Wahpeton, ND Housing Market
AI-powered market intelligence for the Wahpeton, ND-MN metro area.
PropertyIQ Scores
Wahpeton, ND Market Analysis
Market Overview
Wahpeton’s PropertyIQ Score of 41 out of 100 places it below the midpoint, indicating a market that is moderate to weak relative to broader performance benchmarks. The median home value is $228,273, well below the North Dakota state average of $350,752. The rent index tells a similar story at $884, compared with the state average of $1,280. Median household income is $73,734, also trailing the state average of $89,062, while the unemployment rate of 4.3% matches the state average. This combination points to a lower-cost market that has not shown enough price or demand strength to push its score higher.
The score’s top drivers illustrate a mixed picture. The 12-month home value momentum is positive at 8.87%, indicating some appreciation over the past year. The 3-month momentum, however, is -0.95%, which suggests the market has cooled recently. Median days on market is 58 days, and 25.4% of listings have had a price cut. A year-over-year change in home value of -$20 is effectively flat. With 96 homes for sale and no population growth data available, the supply picture is limited but not clearly tight.
Overall, Wahpeton reads as an affordable but soft market. Its score of 41/100 and below-average home and rent levels relative to North Dakota benchmarks indicate a market that may offer lower entry costs but currently lacks the momentum of stronger areas.
Key Trends
One clear trend is relative affordability compared with the rest of the state. The median home value in Wahpeton is about 35% below the North Dakota average, while the rent index is about 31% below the state average. Median household income is about 17% below the state average. This means housing costs are disproportionately lower than the income gap, making homes more attainable for local incomes than the statewide benchmark would suggest. The price-to-income ratio is roughly 3.1 in Wahpeton, compared with about 3.9 for the state average.
A second trend is cooling price momentum. The 12-month home value momentum of 8.87% shows that the market had recent strength, but the 3-month momentum of -0.95% and a year-over-year change of -$20 indicate that price growth has stalled. Additionally, 25.4% of listings have experienced a price cut, which suggests sellers are adjusting expectations as buyer demand softens.
A third trend is a moderate pace of sales and inventory. With 96 homes for sale and a median days on market of 58 days, listings are not turning over extremely quickly. Combined with the share of listings with price cuts, this points to a market where buyers may have more time and negotiating power than sellers.
Finally, the economic base is stable but lower-income relative to the state. The unemployment rate of 4.3% matches the North Dakota average, indicating a labor market consistent with the broader state. However, median household income of $73,734 is below the state average of $89,062. Population growth data is not available, so demographic-driven demand trends cannot be assessed from the provided metrics.
Who Is This Market For
Wahpeton is likely best suited for budget-conscious primary-residence buyers, especially first-time buyers. The median home value of $228,273 and a price-to-income ratio around 3.1 mean that a household earning the median income of $73,734 can purchase a home more comfortably than the statewide price-to-income ratio would imply. The below-state rent index of $884 may also make homeownership more attractive for residents who can secure favorable financing.
Investors may be drawn to the lower entry prices, but the rent index of $884 is below the state average of $1,280, so absolute rental income may be modest. With 25.4% of listings showing price cuts and a median days on market of 58 days, buyers and investors may find room to negotiate. This market is less suited to appreciation-focused investors or anyone seeking rapid price growth, given the negative 3-month momentum and a PropertyIQ Score of 41/100. Move-up buyers may find larger homes at accessible prices, but the cooling trend could make selling an existing home slower.
Outlook
The near-term outlook is cautious. The 3-month home value momentum of -0.95% and the year-over-year change of -$20 suggest prices are not currently rising in the short term. With 25.4% of listings showing price cuts and a median days on market of 58 days, sellers may need to remain flexible. The inventory of 96 homes for sale is a concrete but limited figure, and without population growth data, it is difficult to assess whether demand will absorb that inventory quickly. The 12-month momentum of 8.87% shows the market did have recent strength, but current data points to a cooling period rather than accelerating growth. Based on the numbers, conditions appear to favor buyers unless the 3-month momentum turns positive or the share of price cuts declines.
AI-generated analysis based on current market data. Last updated October 5, 2026.
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Wahpeton, ND market data
Wahpeton, ND Housing Market Overview
Wahpeton, ND's median home value is $228K, up 8.9% over the past year. Homes here sell in a median 58 days. Its PropertyIQ Score of 41 sits modestly below the state average of 50.
Understanding the Wahpeton, ND housing market requires looking beyond headline price figures. The PropertyIQ Score reads both sides of market strength: Zillow price momentum across 3- and 12-month windows, and Realtor.com flow signals — days on market and the share of listings with price cuts. Together they predict how this ND metro is set to perform relative to the rest of its state.
Midwestern housing markets are characterized by affordability and economic diversification. From manufacturing hubs undergoing tech-sector transitions to university towns with stable demand, the region offers value-oriented opportunities with lower entry costs than coastal markets. Within the Midwest, Wahpeton, ND's PropertyIQ Score of 41 runs below the Midwest norm.
The PropertyIQ Score for the Wahpeton, ND market is built from four inputs: Zillow home-value momentum over twelve months, Zillow home-value momentum over three months, the median days listings spend on the market (Realtor.com), and the share of listings with a price cut (Realtor.com). The score runs on a 1 to 99 scale computed across all metro markets nationally and calibrated so 50 equals the state average — a score above 50 means this market is positioned to outperform its state, and a score below 50 means it is set to lag. Momentum here has been positive, with home values up 8.9% over the past year.
Explore the interactive map to see how Wahpeton, ND compares to neighboring metros, or view the full market dashboard for detailed analytics including time-series trends, score breakdowns, and AI-generated market reports.
Counties in the Wahpeton, ND metro area
ZIP codes in the Wahpeton, ND metro area
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Market data through August 2026. Sourced from Zillow, Realtor.com, Redfin, U.S. Census Bureau, FRED, BLS, and BEA. Per-statistic source and date shown above.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Wahpeton, ND a good place to buy real estate in 2026?
PropertyIQ doesn't label markets simply good or bad. Instead, the PropertyIQ Score measures a market's demand momentum against its own state, where 50 marks the state average. Wahpeton, ND currently scores 41, a easing-momentum reading that leaves it positioned to lag its state modestly over the next three years. For buyers, softening demand tends to open up negotiating room as listings sit longer and price cuts become more common. Backing that up, the median home value here is $228K, up 8.9% over the past year. So whether Wahpeton, ND is right for you comes down to your goals: a rising-momentum market can favor long-term appreciation but offers less room to negotiate, while a cooling one hands buyers more leverage. Treat the score as a timing signal to weigh alongside your budget, holding period, and plans for the property, not a verdict on the market's quality.
What is the PropertyIQ Score for Wahpeton, ND?
Wahpeton, ND's PropertyIQ Score is 41, indicating easing momentum on a 1-to-99 scale. The score distills four transparent inputs into a single number: Zillow home-value momentum over the past 12 months, Zillow home-value momentum over the past 3 months, the median days homes spend on the market from Realtor.com, and the share of listings with a price cut, also from Realtor.com. Rising values and faster sales push the score up, while slow sales and frequent price cuts pull it down. The scale is calibrated so 50 equals the state average, meaning a score above 50 predicts the market will outperform its state over the next three years and a score below 50 predicts underperformance. PropertyIQ computes the score across every US market nationally, then recenters it against each state, so 41 places Wahpeton, ND below its state benchmark.
Are home prices in Wahpeton, ND rising or falling?
Home prices in Wahpeton, ND are rising. Over the past year, the median home value increased 8.9%, reaching $228K. Over the latest three months, values slipped 0.9%, a sign near-term demand is softening. PropertyIQ derives these figures from Zillow's home-value index, which tracks the typical value across the market rather than only the homes that happened to sell, giving a steadier read than a raw median sale price. Both the 12-month and 3-month momentum readings feed directly into the PropertyIQ Score, so this price trend is one of the core signals behind Wahpeton, ND's current score. Keep in mind that appreciation can vary widely by neighborhood and price tier across the metro area, so treat these figures as the market-wide baseline rather than a guarantee for any single property.
How quickly do homes sell in Wahpeton, ND?
In Wahpeton, ND, homes sell in a median of 58 days from listing to pending sale, based on Realtor.com market data. Median days on market is one of the clearest real-time reads on local demand: when homes move quickly, buyers are competing and sellers hold the advantage, while lengthening timelines signal cooling interest and more room to negotiate. Alongside sale speed, about 25% of active listings here have taken at least one price cut — a complementary demand gauge, since a rising share of reductions often precedes slower sales and softer prices. Both median days on market and the price-cut share feed directly into the PropertyIQ Score, where faster sales and fewer cuts push the score higher. As a general guide, medians under about 30 days indicate a brisk, competitive market, while medians well beyond 60 days point to buyers regaining leverage. Actual time on market still varies by price band, property type, and season, so treat the median as a market-wide baseline.
How current is this metro area data?
This Wahpeton, ND market data is refreshed on a monthly cycle, with the latest figures current through August 2026. PropertyIQ ingests fresh data every month from a range of authoritative sources: home values and rents from Zillow, days on market and price-cut activity from Realtor.com, additional housing signals from Redfin, demographic and housing-stock data from the U.S. Census Bureau, mortgage and macroeconomic series from FRED, and employment figures from the Bureau of Labor Statistics and the Bureau of Economic Analysis. The PropertyIQ Score itself is recomputed every month once the new source data lands, so the score and its four underlying inputs always reflect the most recent complete reporting period rather than a static snapshot. Because official housing data is typically released with a short lag, the current-through date usually trails the present by a few weeks, which is normal across the industry and not a sign the data is out of date.