March 6, 2025

Contact: Kim Walker, 704-940-3149

CHARLOTTE, N.C. — In January 2025, the Catawba Valley Region real estate market experienced significant growth and evolving trends, with rising inventory and strong buyer activity creating an exciting landscape for those entering the market this year. The sales data in this report is sourced from Canopy MLS and encompasses single-family homes, condos, and townhomes sold in Alexander, Burke, Caldwell, and Catawba Counties.

Inventory reached 951 homes at the end of January, marking a significant 34.3 percent increase year-over-year. This growth signals improved housing availability across the region, offering buyers greater choice. With 2.8 months of supply, the market is showing gradual signs of balance, moving away from the tight conditions of recent years. Six months of supply is considered a balanced market, which favors neither buyers or sellers. However, supply has been rising since June 2022, giving buyers more options. New construction has added to this increase and currently accounts for 32 percent of the available properties.

Sellers brought 398 properties or new listings to market, reflecting a substantial 25.6 percent year-over-year increase. This uptick in new listings highlights growing seller confidence and a response to the region's dynamic housing environment. January was up 34 percent over December 2024.

“The holidays have come and gone, leaving behind an active real estate market ready to thrive. The significant increase in new listings and inventory across our counties is giving buyers more options than we've seen in years. This is an opportune time for sellers who have been waiting to enter the market” said Dawn Kilby, a Realtor®/broker with Realty Executives of Hickory and 2025 president of the Catawba Valley Association of Realtors®.

Prices continued to rise, with the average list price reaching $414,876, up 16.5 percent year-over-year, and the average sales price increasing 18 percent to $356,878, while the median sales price rose 12.6 percent year-over-year to $292,750. While these trends highlight strong demand in the region, affordability remains a concern.

The average number of showings per listing, which indicates buyer interest, reached 3.9 showings per listing in January, with Catawba and Alexander Counties leading activity (4.1 showings per listing), followed closely by Burke (3.7), and Caldwell (3.6) counties. Newton and Hickory experienced the highest rates, with 5.7 and 4.6 showings per listing, respectively.

Kilby continued, “Working with a trusted Realtor® from your area is one of the best ways to navigate this ever-changing environment. Realtors® understand the neighborhoods, and community dynamics, and can help buyers find their dream home. With tools like Canopy MLS’s Down Payment Resource for assistance programs and strategies like 2-1 interest rate buydowns, Realtors® can help position buyers for success when making an offer.”

Pending sales increased 6.2 percent year-over-year to 324 transactions in January, indicating steady demand. Contract activity also increased month-over-month by 11.7 percent. The four-county region recorded 274 closed sales in January, a 15.6 percent rise compared to the same period last year. This increase aligns with broader trends in the housing market, where stabilizing mortgage rates and slightly improving affordability are supporting buyer activity.

Homes spent an average of 58 days on the market in January, a 26.1 percent increase year-over-year and a 23.4 percent rise month-over-month, as buyers took more time to evaluate options amid growing inventory levels. Sellers received an average of 93.6 percent of their original list price, down slightly from 94.2 percent a year earlier, reflecting buyers’ increased leverage while still allowing sellers to secure most of their asking price.

A closer look at sales across the four counties:
(Due to smaller sample sizes in counties where there is a smaller pool of listings, percentage increases or decreases may seem extreme)

Alexander County showed significant activity in January, with new listings increasing 50.0 percent to 18. Pending sales rose 21.1 percent to 23, while closed sales climbed 5.6 percent to 19. The median sales price surged 35.1 percent to $325,000, and the average sales price grew 12.2 percent to $332,900. Sellers received an average of 94.7 percent of their original list price, slightly higher than last year. Homes spent an average of 40 days on the market, a 24.5 percent decrease year-over-year. Inventory nearly doubled, increasing 84.8 percent to 61 homes, while the months' supply of inventory rose 86.7 percent to 2.8 months. The average list price rose to $361,406, a 12.2 percent increase.

Burke County experienced mixed trends. New listings decreased by 4.7 percent to 61, while pending sales declined 9.3 percent to 49. Closed sales, however, rose 16.7 percent to 56. The median sales price dipped slightly by 2.0 percent to $250,000, while the average sales price saw a notable increase of 35.6 percent to $376,876. Sellers received an average of 91.6 percent of their original list price, down 3.5 percent year-over-year. Homes spent an average of 80 days on the market, a significant increase of 122.2 percent. Inventory rose 45.5 percent to 208 homes, and the months' supply of inventory increased 34.8 percent to 3.1 months. The average list price reached $329,463, reflecting a 3.9 percent increase.

Caldwell County recorded robust price growth. New listings increased 17.5 percent to 67, while pending sales decreased slightly by 1.7 percent to 57. Closed sales dipped 2.0 percent to 48. The median sales price jumped 28.2 percent to $301,250, and the average sales price rose 19.6 percent to $359,923. Sellers received an average of 91.5 percent of their original list price, down 4.0 percent from last year. Homes stayed on the market an average of 50 days, a 22.0 percent increase. Inventory grew 15.4 percent to 157 homes, with the months' supply increasing 13.6 percent to 2.5 months. The average list price increased 17.4 percent to $395,109.

Catawba County exhibited strong growth across all metrics. New listings rose 37.0 percent to 252, and pending sales climbed 12.1 percent to 195. Closed sales increased 23.8 percent to 151. The median sales price rose 10.0 percent to $302,500, and the average sales price increased 12.1 percent to $351,608. Sellers received 94.9 percent of their original list price, a 1.6 percent improvement from last year. Homes spent an average of 55 days on the market, up 7.8 percent. Inventory rose 32.6 percent to 525 homes, while the months' supply of inventory increased 17.4 percent to 2.7 months. The average list price reached $444,523, a 17.6 percent increase.

For more residential-housing market statistics, visit CarolinaHome.com and click on “Market Data.” For an interview with 2024 president of Catawba Valley Association of Realtors® Karleta Smith, Realtor®/Broker at Keller Williams Denver, please contact Kim Walker.

Canopy MLS is a wholly-owned subsidiary corporation of Canopy Realtor® Association and is the private broker cooperative used by Realtors® to bring buyers and sellers together with access to thousands of residential listings in a multicounty service area, including Charlotte, Asheville and Catawba Valley regions spanning across North Carolina, South Carolina and outside of the Carolinas. Canopy MLS, which has 21,000 subscribers, provides the most trustworthy, timely, accurate and complete property data along with proprietary tools for showings, market stats, predictive analytics, and more. Canopy MLS is used by its members to support consumers in their residential real estate transactions, whether selling, buying, investing or renting.

Original Publish Date: 3/6/2025