July 2026 Market Update — Sidney / Richland County, Montana

Nine Sales, Nearly $4 Million in Volume — July Delivers the Strongest Month of 2026

If you've been watching the Richland County real estate market and wondering when things would really hit their stride, July answered that question definitively. Nine closings. Nearly four million dollars in total volume. A median sale price of $347,000. By every meaningful measure, this is the strongest month of 2026 — and the story behind the numbers deserves a closer look before you draw conclusions from the average price comparison alone.

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The July Numbers

In July 2026, nine homes sold in Richland County with a total sales volume of $3,823,000. The average sale price came in at $382,000 and the median sale price at $347,000.

Compare that to July 2025: nine homes sold at a total volume of $3,283,000 and an average sale price of $410,000. Transaction count is identical year over year — nine and nine — but 2026 delivered $540,000 more in total volume. That's a 16% increase in total volume on the same number of sales. More dollars changing hands on the same transaction count is a meaningful signal.

The average sale price is down from July 2025's $410,000 to $382,000 this year — a difference of $28,000. I want to address that directly, because the context behind that gap matters more than the gap itself.

Month over month, July built powerfully on June's already-strong performance. June brought seven sales at a median of $350,000 and $2,156,000 in volume. July added two more transactions and $1,667,000 in additional volume — a 77% jump in total volume from one month to the next. That kind of sequential growth heading into what is traditionally a seasonal slowdown is a genuine signal of market strength.

Context and Interpretation

Here's what it looks like is happening: average prices declined about $28,000 from July 2025 to July 2026.

Here's what's actually happening: July 2026's transaction mix included one sale at the very low end of the market — in the $60,000 range — which creates meaningful downward pressure on the average in a nine-sale month. Without that single entry-level transaction, the average would look quite different. The fact that the average still came in at $382,000 despite that outlier tells you the rest of the month's sales were weighted toward the upper range of the market.

The median sale price of $347,000 is the more reliable indicator here. It is not distorted by outliers on either end, and it reflects where the true middle of the market transacted in July. Two consecutive months — June at $350,000 and July at $347,000 — with medians essentially flat tells me the mid-range of this market has found a stable footing. That consistency is actually more valuable data than any single month's average.

Nine sales also gives us a genuinely useful sample size for Richland County. We're not extrapolating from three or four transactions — nine closings in a month is a meaningful dataset for this market, and the picture it paints is one of real, broad-based activity.

The Bigger Market Picture

At the end of July, Richland County had 37 total listings — 21 active and 16 under contract. Of those 37 listings, 16 are currently pending. That is the highest pending count we've recorded all year, and it represents a strong pipeline of closings already in motion heading into August.

I also want to address something happening beyond the residential market. Richland County has recently seen a wave of large-scale commercial properties come to market. I want to be clear about what that means — and what it doesn't mean — for residential sellers.

Commercial listings operate in an entirely separate buyer pool with different financing, different motivations, and different timelines. They do not directly affect residential home values or the demand for single-family homes. What commercial activity can reflect, however, is broader confidence in the regional economy. Investors and business owners don't bring major commercial assets to market in places they've written off. For residential sellers in Sidney, the commercial activity is context worth knowing — not cause for concern.

What This Means If You're Thinking of Selling

July's data makes a clear and direct case for sellers who have been watching and waiting.

Nine buyers closed on homes in Richland County last month. Sixteen more transactions are already in the pipeline. Total volume is up 16% from the same month last year. The median price has held steady near $350,000 for two consecutive months. This is not a market in retreat — this is a market performing at the top of its 2026 range.

For sellers priced between $275,000 and $400,000, July's data confirms that is exactly where buyer activity is concentrated right now. Price correctly within that range, present your home well, and the buyer pool is there.

For sellers above $400,000, the data still shows transactions happening at the upper end — July's volume relative to transaction count confirms that. Pricing strategy and patience matter more at that price point, but demand exists.

What I'd caution against is anchoring to 2025 sale prices as your benchmark. The $28,000 gap between July 2025 and July 2026 averages is largely explained by transaction mix, not by a market-wide price decline. Your home's value needs to be assessed against what has actually sold in the last 60 to 90 days — not what sold 12 months ago in a different mix of transactions.

What's Coming

August historically begins the seasonal transition in Eastern Montana. Harvest activity picks up, back-to-school decisions are finalized, and the pace of new listings typically slows. That dynamic can actually benefit sellers who are already on the market — less new competition arriving while the existing buyer pool, reflected in those 16 pending transactions, continues to close.

If you've been considering listing and haven't acted yet, the window is narrowing but it is not closed. The next four to six weeks still represent a viable opportunity to get in front of motivated buyers before the market shifts into its fall rhythm.

Ready to Talk?

July was the strongest month of 2026 for the Richland County real estate market. If you want to understand what that means for your specific property and timeline, I'd welcome the conversation.

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Stasia Creek | Broker/Owner | 406 East Realty | Sidney, Montana | (406) 478-8020