Original Analysis · Published September 29, 2026 · Updated September 30, 2026
Denver Home Prices Explained: Value, Ask, and Closed Sale
Why a modeled value, a median list price, and a median closed-sale price answer different questions.
Why do Denver home-price measures differ?
In August 2026, Denver's broad price measures ranged from a $524,695 Zillow Home Value Index to a $524,900 Realtor.com median listing price and higher closed-sale medians. These are not competing estimates of one number: they measure modeled housing-stock value, current asking prices, and completed transactions.
Different price questions
| Metric | Value | Period | Definition or limit |
|---|---|---|---|
| Typical home value (ZHVI) | $524,695 | Aug. 31, 2026 | Modeled home-value index, not a median sale price |
| One-year ZHVI change | -2.1% | Year over year | Change in Zillow's modeled index |
| Median sale-to-list ratio | 0.996 | July 31, 2026 | Median ratio, not a promise for an individual sale |
| Median sale price | $619,090 | Three months ending Aug. 2026 | All home types; Redfin calculations from MLS and/or public records |
| Year-over-year sale-price change | +4.9% | Same three-month window | Comparison with the same period one year earlier |
| Median listing price | $524,900 | Aug. 2026 | Asking-price measure; down 7.31% year over year |
| Median sold price | $555,000 | Aug. 2026 | Completed-sale measure; down 3.48% year over year |
| Median sales price | $635,000 | Aug. 2026 | Down 5.6% year over year |
| Median sales price | $360,000 | Aug. 2026 | Down 10.0% year over year |
Method
The analysis classifies each public metric by object measured, transaction stage, period, and property-type scope. It does not average unlike measures or treat a portal index as a completed-sale sample.
Limits
Broad medians and indices hide composition changes. A shift in the mix of homes sold can move a transaction median even if identical-property values do not move by the same amount. None of these measures substitutes for property-specific comparable-sales work.
Sources
- Zillow Denver Housing MarketDenver city data through August 31, 2026, with July 2026 sale metrics
- Redfin Denver Housing MarketDenver city data for the three months ending August 2026, with August 2026 sales count
- Realtor.com Denver Market TrendsDenver city and county portal data through August 2026
- DMAR and Colorado Association of REALTORS® Denver Local Market UpdateDenver city, August 2026 and year to date through August 2026; REcolorado® and IRES® data
Questions readers ask
Is Zillow's home-value index a median sale price?
No. Zillow's ZHVI is a modeled value index, while transaction medians summarize completed sales in a defined period.
Why can closed-sale medians differ?
They can use different windows, coverage, property-type groupings, and transaction samples.
Which measure prices an individual home?
None alone. A property-specific analysis needs relevant recent comparable sales and current competition.
Related analysis
What Do Denver's Different Home Price Numbers Mean in 2026?
Zillow, Redfin, Realtor.com, and DMAR can all publish accurate Denver price figures that differ because they measure different things.
ArticleDenver Home Values vs. Sale Prices in 2026
Modeled values and observed transaction medians answer different questions and can move in different directions.
Property-Specific Context
Use the report as a starting point
For a Denver property analysis that matches the home, location, condition, and current competition, email Rick Janson.
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