased the least, according to the Howard County Association of REALTORS® (HCAR).
All local markets in Baltimore's metro area are experiencing a decline in home sales, with Howard County experiencing the greatest decline year-over-year.
Active listings in Howard County during the month of July 2022, were up 11.7 percent (363) compared to the previous year (325). New residential listings (501) saw a 25.2 percent decrease compared to the previous year (670) and an 18 percent decrease compared to the previous month (611). The median sales price was $538,920, representing a decrease of 7.1 percent compared to the previous month and an increase of 3.6 percent compared to the same time last year. Closed sales (374) saw a 30.4 percent decrease compared to the previous year (537) and a 24 percent decrease compared to the previous month (492). The average days on market for units sold was 10 days, which is an 11.1 percent increase from the same time last year (9) and 49 percent below the five-year June average of 19 days.
"Median prices are up over last year, but the days on market are also growing as we see a slight increase in supply," said HCAR President Sarah Anderson. "Hopefully, this slower pace will allow buyers some breathing room, but market conditions still favor sellers."
In July 2022, there was less than one month of supply (0.88) in Howard County. This indicates that even though buyers are finding more options in the Baltimore region, it remains very much a seller's market.
Showing activity continued to be lower than a year ago but still remains above pre-pandemic levels. There were 10,456 showings in Howard County in July, a 35.4 percent decrease compared to a year ago.

There was a 10.3 percent month over month (MoM) decrease in new contract activity with 392 new pendings; a 2.7 percent MoM decrease in all pendings (new contracts + contracts carried over from June) to 509; and a 17.5 percent increase in supply to 363 active units.
This activity resulted in a Contract Ratio of 1.40 pendings per active listing, down from 1.69 in June and a decrease from 2.29 in July 2021. The Contract Ratio is 6 percent higher than the five-year July average of 1.32. A higher Contract Ratio signifies a relative increase in contract activity compared to supply, and indicates the market is moving in the seller's favor.
HCAR’s monthly local housing statistics are pulled from the Bright Multiple Listing Service. The Bright MLS service area includes Maryland, Delaware, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Virginia, Washington, D.C., and West Virginia.
Visit www.hcar.org for more information.
More about the Howard County Association of REALTORS®
The Howard County Association of REALTORS® is fortunate enough to represent over 2,000 real estate professionals in Howard County. HCAR’s mission is to advance Howard County’s real estate industry by shaping public policy on real property issues; and encouraging, promoting, and teaching consistent standards for ethical practice and professionalism for our REALTOR® members.
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