Published September 30, 2026 in Market Update

Stillwater looks softer on price, but buyers are still competing

By Laurie Dick

Real estate, St. Croix Valley MN

Here is the one thing worth knowing if you own a home in Stillwater right now. The Real Estate Data Aggregator counted 151 homes sold in ZIP 55082 in the three months ending July 31, 2026, and the median sale price came in at $525,000. That is down 5.4% from the same three months in 2025. It sounds like the market softened. But keep reading, because the rest of the numbers tell a different story.

That 45.7% is not a soft market. The Real Estate Data Aggregator shows that share was up 10.2 points from a year before. Buyers are not walking away. Some of them are still fighting over the right home.

Speed tells the same story

The Real Estate Data Aggregator found that 55.8% of homes in ZIP 55082 went under contract within two weeks of listing. That is up 4.6 points from 2025. The median days on market was 21 days, just 2 days longer than last year. If a home is priced well, it is still moving.

What the lower median price actually means

A lower median can mean prices fell. It can also mean the mix of homes that sold shifted, with more modest homes closing and fewer high-end ones. The Real Estate Data Aggregator shows average sale price as a share of list price came in at 100.8% in 55082. That is actually up 0.1 points from 2025. Sellers, on average, got a little more than they asked. That does not happen in a soft market.

Nationally, Realtor.com reported that pending sales were down 0.2% year over year in August 2026. Stillwater's pending sales were down 10.3% in the same period, per the Real Estate Data Aggregator. That is a bigger dip than the national picture. Still, 156 homes went pending here in just three months. Buyers are present.

How the rest of the St. Croix Valley looks

Stillwater is not the only story. The Real Estate Data Aggregator counted 882 homes sold across the St. Croix Valley Minnesota ZIPs in the three months ending July 31, 2026, with 844 pending and 1,004 new listings. Supply is still lean. That keeps pressure on buyers in most spots.

The Bayport area ZIP 55003 stands out. The Real Estate Data Aggregator shows 46.7% of homes sold above list there, with a sale-to-list ratio of 101.5% and just 0.4 months of supply. Only 15 homes sold, so those numbers move easily. But the direction is clear: not much to choose from, and buyers are paying for what is there.

The Marine area ZIP 55047 is different. The Real Estate Data Aggregator shows the median sale price jumped 27.7% to $753,500, and homes sold were up 40%. But only 14 homes sold, and the median days on market was 44 days, 16 days longer than last year. Prices rose because fewer, pricier homes sold. It is not the same as broad demand.

One rate number worth knowing

CNBC reported the average 30-year fixed mortgage rate at 7.45% as of September 24, 2026. That is not low. It shapes what buyers can afford, and it is part of why some homes sit longer than others. Price something past what a buyer can carry at that rate, and you will feel it.

These numbers cover a whole ZIP code. One block can read very differently from the one next to it. If you want to know what the data says about your specific address, just reach out.