Muskingum County Housing Market Report — November 2026

The October numbers are in, and Muskingum County's housing market is sending a clear message heading into the holidays: it is still a seller's market — but it is a more honest one than we saw in the spring. Prices on new listings have softened, homes are taking a little longer to sell, and buyers who do their homework have more room to negotiate than they've had in a couple of years. Here's what the data says, and what it means if you're buying or selling in Zanesville and across Muskingum County.

The numbers at a glance — October 2026

• Median listing price: $259,975 — down 5.5% from September and down 6.3% from a year ago
• Median sold price: $230,000
• Median days on market: 55 days — flat from September, up about 6% from a year ago
• Active listings: 393 — down 4.6% from September and down 15% from a year ago
• Sale-to-list price ratio: 98% — the average home sold for about 2% below asking
• Market type: Seller's market — more buyers looking than homes available

Source: Realtor.com Economic Research, Muskingum County, October 2026.

What it means for sellers

Sellers still hold the advantage, but the margin for error is thinner than it was. Inventory is down 15% from last October, so well-priced homes face real competition among buyers — and our own office's experience backs that up. But look at the listing price trend: sellers are asking less than they were a year ago, and homes are closing at about 98% of asking on average, not above it.

The takeaway: price it right from day one. At a median of 55 days on market, an overpriced listing will sit while correctly priced homes around it sell. The sellers winning right now are the ones who price to the market we're in, not the one we had.

What it means for buyers

This is the most workable market buyers have seen here in a while:

• Negotiating room is real. A 98% sale-to-list ratio means offers below asking are landing — something that was rare not long ago.
• Time is on your side. At 55 median days on market, you can tour, compare, and think — but don't confuse that with unlimited choice. With 393 active listings across the county (286 of them in Zanesville, where the median listing price is $242,225), the good homes still move first.
• Rates are finally helping. Freddie Mac's latest survey (November 5) puts the 30-year fixed at 7.18% and the 15-year at 6.57% — the third straight weekly decline. Rates are still about a point higher than a year ago, so this isn't a "rates are low" story. But direction matters, and every tenth of a point shaves real money off a monthly payment. A new survey lands November 12, and we'll be watching it.

The bigger picture

Statewide, Ohio's median sale price in September was $274,900, up 5.7% from a year earlier, with about 3.7 months of supply (Ohio REALTORS). Muskingum County remains one of the more affordable corners of that picture — a median sold price of $230,000 against a state median near $275,000 is exactly why we keep seeing buyers choose this area for value, space, and community.

The bottom line

Muskingum County is balanced on a seller's edge: fewer homes for sale, steady demand, easing rates, and prices that reward honesty over optimism. Whether you're thinking about listing before the holidays or getting positioned to buy when the right home hits, the plan matters more than the timing.

Questions about what your home is worth, or what you can buy in this market? Call or text Brent Glass at Town & Country Realtors: (740) 683-3378. Serving Muskingum County since 1970 — we'd be glad to walk through the numbers for your street, not just the county.

Data sources: Realtor.com Economic Research (Muskingum County, October 2026); Freddie Mac Primary Mortgage Market Survey (November 5, 2026); Ohio REALTORS (September 2026). Figures are county-wide medians and will vary by neighborhood and property.