Sydney
Nova Scotia housing market, January 2026
496 sales, a $435,387 average sale price and 6.7 months of inventory, with every NSAR region and the change from January 2025.
What happened in the Nova Scotia housing market in January 2026?
In January 2026, 496 homes sold through NSAR’s MLS System, down 10.3% from a year earlier, at an average sale price of $435,387, down 3.3%. Active listings were 3,315, and months of inventory 6.7 against 5.8. The largest regional move was Yarmouth, up 35.9% to $262,978.
January 2026 in numbers
January 2026 on one card
Average residential sale price, Nova Scotia
- 496Residential sales-10.3% from January 2025
- 6.7 monthsMonths of inventoryAgainst 5.8 in January 2025
- 3,315Active listingsAt month end
- 988New listings-9.4% year over year
- Highest: Halifax-Dartmouth $569,778
- Lowest: Yarmouth $262,978
- Largest rise: Yarmouth +35.9%
- Largest fall: South Shore -21.3%
Nova Scotia Association of REALTORS® / CREA monthly statistics, January 2026 report; added to this site September 20, 2026. NSAR publishes by region, not by town.
The seven regions
| Region | Sales | Year over year | Average price | Year over year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Halifax-Dartmouth Halifax Regional Municipality | 226 | -9.6% | $569,778 | -5.6% |
| Annapolis Valley Kings, Annapolis and West Hants | 84 | +5.0% | $361,056 | +6.1% |
| Cape Breton Cape Breton Island | 38 | -13.6% | $266,345 | -7.0% |
| South Shore Lunenburg and Queens | 48 | -11.1% | $340,644 | -21.3% |
| Northern Nova Scotia Colchester, Cumberland and East Hants | 71 | -15.5% | $314,135 | +8.9% |
| Highland Region Pictou, Antigonish and Guysborough | 20 | -35.5% | $285,545 | +0.6% |
| Yarmouth Yarmouth, Digby and Shelburne | 9 | -10.0% | $262,978 | +35.9% |
- Average sale price $262,978
- 9 sales, -10.0%
- Covers Yarmouth, Digby and Shelburne
- Average sale price $340,644
- 48 sales, -11.1%
- Covers Lunenburg and Queens
Average sale price against January 2025. The provincial average moved -3.3%; the regions ranged from -21.3% to +35.9%. Source: Nova Scotia Association of REALTORS® / CREA monthly statistics.
What changed for borrowers
January 2026 is the first month in this site’s record, so the comparison is NSAR’s own year over year: sales down 10.3%, the average sale price down 3.3%, and months of inventory 6.7 against 5.8 in January 2025: more supply relative to sales than a year earlier, which is the time a financing condition needs.
The policy rate on this site is the current one, 2.25% set September 2, 2026; for the rate in force in January 2026, see the Bank of Canada. Whatever it was, a federally regulated lender qualified buyers at the greater of the contract rate plus 2% and 5.25%.
Rule and program changes dated in January 2026:
- Jan 1, 2026, Nova Scotia: Capped Assessment Program rate set at 2.6% for 2026. The cap is removed in the year after a sale to anyone other than a family member, so a buyer’s first full year of property tax is usually higher than the seller’s. Source · The page this affects
Go deeper
The detail, if you want it
Every region, the last month
| Region | January 2026 |
|---|---|
| Halifax-Dartmouth | $569,778 -5.6% |
| Annapolis Valley | $361,056 +6.1% |
| Cape Breton | $266,345 -7.0% |
| South Shore | $340,644 -21.3% |
| Northern Nova Scotia | $314,135 +8.9% |
| Highland Region | $285,545 +0.6% |
| Yarmouth | $262,978 +35.9% |
| Nova Scotia | $435,387 -3.3% |
Why a broker
Licensed, independent, paid by the lender
- Licensed in Nova Scotia Associate broker 3001134, verifiable on the provincial register
- $0 broker fee On a standard residential mortgage the lender pays, not you
- Banks, credit unions, monolines One application, one credit check, placed with the lender that reads your file best
- Every part of the province Bedford office, remote process: Yarmouth to Sydney, the same four steps
Questions people ask
What was the average house price in Nova Scotia in January 2026?
$435,387, down 3.3% from January 2025, across 496 residential sales. The MLS HPI benchmark, which tracks a typical home rather than the mix of what sold, was $417,700, up 0.6%. By NSAR region the average ran from $262,978 in Yarmouth to $569,778 in Halifax-Dartmouth.
How many homes sold in Nova Scotia in January 2026?
496 through the MLS System, down 10.3% from January 2025. 988 new listings came on (down 9.4%). Active listings at month end were 3,315, giving 6.7 months of inventory against 5.8 a year earlier.
Which region of Nova Scotia moved most in January 2026?
Yarmouth, where the average sale price was up 35.9% to $262,978 on 9 sales. At the other end, South Shore was down 21.3% to $340,644 on 48 sales. Regional averages on small sale counts swing more than the provincial figure; Yarmouth’s 9 sales is a small base.
Where do these January 2026 figures come from?
From the Nova Scotia Association of REALTORS® / CREA monthly statistics, read from NSAR’s monthly PDF report and added to this site on September 20, 2026. NSAR publishes seven regions and no towns, so a town’s price on this site is its region’s average. Each report is published in the first week of the following month, and NSAR removes older reports, which is why the 8 months of 2026 are kept here.
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