Charlottesville city or Albemarle County? What September 2026 sales show

In September 2026 the City of Charlottesville’s median sale price was $402,000 on 28 sales, and Albemarle County’s was $500,000 on 127. The city is the cheaper place to buy by that measure, but it isn’t by another.

If you’re deciding between living in the city or in the county around it, here is what the September numbers support, and where they stop.

How do the city and the county compare?

Measure (September 2026)	City of Charlottesville	Albemarle County
Median sale price	$402,000 (down 13.5%)	$500,000 (down 21.9%)
Closed sales	28 (down 24.3%)	127 (up 13.4%)
Median days on market	10 (down 41.2%)	16 (down 17.9%)
Months of supply	3.3 (down 23.3%)	5.0 (up 22%)
Active listings at month end	130 (down 18.2%)	656 (up 14.1%)
Median price per square foot	$334.54 (up 2.7%)	$251.44 (up 2.6%)

Year-ago changes are relative percent changes. Each area is its own set of sales; I haven’t combined them.

Why is the city’s median lower but its price per square foot higher?

A lower median with a higher price per square foot usually means smaller homes sell at a higher rate per foot. That’s my interpretation; the data doesn’t give square footage by area.

The type breakdown fits. Albemarle’s detached median was $695,000 (63 sold), and the city’s was $508,128 (20 sold). The city printed no condo or townhouse median, and Albemarle’s were $336,000 (23 sold) and $432,000 (41 sold).

So a lower median doesn’t mean a bargain per square foot. Compare homes by size and type, not by area medians.

Which area has more choice for buyers?

Albemarle County. It had 656 active listings against 130 in the city, and its months of supply was 5.0, up 22% from a year ago. The city’s was 3.3, down 23.3%.

The two moved in opposite directions. Albemarle’s new listings were up 21.9% to 278, while the city’s were down 26.9% to 38. A buyer in the county had more homes to compare and a bit more time. A buyer in the city faced a thinner shelf.

How quickly are homes selling in each?

Faster in the city, though it’s a small sample. The city’s median home spent 10 days on the market (28 sales), down 41.2%. Albemarle’s was 16 days (127 sales), down 17.9%.

Both areas saw 21.4% (city) and 20.5% (county) of sales close above list price, and price reductions appeared in 39.3% of city sales and 31.5% of county sales. A fast median and a high share of price cuts can both be true, since the cuts may be happening on the homes that sit longer. I can’t tell from the printed data whether that’s what happened.

What can’t these numbers tell you?

Plenty. They don’t describe schools, commute, neighborhoods or lifestyle, and I won’t pretend they do. Twenty-eight sales is a thin base for the city, and a few expensive or cheap closings can move a median a lot.

What they can do is shape your search. If you want the most choice, start with Albemarle. If you prefer the city, expect fewer homes to choose from and a faster pace.

What should I do next?

Tell us your budget, your must-haves and which commute matters, and we’ll pull recent sales on both sides of the city line that match. Talk to our Charlottesville office or start on our buying page. You can also read what $350K–$500K buys in Albemarle County, and see Daniel Keeton.

Source: Keeton & Co analysis of CAAR MLS data, September 2026. Data through October 3, 2026. Prices are medians of closed sales; active listings and months of supply describe homes for sale at month end. Full figures are on the City of Charlottesville and Albemarle County market pages.