October 2026 Housing Market Update: Lexington, Lake Murray & Columbia

October 2026 update · Latest local reporting available: September 2026

September’s snapshots show that inventory and selling pace vary by location. Lexington County, the Lake Murray neighborhood of Columbia, and the City of Columbia are separate geographies, so these figures should not be read as one uniform “Midlands market.” Realtor.com labels the monthly comparison as month over month (MoM) and the annual comparison as year over year (YoY).

Lexington County

Reporting period: September 2026 · Geography: all of Lexington County.

• Active listings: 2,514, up 1.88% MoM and 3.33% YoY.
• Prices: median listing price $325,000, down 1.39% MoM and 0.33% YoY; median sold price $293,950, down 3.94% MoM and 5.94% YoY.
• Time on market: median 51 days, unchanged MoM and down 1.96% YoY.
• Buyer and seller conditions: Realtor.com classifies the county as a buyer’s market for September. Homes sold for 1.08% below asking on average, with a 99% sale-to-list ratio.

For a local starting point, see our Lexington, SC page. Source: Realtor.com Lexington County market data.

Lake Murray neighborhood of Columbia

Reporting period: September 2026 · Geography: Realtor.com’s Lake Murray neighborhood in Columbia.

• Active listings: 7, down 2.50% MoM and up 2.86% YoY.
• Prices: median listing price $515,000, down 0.96% MoM and up 0.01% YoY; median sold price $539,620, up 4.80% MoM and 14.81% YoY.
• Time on market: median 65 days, up 12.93% MoM and 11.02% YoY.
• Buyer and seller conditions: Realtor.com classifies this neighborhood as a buyer’s market for September. Homes sold for 1.44% below asking on average, with a 99% sale-to-list ratio.

Sample caveat: the page reports only 7 active listings. Treat this as a small neighborhood snapshot, not a count or price benchmark for all Lake Murray homes, waterfront properties, or nearby communities. The listing and sold medians describe different groups of homes and should not be compared as if they were the same properties.

Explore our Living on Lake Murray guide. Source: Realtor.com Lake Murray neighborhood market data.

City of Columbia

Reporting period: September 2026 · Geography: Columbia citywide, as defined by Realtor.com; this is not a combined Midlands metro total.

• Active listings: 1,939, up 3.54% MoM and 16.92% YoY.
• Prices: median listing price $250,000, unchanged MoM and down 7.37% YoY; median sold price $249,000, down 9.45% MoM and up 1.84% YoY.
• Time on market: median 53 days, up 6% MoM and 15.22% YoY.
• Buyer and seller conditions: Realtor.com classifies Columbia as a buyer’s market for September. Homes sold for 1.06% below asking on average, with a 99% sale-to-list ratio.

Source: Realtor.com Columbia market data.

How to use this snapshot

Columbia city had the largest reported active-listing count and a longer median selling timeline than a year earlier. Lexington County also had more active listings than in August, while its median time on market was unchanged. The Lake Murray neighborhood’s 7-listing count is too small to stand in for the full lake area. For buyers, the reported below-asking averages describe completed sales, not a guaranteed discount on any home. For sellers, county and city medians are context; a home’s condition, location, price range and direct competition matter.

If you are planning a move, browse our Columbia and Lexington relocation hub or Lexington relocation guide. These market summaries are informational and are not an appraisal or a prediction of an individual home’s value.

About the author: Shannon Taylor of The Marley Group works with buyers, sellers and relocating households in the Lexington and Columbia area.