— Chittenden County's water-side capital is still the most expensive housing market in Vermont.

For buyers and sellers watching Burlington and Chittenden County: Zillow's June 30, 2026 median sale for Burlington sits at $529,818, with the median list at $495,333. Redfin's three-month rolling read through August 2026 puts the median at $520K, up 0.9% year-over-year. The squeeze is real. Here's what's holding it up, and where buyers are still finding room.

If You Only Remember 3 Things

  • Zillow's Burlington median sale $529,818 (June 30 2026), median list $495,333 (July 31 2026); Redfin rolling three-month $520K (+0.9% YoY).
  • South Burlington tracks slightly below city at Zillow ZHVI $483,135, but Realtor.com's South Burlington list median is $748K — the South Burlington queue and infrastructure re-priced faster than the city itself.
  • Burlington is still Chittenden's tightest market and the only Vermont metro where bidding over ask remains a meaningful pattern in 2026.

Chittenden County carries roughly forty percent of Vermont's housing demand. Burlington carries most of Chittenden's. That is not an abstraction in 2026 — it is a pricing fact: when Washington County and Lamoille County are settling into flat-to-up-one-percent readings, Burlington is still pushing 1% to 2% year-over-year, and a small slice of the inventory is still trading above list. Not because the buyers are wild. Because the supply is not there.

What is the median home price in Burlington?

Three sources, three numbers, three real reads — each representing a different slice of the same market.

Zillow's June 30, 2026 median sale for Burlington sits at $529,818, with the median list at $495,333 as of July 31, 2026. The Zillow ZHVI is also a meaningful read in Chittenden because the actual transactions clear close to list more often than in any other Vermont metro.

Redfin's three-month rolling read through August 2026 puts the median sale at $520,000, up 0.9% year-over-year. Redfin's city-level read tends to weight more recent closings more heavily, which is why the figure runs slightly below Zillow's June 30 snapshot.

South Burlington, the suburb-adjacent inventory pool, sits at a Zillow ZHVI of $483,135, down 0.8% year-over-year. Realtor.com's snapshot of South Burlington lists a median of $748K — a meaningful gap that reflects the zip's newer construction and larger-lot inventory, not pricing weakness.

Is Burlington finally a buyer's market?

Not the way Washington County is. Chittenden is a market in slow re-equilibrium, not in retreat. Inventory has lifted across the metro, but the South End and Old North End walkups, the lakefront tier, and the UVM-adjacent family zone are still absorbing inside their comp range. Bidding over ask is still alive in that small tier. The over-ask share is small and concentrated at the upper end.

The South Burlington median list of $748K against the city list at $495K reflects the inventory split: the city is older housing stock with smaller footprints, the suburb is newer construction with larger footprints and infrastructure investment. The two answer different buyer demand.

How fast are homes selling in Burlington?

Faster than anywhere else in Vermont in 2026. South Burlington sits at Realtor.com median DOM around 22 days as the suburb has cooled slightly. The city itself runs within and around the 30-day window for walkup and family-zone inventory at the right price. The lakefront and Old North End tier clears inside a fortnight for comp-supported asking. The out-of-town buyer pool is alive, broadly financed, and ready.

What makes Burlington different from South Burlington, Winooski, or Essex?

Burlington is Vermont's largest city, lakefront-anchored, UVM-adjacent, walkable downtown city market. South Burlington is the suburb with newer construction and infrastructure. Winooski is the dense, urban-core, walkable but smaller-scale inventory pool immediately north. Essex is the family-suburb tier to the northeast.

The Burlington-South Burlington price read on Zillow runs about $529K vs $483K ZHVI for the city and the suburb respectively. The Realtor.com gap is wider because the South Burlington inventory includes newer construction that the city's missed. The buyer pool answers to different demand: the city wants the downtown, the suburb wants the new build, and Winooski is the urban-core alternative for the buyer who wants the scale without the city.

How does the lakefront and Old North End premium actually work?

If your property sits on Lake Champlain frontage or on a tier above Lake Street with view planes, the premium is real — typically 30% to 60% above the city median, depending on direct water access and lot depth. The Old North End walkable family zone clears at a smaller premium but holds its value through soft years better than the outer neighborhoods.

Should I bother with a valuation or just check Zillow?

If you are a buyer eyeballing a property, the Zillow index is a starting point. If you are a seller preparing to list, or a buyer preparing to write an offer, the Burlington valuation tool is the second step. The third step — the one that costs nothing and matters most — is talking through the comps the AVM cannot see: the kitchen and bath renovation bill, the Lake Champlain view plane that the next-door development might cut off, the UVM Medical Center adjacency that dwarfs the city's own comp set.

Questions buyers and sellers ask us about Burlington

Will Chittenden prices drop in 2026?

National forecasts put 2026 price growth at three to four percent. Chittenden is tracking inside that band but at the upper end. We expect Burlington to finish 2026 up one to two percent, lakefront tier up more, outlying tier up less or flat.

Is Burlington affordable for first-time buyers?

At the $520K median sale and 5.9 to 6.2 percent mortgage rates, the monthly cost is real, but the rental alternative is structurally weak, and Vermont State Housing Finance programs plus Chittenden-specific first-time buyer programs stack on the median. Talk to a local lender before self-selecting out.

How does Burlington compare to South Burlington?

South Burlington trades slightly below Burlington on the ZHVI but significantly above on Realtor.com's live list. That spread is the inventory mix. The suburb carries newer construction and larger lots; the city carries older walkups and lakefront heritage. The two are not directly comparable as asset classes.

Should I sell now or wait until spring?

List late winter through early spring to capture the UVM-area relocation window and the Boston / New York second-home capital that returns once the academic year settles. Burlington's absorption is year-round but peaks with the campus cycle.

Do you have clients who overpaid in 2022?

Yes. Several of them are refinancing now. If you are in that group, the conversation we are having is how to position the asset through the next three years until the market recovers the comparables.

Where to Go Next

New England Landmark Realty · 26 N Main Street Suite 2, Waterbury, VT 05676 · Office (802) 253-4711 · Toll-Free (866) 324-2427 · Tony's cell (802) 233-4107 · www.nelandmark.com

.