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Gulf Coast Housing Market September 2026: What Changed?
By Randy Richardson, Broker Associate, The 4th Right Team
Quick Answer: The Mississippi Gulf Coast housing market slowed in September 2026, but it didn't stall. According to the Gulf Coast Association of REALTORS®, 526 homes sold in September, down 10% from 586 in September 2025. The average sales price rose 5% to $299,938. Days on market climbed to 73, and 2,483 homes were for sale. Buyers have more time and more choices than a year ago, and homes priced right are still selling.
How Did the Gulf Coast Housing Market Do in September 2026?
Fewer homes sold, prices held up, and everything moved slower. That's the short version of September.
The 526 sales cover Hancock, Harrison, Jackson, George, Greene, Stone, and Pearl River counties. That's 60 fewer than last September. It's also seven more than August's 519, so the monthly pace held steady even while it trails last year.
Inventory came in at 2,483 homes, up 4% from 2,385 a year ago. Here's the part most people will miss. August had 2,488 homes for sale, so supply barely moved in a month. The run of more listings we saw through summer has flattened out. Sales just haven't caught up to it.
Are Home Prices Going Up or Down on the Gulf Coast?
Prices are up year over year. The average sales price was $299,938 in September, 5% higher than $287,005 in September 2025.
Read that number carefully, though. It's an average sales price, not a median. A handful of high-dollar sales can pull an average up fast. August's average was $257,275, so September looks like a jump of almost $43,000 in one month. That isn't homes gaining 17% in thirty days. It's a different mix of homes closing.
The same thing happened last year. The average went from $250,000 in August 2025 to $287,005 in September 2025. So the steady 5% year-over-year gain is the real signal. Nothing in these numbers points to a price correction. If you want the local picture behind the coastwide average, the city-by-city prices tell a more useful story.
Is It a Buyer's Market or a Seller's Market Right Now?
It's leaning toward buyers, but it isn't a buyer's market yet.
A quick way to check is to divide homes for sale by homes sold in a month. September works out to about 4.7 months of supply, up from about 4.1 a year ago. That's a rough calculation from the association's numbers, not an official MLS figure. A common rule of thumb puts a balanced market around six months of supply. We're closer to that line than we were last fall.
Days on market tell the same story. Homes took 73 days to sell in September, up 23% from 58 a year ago. Buyers aren't rushing, and that gives them room to negotiate. This market is price-sensitive. That's different from soft.
How Are Mortgage Rates Affecting Gulf Coast Buyers?
Rates climbed all through September, and buyers felt it.
According to Freddie Mac, the average 30-year fixed rate was 7.40% as of October 15, 2026. It was 6.71% on September 3, 2026, and 6.27% on October 16, 2025. That's a big move in a short time.
Here's what it means in dollars. On a $300,000 loan, principal and interest runs about $1,938 a month at 6.71%. At 7.40%, it's about $2,077. That's roughly $139 more every month before taxes and insurance. You can test your own price range with a mortgage calculator. Don't forget that insurance moves the payment too, so look at how much insurance costs on the Coast before you settle on a number.
A lot of buyers are now waiting for rates to come back down. Nobody can promise when that'll happen. The buyers who do well right now are the ones who buy a payment they can live with today.
What Should Gulf Coast Sellers Do With These Numbers?
Price it right from the start. With 73 days on market as the average pace, a home that starts too high can sit well past that.
Sellers who price off last spring's sales are the ones taking cuts later. Sellers who price off what closed in the last 60 to 90 days are getting offers. With rates above 7%, a seller credit toward closing costs or a rate buydown can do more for a buyer than a small price drop.
Start with your equity, which is what your home is worth minus what you owe. That number shapes every choice after it.
What Should Gulf Coast Buyers Do This Fall?
Use the extra time, but don't burn it. There are more homes to look at than last year, and sellers expect to negotiate.
Get pre-approved at today's rates, not the rates you saw in the spring. Then shop by monthly payment, not just price. Ask about closing cost help on homes that have been listed a while. That's where the best deals are hiding this fall.
By the Numbers
Number of sales: 526, down 10% from 586 in September 2025
Average sales price: $299,938, up 5% from $287,005 in September 2025
Days on market: 73, up 23% from 58 in September 2025
Homes for sale: 2,483, up 4% from 2,385 in September 2025
Estimated months of supply: about 4.7, up from about 4.1 a year ago
30-year fixed mortgage rate: 7.40% as of October 15, 2026
The Bottom Line
The Gulf Coast market is slower, not weaker. Prices are still up year over year, but buyers have more homes to choose from and more time to decide. Sellers who price it right still sell, and buyers who shop by payment still find good homes. For the latest numbers between monthly reports, check our market snapshot.
Thinking about selling? Start with a free home value estimate. Getting ready to buy? Our buyer's guide walks you through every step.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is the Mississippi Gulf Coast housing market crashing?
No. In September 2026, the average sales price was up 5% from a year earlier. Sales were down 10%, which means the market is slower, not falling.
How long does it take to sell a home on the Mississippi Gulf Coast right now?
Homes took 73 days to sell in September 2026, according to the Gulf Coast Association of REALTORS®. That's up from 58 days in September 2025.
How many homes are for sale on the Mississippi Gulf Coast?
There were 2,483 homes for sale in September 2026, up 4% from 2,385 a year earlier. That's almost the same as August 2026, when 2,488 homes were listed.
What's the average home price on the Mississippi Gulf Coast?
The average sales price was $299,938 in September 2026. That's an average, not a median, so a few high-priced sales can push it up in any single month.
Sources
Gulf Coast Association of REALTORS®, September 2026 Gulf Coast Market Stats, data provided by MLS United, LLC for Hancock, Harrison, Jackson, George, Greene, Stone, and Pearl River counties. Supports sales, average sales price, days on market, and inventory figures.
Gulf Coast Association of REALTORS®, August 2026 Gulf Coast Market Stats. Supports August 2026 and August 2025 comparisons.
Freddie Mac via FRED, 30-Year Fixed Rate Mortgage Average: https://fred.stlouisfed.org/series/MORTGAGE30US. Supports the 7.40% rate as of October 15, 2026.
Freddie Mac, Primary Mortgage Market Survey, September 3, 2026: https://freddiemac.gcs-web.com/node/32031/pdf. Supports the 6.71% rate.
Freddie Mac, Primary Mortgage Market Survey, October 16, 2025: https://freddiemac.gcs-web.com/node/30906/pdf. Supports the 6.27% rate a year earlier.
Months of supply and monthly payment figures are calculations from the sources above. Payment estimates cover principal and interest only on a 30-year fixed loan.
About the Author
Randy Richardson is a Broker Associate and Team Leader of The 4th Right Team at CENTURY 21 J. Carter & Company. He helps buyers and sellers across the Mississippi Gulf Coast make smart moves with clear, local market data.
Randy Richardson | Broker Associate
The 4th Right Team | Century 21 J. Carter & Company
📞 Office: (228) 731-3881 | Cell: (228) 547-9999
📧 realtorrandyrichardson@gmail.com
🌐 www.The4thRightTeam.com
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