Catch up on previous editions:
Midyear Check-In: NCW vs. the Nation and Washington State
With the year now half over, the year-to-date picture is the clearest way to read the market, especially this month. The Chelan County Auditor’s office was shut down by a malware attack in May, which delayed the recording of some closings; as a result, May’s counts were likely understated and June’s overstated as the backlog cleared. Because month-to-month comparisons are distorted this period, the market schedules that follow lead with year-to-date figures. Mortgage rates, meanwhile, have moved higher on renewed inflation concerns, fueled in part by rising oil prices amid Middle East tensions with the 30-year fixed reaching about 6.66% at the end of July (Freddie Mac), an eleven-month high.
Through the first half of the year, Chelan and Douglas counties are clearly outrunning both the state and the nation. Local single-family sales are up 4.5% year-to-date (764 versus 731) and local dollar volume is up 8.7% to $493.2 million. Over the same January–June period, U.S. existing-home sales were essentially flat (+0.2%) and Washington’s closed sales were down about 2.1%, so North Central Washington is gaining share on both. The contrast is sharpest on price: Washington’s statewide median slipped 3.0% year over year (to $650,000 in June) even as North Central Washington’s dollar volume keeps climbing, reflecting steady demand at the mid- and upper-middle price points.
Rolling 12-Month SFR Dollar Volume by Region
The twelve-month view shows the familiar seasonal cycle: combined Chelan/Douglas dollar volume has ranged from a February trough of $53.8 million to summer peaks near $120–135 million, and June closed the first half strong. Part of June’s jump reflects May closings that recorded late after the county auditor outage.
Each sub-market reflects its own conditions. Year-to-date, the Wenatchee market has recorded $343.8 million, the Lake Chelan Valley $77.6 million, and the Upper Valley $61.9 million — the latter a corridor still working its way back since the Highway 2 closure and washout disrupted access late last year.
Chelan/Douglas Counties
Year-to-date, Chelan and Douglas counties are running ahead of last year on both counts: 764 transactions versus 731 (+4.5%) and $493.2 million versus $453.9 million (+8.7%). The dollar-volume lead continues to outpace the unit gain, reflecting a richer sales mix so far in 2026.
Financed activity is driving the year’s gains. Through June, financed transactions rose to 569 from 524 a year ago (+8.6%), while cash deals eased to 195 from 207 (-5.8%). As a share of all sales, financed deals climbed to 74.5% of the market, up from 71.7% a year ago.
Chelan/Douglas June 2026 YTD vs June 2025 YTD
On a single-month basis, June came in well above a year ago — 196 transactions versus 172 (+14.0%) and $135.5 million versus $119.9 million (+13.0%). Some of that jump reflects May closings that recorded in June after the county auditor’s malware outage, so the month-over-month figures below are distorted; the year-to-date numbers above are the truer read.
Chelan/Douglas June 2026 vs June 2025
Month over month, June recorded 196 transactions versus 146 in May — an unusually large swing that reflects the timing of delayed recordings rather than a true surge in activity.
Chelan/Douglas June 2026 vs May 2026
Other Than Single Family Home Sales
In addition to single-family residential, Chelan and Douglas counties recorded the following non-SFR activity in June 2026:
Exploring the Dynamic Wenatchee Market: From Entiat to Malaga, Rock Island to Orondo and West to Cashmere
Year-to-date, the Wenatchee market is comfortably ahead of last year: 582 transactions versus 545 (+6.8%) and $343.8 million versus $306.1 million (+12.3%). Both measures are running well ahead of last year’s first-half pace.
Wenatchee June 2026 YTD vs June 2025 YTD
June single-month sales were up 7.8% year over year (138 versus 128) and dollar volume rose 17.7% ($86.53 million versus $73.49 million), though June’s totals were lifted by late-recorded May closings.
Wenatchee June 2026 vs June 2025
Month over month, the count rose from 108 in May to 138 in June — again reflecting the recording backlog more than a genuine one-month jump.
Wenatchee June 2026 vs May 2026
The Chelan Market: Encompassing Manson and Stehekin
Year-to-date through June, the Lake Chelan Valley is ahead on transaction count — 85 versus 80 (+6.2%) — but dollar volume trails at $77.6 million versus $83.8 million (-7.4%). Last year’s first half included several large luxury sales that have not repeated so far this year; with the Valley’s smaller volumes, a handful of high-end transactions swings the dollar figures sharply.
Lake Chelan Valley June 2026 YTD vs June 2025 YTD
In June alone, unit sales rose to 27 from 21 a year ago (+28.6%) while dollar volume fell 28.7% — from $33.2 million to $23.7 million — as June 2025 had carried an outsized share of high-end closings.
Lake Chelan Valley June 2026 vs June 2025
Exploring the Upper Valley Market: Insights from Dryden to Stevens Pass, Including Leavenworth, Lake Wenatchee and Plain
Year-to-date, the Upper Valley has pulled ahead of last year: 75 transactions versus 70 (+7.1%) and $61.9 million versus $55.6 million (+11.3%) — a notable turnaround after a very slow start to the year.
The corridor continues its recovery from the Highway 2 closure and washout that disrupted access late last year. June’s single-month figures are especially inflated by the recording backlog — 26 sales versus 11 a year ago — so the year-to-date gain above is the meaningful measure of the corridor’s improvement.
Upper Valley June 2026 YTD vs June 2025 YTD
On a single-month basis June showed 26 transactions versus 11 a year ago and $23.1 million versus $8.7 million, but those outsized gains largely reflect delayed recordings clearing in June rather than a true tripling of activity.
Upper Valley June 2026 vs June 2025
