The Regional Median Won't Tell You What Your Home Is Worth — Here's Why That Matters If You're Selling

Every month, the headline number out of the Columbus REALTORS® Central Ohio Housing Report gets repeated everywhere: a regional median sales price of $350,000, up 2.3% year over year. It's a useful snapshot of the region as a whole — but if you're getting ready to list a home in one of Margaret's core service areas, that number can actually work against you if you lean on it too heavily.

Here's why: the regional median blends together everything from entry-level condos in dense urban pockets to new construction on half-acre lots in the outer suburbs. Recent market analysis on the city of Columbus proper shows an average sold price of roughly $325,822 — below the regional figure — driven by a heavier mix of condos and smaller, entry-level housing stock inside the city limits. Meanwhile, price-per-square-foot figures for the city sit in the $195 to $196 range, a number that varies enormously once you step into a specific, well-established neighborhood.

Why Submarket Data Beats Headline Numbers

A well-kept ranch in one of Margaret's close-in neighborhoods and a newer build twenty minutes north are, functionally, two different markets that happen to share a MLS system. Buyers shopping in Upper Arlington or Worthington aren't comparing your home to the regional median — they're comparing it to the three or four closed sales down the street from you in the last 60 days. That's the number that should be driving your list price conversation, not the countywide average.

• Regional median sales price: $350,000, up 2.3% year over year
• City of Columbus average sold price: roughly $325,822 — below the regional figure due to a higher share of condos and entry-level stock
• Regional price per square foot trending in the $195–$196 range, with wide variation by neighborhood
• 2.4 months of regional supply — still a seller's market, but competition varies block by block

What This Means for Your Pricing Conversation

If a headline says home prices are up regionwide, it's tempting to assume your specific listing should price higher than it did last year, across the board. Sometimes that's true. Sometimes your specific pocket of the market has cooled slightly, or the comparable sales nearby simply don't support a headline-driven number. The only way to know for sure is a comp analysis built from recent closings in your actual neighborhood — not a countywide average that includes housing stock nothing like yours.

Bottom Line

Regional numbers make good headlines, but they can be a poor guide for pricing a specific home. A comp analysis built around your actual neighborhood — not the countywide median — is what should set your list price.

Margaret Lipp | REMAX Premier Choice

Serving Upper Arlington, Dublin, Worthington, Clintonville, Hilliard, Powell, Grandview, and all Central Ohio communities

Source: Columbus REALTORS® Central Ohio Housing Report, July 2026 (most recent available; the August 2026 report had not yet published at the time of writing), based on data from the Columbus & Central Ohio Regional MLS. Mortgage rate data from Freddie Mac's Primary Mortgage Market Survey, September 3, 2026. Market data is a snapshot in time and subject to change.