Cabot Trail, Cape Breton
Nova Scotia housing market, August 2026
997 sales, a $467,585 average sale price and 5.7 months of inventory, with every NSAR region and the change from August 2025.
What happened in the Nova Scotia housing market in August 2026?
In August 2026, 997 homes sold through NSAR’s MLS System, down 7.1% from a year earlier, at an average sale price of $467,585, unchanged. Active listings were 5,643, up 13.6%, and months of inventory 5.7 against 4.6. The largest regional move was Cape Breton, up 15.3% to $289,859.
August 2026 in numbers
August 2026 on one card
Average residential sale price, Nova Scotia
- 997Residential sales-7.1% from August 2025
- 5.7 monthsMonths of inventoryAgainst 4.6 in August 2025
- 5,643Active listings+13.6% year over year
- 1,571New listings+3.0% year over year
- Highest: Halifax-Dartmouth $592,675
- Lowest: Cape Breton $289,859
- Largest rise: Cape Breton +15.3%
- Largest fall: Yarmouth -4.4%
Nova Scotia Association of REALTORS® / CREA monthly statistics, August 2026 report; added to this site September 20, 2026. Year to date: 7,022 sales, -8.1%. 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 | 441 | -7.0% | $592,675 | -1.9% |
| Annapolis Valley Kings, Annapolis and West Hants | 159 | +5.3% | $394,019 | +1.7% |
| Cape Breton Cape Breton Island | 89 | +2.3% | $289,859 | +15.3% |
| South Shore Lunenburg and Queens | 105 | -16.0% | $455,127 | +0.9% |
| Northern Nova Scotia Colchester, Cumberland and East Hants | 144 | -11.7% | $332,251 | -1.3% |
| Highland Region Pictou, Antigonish and Guysborough | 41 | -14.6% | $367,859 | +14.1% |
| Yarmouth Yarmouth, Digby and Shelburne | 18 | -28.0% | $313,944 | -4.4% |
- Average sale price $289,859
- 89 sales, +2.3%
- Covers Cape Breton Island
- Average sale price $313,944
- 18 sales, -28.0%
- Covers Yarmouth, Digby and Shelburne
Average sale price against August 2025. The provincial average moved 0.0%; the regions ranged from -4.4% to +15.3%. Source: Nova Scotia Association of REALTORS® / CREA monthly statistics.
What changed for borrowers
Against July 2026, the average sale price rose $2,173 (+0.5%) to $467,585. Sales fell from 1,075 to 997 (-7.3%). Active listings fell from 5,653 to 5,643. Months of inventory moved from 5.3 to 5.7, above the 4.6 of August 2025: more supply relative to sales than a year earlier, which is the time a financing condition needs.
The Bank of Canada’s decision after this month came on September 2, 2026: the policy rate is 2.25%, and the next scheduled decision is October 28, 2026. Bank of Canada.
Rule and program changes dated in August 2026:
- Aug 31, 2026, Market: August 2026 Nova Scotia housing statistics published. Provincial average sale price $467,585, MLS HPI benchmark $435,000, 5.7 months of inventory. Every town and region page recomputes from these figures. Source · The page this affects
- Aug 31, 2026, Market: Monthly housing market history added, January to August 2026. Eight months of NSAR figures — sales, average price, HPI benchmark, active listings, months of inventory and all seven regions — kept on this site because NSAR removes older reports from its own. Source · The page this affects
- Aug 7, 2026, Nova Scotia: Non-resident deed transfer tax windows extended. The proof-of-residency window went from six months to one year, and the refund window from one year to two. Source · The page this affects
Go deeper
The detail, if you want it
Year to date, January to August 2026
7,022 residential sales, down 8.1% on the same months of 2025, at a year-to-date average sale price of $479,667, up 1.2%. August 2026’s own average of $467,585 was below the running average by $12,082.
Every region, the last 3 months
| Region | June 2026 | July 2026 | August 2026 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Halifax-Dartmouth | $599,016 -3.1% | $577,503 -0.7% | $592,675 -1.9% |
| Annapolis Valley | $405,751 -2.3% | $412,233 +9.4% | $394,019 +1.7% |
| Cape Breton | $280,181 +0.9% | $294,263 +9.6% | $289,859 +15.3% |
| South Shore | $462,230 +8.4% | $450,855 -4.3% | $455,127 +0.9% |
| Northern Nova Scotia | $340,044 +6.9% | $323,857 0.0% | $332,251 -1.3% |
| Highland Region | $332,278 +4.1% | $325,576 +4.0% | $367,859 +14.1% |
| Yarmouth | $297,750 -9.7% | $282,000 -4.4% | $313,944 -4.4% |
| Nova Scotia | $481,384 -1.6% | $465,412 +1.5% | $467,585 0.0% |
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 August 2026?
$467,585, unchanged from August 2025, across 997 residential sales. The MLS HPI benchmark, which tracks a typical home rather than the mix of what sold, was $435,000, up 1.6%. By NSAR region the average ran from $289,859 in Cape Breton to $592,675 in Halifax-Dartmouth.
How many homes sold in Nova Scotia in August 2026?
997 through the MLS System, down 7.1% from August 2025. 1,571 new listings came on (up 3.0%). Active listings at month end were 5,643, giving 5.7 months of inventory against 4.6 a year earlier. Year to date, 7,022 homes had sold, down 8.1%.
Which region of Nova Scotia moved most in August 2026?
Cape Breton, where the average sale price was up 15.3% to $289,859 on 89 sales. At the other end, Yarmouth was down 4.4% to $313,944 on 18 sales. Regional averages on small sale counts swing more than the provincial figure; Yarmouth’s 18 sales is a small base.
Where do these August 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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