Yes. Healdsburg is a buyer's market right now, and it is the only one among Sonoma County's major towns. In Q3 2026, just 13.2% of Healdsburg homes for sale sold each month, down from 19.0% a year ago. Countywide the figure was 32.6%, a steady seller's market.
That split matters if you're weighing a move to Wine Country. Healdsburg went the opposite way from the rest of Sonoma County this year, and the numbers below show where buyers have leverage and where sellers still hold the cards. All figures are local BAREIS MLS data for Q3 (July to September) 2026 against Q3 2025.
Healdsburg vs the rest of Sonoma County
Absorption rate is the share of homes for sale that sell in a month. Under 15% is a strong buyer's market and over 25% favours sellers. Petaluma sits at 60.3%, Windsor at 48.4% and Santa Rosa at 35.1%. Even the Sonoma area, Healdsburg's closest rival for Wine Country buyers, is balanced at 23.4%.
Healdsburg's supply grew while everyone else's shrank. Homes for sale rose 21% (111 to 135) as countywide inventory fell 10%. Sales fell 17%, from 64 to 53 in the quarter, against a 7% dip countywide. That leaves Healdsburg with 8.0 months of supply, compared with 3.1 for the county. The town holds 12% of the county's homes for sale but closed only 5% of its sales.
What that means at the negotiating table
Healdsburg sellers got 92.3% of their original asking price in Q3, against 96.0% countywide. On a $1.5 million home, that 3.7-point gap is about $55,000 of room. Homes also sat longer: 81 days on market versus 59 for the county.
The asking-price gap tells the same story. Healdsburg's median list price is $2.11 million, while its median sold price is $1.17 million. Many asking prices sit well above what buyers are paying.
The 20% price jump that isn't
You may see that Healdsburg's median sold price rose 20%, from $976,000 to $1.17 million. Don't read that as appreciation. The median rose because cheaper homes stopped selling: homes under $1 million fell from 55% of Healdsburg sales to 42%. Price per square foot, a cleaner measure, rose a modest 5%, from $735 to $771.
Where Healdsburg is cooling fastest
Entry-level Healdsburg saw the sharpest turn of any segment in the county. A year ago, homes under $1 million were close to a frenzy, with 53.9% absorption and 2.1 months of supply. In Q3 2026, absorption was 24.3% and supply was 4.9 months. Sales fell from 35 to 22, and in September just 7 sold against 14 a year earlier. The median in this band is about $794,000, and price per square foot barely moved ($548 to $560). Meanwhile, under-$1 million sales in the Sonoma area rose 24%, which suggests entry-level buyers looked south this summer.
At the top, Healdsburg now has one in three of Sonoma County's $3 million-plus homes for sale (34%, up from 22%). Luxury inventory fell 22% countywide but rose 18% in Healdsburg, from 38 to 44 homes. Days on market nearly doubled, from 60 to 115, and sellers got 89.7% of original list, down from 95.3%. At about 2 sales a month, that is close to two years of supply. If you want choice and leverage above $3 million, Healdsburg is the place to start, and our guide to buying a home in Healdsburg covers the neighbourhoods worth knowing.
Where sellers still have an edge
The $1 million to $3 million band is Healdsburg's comeback segment. Inventory rose 21% (50 to 61) and new listings jumped 47%, yet the band firmed up during the quarter. Days on market fell from 82 to 66, sellers got 94.7% of original list, and September brought 17 new contracts against 6 a year earlier.
If you're selling your Healdsburg home in this range, price it to the market from day one and you will meet buyers who are coming back. If you're buying, this is the band where the window may close first. Across the county, $1 million to $3 million pendings rose 64% in September, so the wider move-up market is already heating up.
A note on the data
Figures come from BAREIS MLS via TrendGraphix, All Residential, comparing Q3 2026 with Q3 2025 averages. September 2026 is preliminary. The Sonoma area means MLS area B1300, not just the city of Sonoma. Healdsburg's under-$1 million and $3 million-plus segments see only a handful of sales a month, so treat their price figures as directional.
Thinking about buying or selling in Healdsburg this fall? Email me directly at david@bruingtonhargreaves.com.
About the Author
David Hargreaves is the co-founder of BruingtonHargreaves, one of Sonoma County's top-ranked real estate teams and part of W Real Estate. Originally from the UK and an Oxford University graduate, David built and ran a digital marketing agency serving Google, Facebook, and other major brands before becoming one of Sonoma County's top agents within three years of entering real estate.
Today he and business partner Jonathan Bruington have sold more than $250 million in Sonoma County homes over the past three years, earning recognition as a RealTrends No. 2 team in the county and the No. 1 team in Healdsburg. David specialises in helping Bay Area buyers and sellers with luxury properties and vacation rentals across Healdsburg, Windsor, Santa Rosa, and the Russian River communities.
He lives in Sonoma County with his wife Nancy and is happiest cycling the back roads, exploring local wineries, or behind a camera. Have a question about buying, selling, or building in Wine Country? Book a free call.