Published October 11, 2026 in Market Update

Southern York is still moving fast despite higher rates

By Erin Kelly

Real estate, Greater York, Hanover & Southern York County

Here's the number that matters most right now. CNBC reported the average 30-year fixed rate reached 7.49% as of October 7, 2026. That's real pressure on buyers. And yet, in the three months ending August 31, 2026, the Real Estate Data Aggregator counted 75.8% of homes in the Shrewsbury area going under contract within two weeks of listing. That gap between national headlines and local results is worth understanding before you pick a price.

The rate picture

CNBC also reported that purchase mortgage applications were 15% lower than the same week a year ago. Fewer buyers are shopping. The ones still out there are serious, and they're moving fast when the price is right. That's the environment you're selling into right now.

Southern York County: still tight

The towns closest to the Maryland line, running along I-83, tell a different story than the national numbers. The Real Estate Data Aggregator tracked the three months ending August 31, 2026 across the Shrewsbury, New Freedom, Glen Rock and Stewartstown corridors. Supply stayed razor thin. Homes sold fast. Prices held.

The Real Estate Data Aggregator also counted 35 homes sold in the Shrewsbury area, up 34.6% from the same three months in 2025. The median sale price reached $289,900, up 11.5% year over year. Homes sold at 99.9% of list price on average.

New Freedom and Glen Rock: even faster

The area around New Freedom and Glen Rock ran hotter still. The Real Estate Data Aggregator counted a median of just 5 days on market in the three months ending August 31, 2026. Nearly 3 in 4 homes, 73.3%, went under contract within two weeks. The median sale price reached $429,000, up 16.7% from a year earlier. Homes averaged 101.4% of list price. Supply tightened to 1.2 months, down 0.8 months from a year ago.

Stewartstown: the quickest of all

The Stewartstown area posted the fastest pace in Southern York County. The Real Estate Data Aggregator recorded 80% of homes going under contract within two weeks in the three months ending August 31, 2026, up 30 points from a year earlier. Median days on market: 8, down 10 days from a year ago. Supply sat at just 0.8 months. The median sale price was $394,950, up 3.9% year over year.

How the Maryland-line towns compare

Hanover and York: still moving, a little more room

Hanover is its own market, oriented to Route 94 and its own commercial center. The Real Estate Data Aggregator counted 235 homes sold in the Hanover area in the three months ending August 31, 2026. The median sale price was $325,000, up 8.3% from a year ago. Homes averaged 100.4% of list price, and 43.4% sold above asking. Supply was 2.1 months, down 0.4 months from a year earlier. It's still a seller's market, but there's a little more breathing room than you'll find closer to the Maryland line.

York city and the surrounding areas showed a mixed picture. The Real Estate Data Aggregator counted 138 homes sold in the southeast York area in the three months ending August 31, 2026, up 25.5% from a year ago. That area averaged 102.7% of list price, unchanged from a year earlier, with 56.5% of homes selling above asking. Supply tightened to 0.8 months. The median sale price was $335,000, up 3.9%.

The honest catch

Not every corner of this market moved the same way. The Real Estate Data Aggregator showed the Spring Grove area with a median days on market of 24, up 11 days from a year ago. That's the widest swing in the whole area. The Shrewsbury area saw the share of homes selling above list price drop 15.7 points, even as speed improved. And CNBC reported purchase applications were 15% below last year's pace. Buyers are out there. There are just fewer of them.

The wider market in one view

Across all of Greater York, Hanover and Southern York County together, the Real Estate Data Aggregator counted 1,160 homes sold in the three months ending August 31, 2026, with 1,174 pending sales and 588 homes for sale. That means pending sales outnumbered active listings. Demand is still ahead of supply.

One more thing worth knowing: the numbers above cover broad areas. One street can read very differently from the whole. If your home is in Shrewsbury, New Freedom, Glen Rock or Stewartstown, I can tell you what homes on your specific street are actually doing right now.