Current Fort Worth Housing Market Trends and 2026 Forecast

Here’s exactly what’s happening in Fort Worth’s housing market right now.. The overall picture for 2025 indicates a significant shift toward a stable and balanced market. Gone are the days of endless bidding wars fueled by ultra-low rates.

Thanks to consistently high demand countered by growing housing inventory across Tarrant County, home prices are holding remarkably steady—not exploding, but not collapsing either. We expect this stability to continue, meaning 2026 will likely be characterized by more negotiation power for buyers, especially if mortgage rates ease slightly.

As someone who has tracked the DFW real estate scene for years, I believe Fort Worth is entering a unique, resilient phase. We aren’t seeing the rapid value drops some other major metropolitan areas are experiencing. Instead, we’re seeing adjustment, which is a sign of underlying economic strength.

We’re going to dive deep into the latest figures to understand exactly what’s happening on the ground, and then we’ll look forward to what 2026 holds.

Current Fort Worth Housing Market Trends and 2026 Forecast

To understand where the market is headed, we first have to crack open the numbers and analyze the trends that have defined the past year. The data from the GFWAR October 2025 Housing Report gives us a crystal-clear snapshot of a market that is fundamentally stable but adjusting rapidly in terms of housing inventory.

The Big Picture: Stability and the March Toward Balance

If I had to summarize the key Fort Worth housing market trends in one word, it would be stability. While high mortgage rates have kept some first-time buyers on the sidelines and convinced many existing homeowners to stay put (due to their low, locked-in rates), the demand for living in the Fort Worth area remains powerful.

According to GFWAR President Paul Epperley, this resilience comes down to “strong fundamentals, which are a growing population, solid job base and steady housing demand.” Fort Worth isn’t dependent on temporary trends; it’s powered by long-term growth.

Let’s look at the statistics for Fort Worth proper for October 2025 compared to October 2024:

Metric	October 2025	Year-over-Year Change	Key Takeaway
Median Home Price	$325,000	0% (Holding Steady)	Prices are completely flat—no explosive growth, but no major decline.
Homes Sold (Closed Sales)	835	0% (Virtually Unchanged)	Demand is stable despite higher rates.
Monthly Housing Inventory	3.9 months	Up from 3.6 months	A crucial increase toward a balanced market.
Average Days on Market (DOM)	56 days	Up 2 days	Homes are taking slightly longer to sell, giving buyers breathing room.

This table shows a crucial turning point. When median prices and closed sales are unchanged year over year, it means the market has found its footing in the current high-rate environment. Buyers who need to move are still active, but they aren't willing to overpay.

Deep Dive into Home Prices and Sales Volume Across the Region

While the city of Fort Worth showed a perfect 0% change in median price, Tarrant County as a whole tells a similar story of equilibrium.

Tarrant County saw its median price hold steady at $345,000, experiencing only a tiny 0.2% decrease year over year. Closed home sales volume was also nearly flat, up just 0.2%. What does this flatness signal? It signals a market where neither Buyer’s Housing Market nor Seller’s Housing Market dominance is absolute—we are balanced.

However, once you leave the inner core and look at some of the surrounding counties, the numbers start to diverge, often signaling different stages of recovery or saturation.

Notable County Price Movements (October 2025)

• Tarrant County: $345,000 (0.2% decrease)
• Johnson County: $346,000
• Parker County: $449,000 (Stable, but sales volume down 4.9%)
• Denton County: $440,000 (A notable decrease of 7.4% year over year!)

Denton County’s significant price drop, coupled with a massive 24.6% increase in active listings, is evidence that the higher-priced northern suburbs are correcting faster than the core Fort Worth area. This suggests that affordability limits were hit harder in areas with higher average costs, forcing sellers to adjust their expectations.

The Crucial Role of Housing Inventory and Supply

The most important trend to understand right now is the rise in housing inventory or supply.

In the crazy years of 2021 and 2022, inventory was often below two months. This created the desperate conditions where buyers waived inspections and paid far over the asking price.

A balanced market—where neither the buyer nor seller has a clear advantage—is typically defined by four to six months of inventory.

Look at how much closer Fort Worth and surrounding areas have moved toward that balance:

• Fort Worth City: 3.9 months (Up from 3.6 months)
• Tarrant County: 3.7 months (Up from 3.5 months)
• Denton County: 4.3 months (Firmly in the balanced range)

This increase in inventory is perhaps the most favorable development for buyers. More homes on the market mean:

1. Less competition for each property.
2. More time (56 days on average in FW) for buyers to do their due diligence.
3. Greater opportunity for negotiation on price or concessions (like help with closing costs).

This trend confirms that the days of frantic, instant sales are over. It's a healthy cooldown.

A Look at the Neighborhoods: Regional Hot Spots and Cold Spots

One mistake I see people make when analyzing real estate is treating “Fort Worth” as one single entity. In reality, real estate is hyper-local. When we examine the GFWAR data for specific communities, we see wildly different performances.

This variation is critical for anyone looking to buy or sell.

Community	Median Price (Oct 2025)	Price Change YOY	Active Listings Change YOY	Inventory (Months)
Aledo	$486,000	Up 37.9%	Up 12.8%	5.3 (Balanced)
Burleson	$325,000	Down 13.9%	Down 9%	3.8 (Seller’s Lean)
Flower Mound	$587,500	Down 1.3%	Up 14.4%	3.1 (Tight Supply)
Highland Village	$622,500	Up 0.4%	Down 2.3%	2.5 (Very Tight)
Willow Park	$498,000	Up 31.8%	Down 42.1%	3.0 (Tight Supply, High Demand)
Dallas (For Comparison)	$425,000	Down 2.3%	Up 14.1%	5.2 (Balanced)

What does this localized data tell us?

1. Rural/Exurban Pressure: Aledo and Willow Park, though smaller markets, saw massive price growth because they offer larger lots and newer construction outside the immediate city bustle. Willow Park is particularly noteworthy: Active listings dropped 42.1%, proving demand far outstripped the little housing supply available, driving prices up dramatically.
2. Affordability Correction: Burleson saw a 13.9% dip in price. This community provides more affordable alternatives to the Fort Worth core, suggesting that even in the mid-range bracket, prices had stretched too far and are now correcting to meet current buyer budgets impacted by mortgage rates.
3. The Luxury Crunch: Highland Village remains a remarkably tight Seller's Housing Market (2.5 months of inventory). This suggests that high-end, exclusive markets near major job centers are often insulated from the larger economic pressures affecting the mass market.

In my professional assessment, the wide divergence in these price changes confirms that buyers must study local data, not just county averages.

Fort Worth Housing Market Forecast 2025 to 2026 (What Comes Next)

Forecasting real estate is never an exact science, but we can make educated predictions by analyzing the underlying economic conditions and the major variables currently impacting homeownership. Based on the current trajectory of the market—stable prices, stable sales, and increasing supply—we can develop a solid prediction for the Current Fort Worth Housing Market Trends and Forecast extending into 2026.

The Interest Rate Wildcard

The single biggest factor dictating the Fort Worth housing market forecast is the direction of mortgage rates.

As of early 2025, rates remain elevated compared to the historic lows we saw during the pandemic. These high rates severely limit purchasing power. A buyer who could afford a $400,000 home at 3% interest can only afford a $280,000-$300,000 home at 7% interest, assuming the same monthly payment.

My Prediction: I do not foresee a sudden drop back to 4% or 5% rates in 2025 or 2026. However, if the Federal Reserve is able to make a few targeted cuts due to moderating inflation, we might see the average 30-year fixed rate ease slightly, perhaps stabilizing in the 6.0% to 6.5% range by late 2026.

Even a small drop in rates can have a large effect:

• It improves affordability for home sales.
• It brings back “stuck” move-up buyers who are waiting for better rates before they list their current home. This further increases the housing supply.

Fort Worth’s Foundational Strength: Jobs and People

Unlike boom-and-bust cities, Fort Worth and the entire DFW area have powerful foundational strengths that prevent a housing crash: population growth and diverse job creation.

Fort Worth continues to attract corporate relocations and massive population influx. People are moving here for jobs, relatively lower taxes, and a generally better cost of living compared to coastal cities. This demographic momentum acts as a floor under home prices. Even if high interest rates temporarily sideline buyers, there is a massive pool of renters waiting for the right moment to jump in.

The steady demand noted by GFWAR in their October report is not accidental; it’s structural. This means that while price appreciation might be flat (0% to 2% annual growth), outright price collapse is highly unlikely because someone else is always willing to move here and occupy the available housing inventory.

Prediction: Who Will Win—Buyers or Sellers?

By late 2025 and moving into 2026, I forecast a continuing shift toward a Balanced Market, which will feel increasingly like a Buyer's Housing Market compared to the chaos of the early 2020s.

Here’s why:

1. More Inventory: As we saw, the months of inventory are climbing, hitting balanced territory in areas like Denton County and Dallas. This gives buyers time and options.
2. Stagnant Prices: If prices remain flat, inflation slowly works to make housing more affordable over time (as wages increase but house prices do not).
3. The Negotiation Factor: Sellers will be forced to compete on concessions. Expect to see more sellers offering to pay for repairs, cover buyer closing costs, or even offer rate buydowns to make their homes more attractive.

For buyers, the forecast is optimistic: you still need to be qualified, but you no longer need to panic. For sellers, the strategy shifts entirely—presentation, pricing, and condition will matter more than they have in years.

Localized Forecasts for 2026

Based on the current GFWAR data, we can anticipate specific market behaviors in different areas:

• Core Fort Worth and Tarrant County: Will remain stable. Prices might see modest appreciation (1-3%). Inventory will hover between 3.5 and 4.0 months. It will be the “safe” place to buy.
• Affordable Suburbs (e.g., Burleson, Lewisville): These areas, which saw significant price correction (like Burleson's 13.9% dip), are likely reaching their pricing floor. As rates potentially ease, these neighborhoods will attract value-focused buyers, likely leading to a quick rebound in closed home sales volume, though prices should remain conservative.
• High-Growth/Exurban Areas (e.g., Aledo, Willow Park): These areas are suffering from a lack of housing supply (as seen in Willow Park’s -42.1% listing decrease). Until developers can catch up with the infrastructure and new building permits, prices here will remain highly volatile and subject to intense localized competition. If you want large-lot homes in these areas, expect continued difficulty finding a deal.

To summarize the Fort Worth Housing Market Forecast 2025 to 2026: The market is maturing. It is becoming professional and predictable again. If you are a buyer, patience and preparation will pay off handsomely over the next 18 months. If you are a seller, strategic pricing from day one is non-negotiable.

Final Thoughts

The biggest headline from the GFWAR report is not about rising prices; it's about the healthy stabilization of the market. Fort Worth has successfully absorbed the shock of high mortgage rates without collapsing its values.

For anyone preparing to enter the market, my expert advice is to focus on the numbers we discussed: inventory and days on market. Look for areas where inventory is rising (4.0+ months) and where the average days on market is high (60+ days). Those are your sweet spots for finding a motivated seller and securing a good deal. The fundamentals supporting Fort Worth are too strong for the market to crash, but the opportunity for buyers to regain leverage is here.