Stearns and Benton County Home Sales, September 2026: Prices, Sales and Inventory

The September 2026 home sales numbers are out for Stearns and Benton counties. In Stearns County, home to most of St. Cloud and Sartell plus St. Joseph, Waite Park, Cold Spring and Albany, more homes sold than a year ago and the median sale price rose. In Benton County, home to Sauk Rapids, Foley and Rice, fewer homes sold and the median price dipped. The figures come from the Minnesota Realtors monthly Local Market Updates, which use NorthstarMLS data current as of Oct. 7, 2026.

Stearns County, September 2026

• Median sale price: $316,250, up 7.9% from $293,000 in September 2025
• Closed sales: 183, up 14.4% from 160
• New listings: 205, down 8.1% from 223
• Pending sales: 127, down 28.2% from 177
• Days on market until sale: 41, compared with 45 a year earlier
• Percent of original list price received: 96.4%, compared with 97.0%
• Months supply of inventory: 3.4, the same as a year ago
• Year to date (January through September): 1,376 closed sales, up 8.9%, with a median sale price of $300,000, up 1.7%

Benton County, September 2026

• Median sale price: $297,575, down 2.4% from $305,000 in September 2025
• Closed sales: 38, down 24.0% from 50
• New listings: 58, up 7.4% from 54
• Pending sales: 34, down 19.0% from 42
• Days on market until sale: 43, compared with 41 a year earlier
• Percent of original list price received: 95.8%, compared with 97.0%
• Months supply of inventory: 3.5, up from 2.7
• Year to date (January through September): 339 closed sales, up 2.4%, with a median sale price of $310,000, up 3.4%

Both counties together

The Minneapolis Area Realtors report for the Saint Cloud metro area, which is made up of Stearns and Benton counties, counted 221 closed sales in September, up 5.2% from 210 a year earlier, and a median sale price of $312,737, up 6.0% from $295,000. There were 631 homes for sale at the end of the month, up 10.5% from 571, or about 3.4 months of supply. That report’s 221 closed sales and 263 new listings match the two county reports added together.

Reading the numbers

• Median sale price is the middle price of all homes that closed in the month. Half sold for more and half for less.
• Pending sales are homes that went under contract during the month but had not closed yet.
• Months supply estimates how many months it would take to sell every home on the market at the current pace of sales.
• Both reports note that the prices do not account for seller concessions, and that a single month can swing because of small sample sizes, especially in a smaller county like Benton.

More for buyers and homeowners

• See where rates stood in our Oct. 16 mortgage rate update.
• Buying your first home? Read our guide to Minnesota Housing’s Start Up program.
• Bought a home this year? Apply for homestead by Dec. 31. See our homestead deadline guide.

Sources: Minnesota Realtors Local Market Updates for September 2026: Stearns County, Benton County and the statewide housing market update; Minneapolis Area Realtors Local Market Update, Saint Cloud MSA, September 2026. All data from NorthstarMLS, current as of Oct. 7, 2026. Checked Oct. 19, 2026.

Market figures and rates change often and are for general information only. Contact a licensed professional for advice on your situation.

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