--- title: "Strafford MO Real Estate Market Report: August 2026" date: 2026-09-01 author: "Zac Albers" featured_image: "https://springfieldmohomesforsale.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/strafford-mo-market-report-august-2026.png" categories: - name: "Market Reports" url: "/category/market-reports.md" --- # Strafford MO Real Estate Market Report: August 2026 **Strafford is growing faster than any town in this report, and it is the only one where buyers have real choice. Sales doubled to 14 in August 2026. Active inventory rose 54.5%. Year to date, listings are up 85.4% and sales are up 69.6%. At 4.34 months of supply, Strafford has the loosest market in the metro.** Here is what happened band by band, and what it means if you are buying or selling in Strafford. +100.0% Homes sold vs. August 2025 14 sold (vs. 7) +54.5% Active inventory 34 active (vs. 22) +28.6% Pending sales 9 pending (vs. 7) 26 Median days on market (CDOM) vs. 7 in August 2025 $405K Average sale price +35.3% year-over-year $322K Median sale price +11.0% year-over-year **Absorption rate: 4.34 months.** *Strafford is absorbing inventory at 4.34 months of supply. Anything under 6 months is a seller’s market; under 3 months is strong seller territory.* ## The one metro town where buyers have leverage Every other city in this report is fighting over a shrinking pool of houses. Strafford is doing the opposite. Active listings rose to 34 from 22 year over year, and year to date they are up 85.4% — 152 against 82. New listings are up 84.1% year to date. Sales have kept up, doubling to 14 for the month and rising 69.6% year to date, but supply is growing at least as fast. The result is an absorption rate of 4.34 months, versus 2.0 to 3.1 everywhere else in this report. Strafford is still technically a seller’s market — anything under six months is — but it is the only town in the metro where a buyer can take a weekend to think about it. Price bandAugust 2025 soldAugust 2026 soldChange$100K – $120K01N/A$180K – $200K10−100%$200K – $250K110%$250K – $300K25+150%$300K – $400K23+50%$400K – $500K110%$500K – $600K01N/A$600K – $700K01N/A$1M – $1.5M01N/A Source: regional MLS, August 2026 vs. August 2025, residential sold listings, Strafford (Greene County), MO. ## Why the year-to-date median fell 15.7% Strafford’s August median was $322,000, up 11.0% from last August. Its year-to-date median is $272,000, down 15.7% from $322,500. Those look contradictory and they are not. The year-to-date drop is a mix effect from all that new supply: Strafford has added a large volume of homes in the $200,000 to $400,000 range, and they have been selling. Year to date, 17 homes closed between $200K and $250K versus 7 last year, and 24 closed between $250K and $300K versus 10. When a town nearly doubles its transaction count by adding mid-priced homes, the median falls even if no individual house lost value. What this actually signals is that Strafford is becoming more accessible, not less valuable. ## What buyers should know right now - This is the only town in the metro with meaningful selection. Thirty-four active listings against 14 monthly sales is 4.34 months of supply — by far the most breathing room in this report. - The $250K–$300K band is the busiest and the fastest-growing, with 24 year-to-date sales against 10 last year. If that is your range, Strafford has more inventory than anywhere else nearby. - Median contract time stretched to 26 days from 7 a year ago. More homes on the market means less pressure to decide on the spot. - Strafford is 15 minutes east of Springfield on I-44 in the Strafford R-VI district, and much of the surrounding area qualifies for [USDA](/usda-loan-homes-springfield-mo/) financing. ## What sellers should know right now - You have more competition than any seller in the metro — 34 active listings in a town that closes 14 a month. Pricing and presentation matter more here than anywhere else in this report. - The upside: homes that sold got 99.8% of list price, the highest ratio in the report. Buyers here are not grinding on price; they are choosing among options. - Median contract time went from 7 days to 26. Plan for about a month on market, not a week. - Do not price to the year-to-date median of $272,000 if your home is a newer build in the $300K–$400K range. The year-to-date figure is pulled down by the volume of mid-priced new inventory, not by declining values. ## Year-to-date trends (Jan–Aug 2026 vs. 2025) +69.6% Sold listings YTD 78 vs. 46 +89.6% Pending listings YTD 91 vs. 48 +85.4% Active listings YTD 152 vs. 82 +84.1% New listings YTD 127 vs. 69 Want to know what your Strafford home would sell for right now?Strafford sellers face more competition than anywhere else in the metro — 34 active listings and growing. Pricing correctly is critical. Get a real, agent-reviewed valuation. [Get My Free Home Value →](/free-home-valuation-springfield-mo/) Or call Zac directly at 417-413-4305 for a 10-minute market conversation. ## What this means for the rest of 2026 Strafford is the town to watch through the fall. If new listings keep running 84% ahead of last year while sales grow at 70%, absorption keeps loosening and Strafford tips from a slow seller’s market into a balanced one — the first metro town to get there. For buyers that is the opportunity. For sellers it is the reason to list sooner rather than later, while 4.34 months of supply is still technically in seller’s territory. ## The bigger picture Strafford has closed 78 homes year to date against 46 last year — a 69.6% increase, the largest in this report by a wide margin. Pending contracts are up 89.6% and active listings up 85.4%. This is a town in the middle of a genuine growth phase, absorbing new construction and new residents at a pace no other metro town is matching. The falling year-to-date median is what that growth looks like in the data: more homes, at more accessible prices, changing hands more often. ## Strafford real estate: frequently asked questions ### Is now a good time to buy a home in Strafford, MO? Strafford is the most buyer-friendly market in the metro right now. There were 34 active listings in August 2026, up 54.5% from a year ago, with an absorption rate of 4.3 months of supply — far looser than the 2.0 to 3.1 months seen elsewhere in this report. Homes took a median of 26 days to go under contract, up from seven days a year earlier, so buyers have time to consider options. ### Are home prices going up or down in Strafford, MO? Strafford’s median sale price was $322,000 in August 2026, up 11.0% from August 2025, while the year-to-date median is $272,000, down 15.7% from $322,500. The year-to-date decline reflects a large increase in mid-priced inventory rather than falling values — Strafford has nearly doubled its transaction count by adding homes in the $200,000 to $300,000 range. ### How fast do homes sell in Strafford, MO? The median home in Strafford went under contract in 26 days in August 2026 (cumulative days on market), compared with seven days a year earlier. The slowdown reflects a 54.5% increase in active listings rather than weakening demand — sales actually doubled during the same period, and homes sold at 99.8% of list price, the highest ratio in this report. ### How much does a home cost in Strafford, MO? Strafford homes sold at a median of $322,000 and an average of $405,428 in August 2026, with a year-to-date median of $272,000. The busiest price band was $250K to $300K with five sales. Strafford has more active inventory relative to its size than any other town in this report, giving buyers the widest selection in the metro. *Figures reflect residential for-sale activity in Strafford (Greene County), MO for August 2026 compared with August 2025, based on regional MLS summary data downloaded September 1, 2026. Counts are taken from MLS price-band totals, which reflect sales with a reported sale price. Days on market is reported as median CDOM (cumulative days on market). Market data is provided for general information and is not a guarantee of future results or a substitute for professional or financial advice.*