Most homeowners update their home insurance, maybe get a new roof, and generally assume their house is worth "a bit more" than when they bought it. What very few of them have done is actually look at the numbers.
If you own a home in Fairfield County and bought it before 2020, I want to show you what the data actually says — because the gap between what people think their home is worth and what it could sell for today is, in many cases, enormous.
The Numbers: 2019 vs. Today
I pulled closed sales data from SmartMLS for a specific mapped area in Fairfield and compared full-year 2019 to the trailing 12 months through March 2026. Here's what came back:
| 2019 | Today | |
|---|---|---|
| Median Sale Price | $620,000 | $1,160,000 |
| Median Days on Market | 74 days | 8 days |
| Homes Sold Under $500K | 22% | 0% |
| Homes Sold Over $1.5M | 3% | 31% |
The median sale price in this area has gone from $620,000 to $1,160,000 — an increase of 87% in roughly six years.
To put that in plain terms: if you bought a home for $700,000 before COVID, comparable homes in your neighborhood are now selling for well over $1.2 million. That's not appreciation in the abstract. That's real money — equity you're sitting on right now.
The days-on-market number tells a different kind of story. In 2019, the average home took 74 days to sell. Today it's 8 days. That's not a rounding difference. It represents a fundamental shift in how this market operates. There are more qualified buyers than there are available homes, and when a well-priced property hits the MLS, buyers respond immediately.
Why the Market Looks the Way It Does
This didn't happen by accident, and it's not just inflation. A few specific forces are driving what we're seeing in Fairfield County right now.
Remote and hybrid work changed the calculus. For years, proximity to Manhattan was the central factor in where people chose to live. Once that constraint loosened — even partially — buyers started asking a different question: what can I actually get for my money? The answer, in Fairfield County, turned out to be a lot. More square footage, more land, better schools, and a genuine change in quality of life, all while staying on Metro-North.
Inventory never recovered. Even as buyer demand surged, the number of homes coming to market didn't keep pace. Homeowners who refinanced at historically low rates in 2020 and 2021 have little financial incentive to move. New construction hasn't filled the gap. The result is a persistent supply shortage that keeps pressure on prices.
The entry-level tier has essentially disappeared. In 2019, 22% of homes in this area sold for under $500,000. In the last 12 months, that number is zero. The floor of the market has moved up dramatically, which means homeowners at every price point have seen their equity grow — not just those at the high end.
What This Means If You've Been Thinking About Selling
The math is straightforward, but here's what I've noticed: most homeowners genuinely haven't done it.
They know prices are "up." They've heard the market is strong. But they haven't sat down and run the numbers on their specific home, on their specific street, based on what's actually sold recently. When they do, it often changes the conversation.
The question I hear most often is: "Is now still a good time to sell?" My honest answer is that for most Fairfield County homeowners, the conditions right now are about as favorable as they get. Low inventory means less competition from other sellers. High buyer demand means more offers and stronger prices. And six-plus years of appreciation means your equity position is almost certainly better than you think.
That said, the market still rewards preparation. The homes generating multiple offers in the first week aren't just showing up on the MLS and hoping for the best. They're priced strategically, presented well, and marketed to the right buyers from day one. Even in a seller's market, execution matters. A home priced incorrectly — even by a small amount — loses the momentum that drives competitive offers.
One More Number Worth Knowing
In this market, if a home sits for more than 10 days without going under contract, that's almost always a pricing problem. Buyers in Fairfield County today are sophisticated. Many have been searching for a while and know the inventory well. They see when a home is overpriced, and they move on — quickly. Conversely, a home priced right in this environment often sees its best activity in the first 48 to 72 hours. That window matters.
Find Out Where You Actually Stand
If you own a home in Fairfield County and you've been on the fence about selling — or you just want to know what it's worth today — I'd like to show you. I'll pull the actual closed sales in your neighborhood, walk you through what the data says, and give you a straight answer on what you could realistically net.
No pressure. No obligation. Just the real numbers.
Call or text: (203) 767-7157
Email: [email protected]
Website: thekenbanksteam.com
Market data sourced from SmartMLS closed sales, Fairfield area, full year 2019 vs. trailing 365 days through March 2026.
