Published October 1, 2026 in Market Update

More homes hit the market in Portsmouth, giving buyers a bit more room

By Vladimir Babic

Real estate, Portsmouth, NH

The number that matters most right now: the Real Estate Data Aggregator counted 119 homes for sale in Portsmouth's ZIP 03801 during the three months ending July 31, 2026. That is up 30.8% from the same period a year before. More homes for sale means buyers have more to compare. That puts more weight on how a home is priced and how it shows up.

This is not just a Portsmouth story. Realtor.com reported that active listings across the U.S. grew 5.5% year over year, topping 1.16 million homes for sale. Portsmouth's 30.8% jump is well above that national pace. The local market is loosening faster than most.

What the numbers say about the three months ending July 31, 2026

The Real Estate Data Aggregator put the median sale price in 03801 at $735,000 for the three months ending July 31, 2026. That is down 16.8% from the same period a year before. Prices dipped, and homes took a little longer to sell. The median sat at 34 days on market, 4 days longer than a year ago. Not every home moved slowly, but the average seller had less urgency working in their favor.

Some homes still sold fast and above asking

Here is the honest mix: the Real Estate Data Aggregator found that 51.2% of Portsmouth homes went under contract within two weeks of listing. That share is up 0.4 points from a year before. And 30.7% of homes sold above list price, up 1.9 points year over year. So even with more inventory, well-priced homes in good condition are still moving quickly. The market is not slow across the board. It is more selective.

The Real Estate Data Aggregator also counted 154 new listings in 03801 during those three months, up 9.2% from a year before. More sellers are coming to market. That keeps the supply growing. The sale-to-list ratio held at 99.3%, down just 0.1 points. Sellers are still getting close to their asking price on average, but the margin for overpricing is thinner than it was.

Rates are adding pressure on both sides

Freddie Mac put the average 30-year fixed mortgage rate at 7.03% as of September 24, 2026. The 15-year averaged 6.42%. Realtor.com noted that rates topped 7% for the first time since January 2025. That level slows some buyers down. It also means sellers need to be realistic: buyers carrying a 7% rate are doing the math carefully on every home they see.

Realtor.com also reported that 20.8% of listings had their price reduced in September, the highest share since October 2022. That is a national figure, but it lines up with what the Real Estate Data Aggregator shows locally: a median price that fell 16.8% year over year in 03801. Pricing a home well from day one matters more now than it did a year ago.

The bigger picture

The Federal Housing Finance Agency reported that U.S. house prices rose 2.6% from July 2025 to July 2026. The national trend is still positive. Portsmouth's local median moved in the other direction over that same window, which is worth knowing if you are setting expectations. Local conditions and national trends do not always point the same way.

One more thing worth saying: the numbers above cover all of ZIP 03801. One street, one building type, or one price range can read very differently from the whole ZIP. If you want to know what the data looks like for your specific block, just ask.