Manatee County housing market report: September 2026

In September 2026, Manatee County single-family homes sold for a median of $485,000, up 3.2% from a year earlier, and went under contract a week faster. The condo and townhouse median held flat at $296,500 while condo inventory fell 13.9% (Florida Realtors Monthly Market Summary, Manatee County, September 2026). Sellers kept more of their asking price than a year ago, but Manatee had fewer house sales than last September even as more homes came on the market.

The Manatee report covers Bradenton, Palmetto, Parrish, Ellenton, Anna Maria Island and the Manatee side of Lakewood Ranch and Longboat Key. We looked at what the September numbers mean for prices in are Sarasota home prices dropping?, so this post sticks to the full monthly scorecard and what it means for you.

How did single-family homes do in September 2026?

If two of those lines are new to you: months supply is how long it would take to sell every listed home at the current pace if nothing new came on, and percent of original list price received is the median share of their first asking price that sellers got, before any reductions.

Manatee houses had a mixed month. Prices rose and homes moved faster, and at 95.7% of original list price, Manatee single-family sellers did better on that measure than any of the four Sarasota and Manatee groups in September. But closed sales slipped to 636 from 662, and new pending sales fell 3.6% to 559. Meanwhile new listings jumped 8.8%. More homes coming on with slightly fewer buyers signing is something to watch, even though total inventory still ended the month a little lower than a year ago.

There is a steadier sign underneath: pending inventory, the homes under contract but not yet closed, rose 3.3% to 820, so plenty of deals were still working toward closing at month end. The median home closed 103 days after it was listed, down from 109. Cash was part of 180 of the 636 sales, about 28%, a much smaller share than in Sarasota County. Distressed sales were still a small slice: 7 foreclosure or bank-owned sales and 4 short sales, up from 1 of each a year earlier (same source).

How did condos and townhouses do?

The condo and townhouse side is moving in a steadier direction. Inventory fell by almost 200 listings, months supply dropped from above six to 5.0, and homes under contract but not yet closed rose 16.7% to 245. The median price didn’t move, while statewide the condo and townhouse median fell 1.8% over the same year (Florida Realtors, Florida Townhouses and Condos, September 2026).

Condo sellers still give up the most from their first price. At 91.5% of original list price, the typical Manatee condo seller ended about 8.5% below where they started. Most of that comes from listings that start high and get cut. About 48% of condo and townhouse sales were cash (108 of 224), and there were no foreclosure or short sales in this group.

How does Manatee compare with Sarasota County?

The single-family medians matched at $485,000 in September 2026, but Sarasota’s rose faster over the year (7.8% against 3.2%), and Sarasota had more sales growth and a bigger drop in inventory. Manatee sellers got a higher share of their asking price and had less cash in the mix. On condos, Sarasota’s median was $335,000 against Manatee’s $296,500, and both counties landed at about five months of supply. Our Sarasota County market report has the matching tables.

New construction is part of the Manatee picture too, in places like Lakewood Ranch and Parrish, and builder incentives can change what a buyer compares a resale against. We break down those costs in Lakewood Ranch new construction vs resale.

What did we see in Manatee this fall?

[NEEDS RICHARD: a real example from Manatee in September or October 2026 (no names), such as a Bradenton or Lakewood Ranch listing, showing or offer, and how it compared with these numbers]

What this means for sellers, buyers and rental owners

Sellers. Homes are selling faster and closer to asking, but more new listings are arriving while fewer buyers sign. That’s a reason to price right in the first two weeks rather than test a high number. Our guide to how long it takes to sell a house in Sarasota covers the list-to-close timeline. For your own home, request a written pricing opinion, usually within 24 hours.

Buyers. Single-family supply is under four months, so good homes still draw quick interest. Condos and townhouses give you more time and more room, with a median of 76 days to contract and sellers accepting 91.5% of their first price. See our Bradenton area guide for the homes and places on the Manatee side.

Rental owners. Shorter days on market and steady prices make this a fair time to compare selling against keeping the home as a rental. Many associations set minimum lease terms or limit leases per year, so check your rules before you decide.

To put real numbers on both sides, start with our free rental analysis.

What’s the next step?

County numbers set the mood, but your street and condition set the price. Fill out our home value form and we’ll send a written pricing opinion based on recent Manatee sales near you.