Ranking the States Where It Takes the Longest to Sell a Home

A new report from PortlandRealEstate.com analyzes the average number of days it takes to sell your home in each U.S. state.

Through an analysis of Zillow data, it was found that Hawaii takes the top spot as taking the longest time to sell a home when compared to all 50 states, with the median number of days a home in Hawaii on the market standing at 65 days. The metro area within Hawaii that takes residents the longest to sell their home is the Kapaa region, a small town with an estimated 11,000 people. In the Kapaa region, a house was reported to be on the market for an average of 101 days before completion of the sale.

“In 2022, there were 5.95 million homes sold across the U.S., however, sales can vary significantly in time spent on this process,” said a spokesperson for PortlandRealEstate.com. “Buyers may be wary of homes that have been on the market for a long time, so it is important to discuss fresh strategies with your agent before your listing gathers dust. It is also important to note that research shows that springtime is often the best time to list a home, with these months having the highest number of buyers looking for homes. Taking these into consideration could help boost your chance of a successful sale.”

Occupying the number two slot on the list is the state of Louisiana, where it takes 60 days on average to sell a home, with the historical city of Opelousas taking the longest at 87 days.

Mississippi comes in as the state with the third longest length of time taken to sell a home, with an average of 58 days on the market. The area of Greenwood within Mississippi reported the longest time to sell a home at 120 days, more than double the median for the rest of the state.

Sharing the number four spot on the list were New Mexico and Florida, where in these states, it takes on average 55 days to sell a home, 13 days longer than the national average of 42 days.

The Empire State of New York came in fifth place with an average of 54 days on the market for a home before an offer is accepted. Malone, New York, a town in Franklin County, reported the longest time to sell a home compared to all other New York metro areas at 91 days.

Following New York and rounding out the top 15 are North Dakota and Arkansas reporting an average of 52 days on the market for a home; followed closely by Montana at 51 days; Alabama at 50; Oklahoma and Iowa both at 49; and Kansas, West Virginia, and Utah at 47 days.

At the other end of the spectrum, New Hampshire claimed the top spot as the state with the quickest time to sell a home, with a house on the market only for an average of 23 days total.