Island County Market Update

Island County Market Update: Week of November 24, 2025

It occurs to me that every time housing data comes out, people brace for some grand narrative. “The market is crashing.” “The market is booming.” No. Most of the time it’s just normal variation dressed up as drama.

This week, Island County’s data is a good reminder of that.

County-Level Overview

The median sale price across Island County dipped to $605,000, down from $625,000 last year — a modest 3.2% decline. Nothing unusual. These things breathe.

Homes are also taking a bit longer to move: 42 days on market, up from 33. A nine-day increase isn’t the end of the world. It just means buyers are being a little more cautious, and sellers have to be a little more patient.

Active listings are sitting at 766, which is plenty of selection for this time of year.

No panic. Just a market letting some air out.

Where It Gets Interesting: The Secondary Markets

Oak Harbor

This one softened a bit more.

• Median price down 7.9%

• Days on market up from 31 to 35

If you live in Oak Harbor or you’re thinking of buying there, this isn’t “bad news.” It’s simply leverage shifting slightly toward buyers. A year or two ago, people were making offers like they were trying to win a radio contest. This is saner.

Camano Island

Camano did not get the memo.

• Median price up 4.6% to $680,000

• Homes taking a bit longer: 65 days

Camano often behaves like its own country — beautiful, slower pace, and a buyer pool that doesn’t always track with the county at large. Longer days on market with rising prices usually means the people who want to live there… still want to live there.

So What Do You Do With This?

Have you considered that your “market” isn’t Island County at all? It’s your street, your neighborhood, your price point, and your timeline.

Trying to apply county-wide data to individual decisions is like trying to predict your commute by looking at statewide traffic patterns. Interesting, but not helpful.

If you’re buying: you have more breathing room than you did a year ago.
If you’re selling: pricing correctly matters more than ever. You don’t need gimmicks. You need reality.

You’re going to get through this, and I’m happy to walk you through the specifics of your situation — calmly, without sales theatrics.