98221 Real Estate Market Update: June 2026 vs. July 2026
If you have been watching the 98221 real estate market, the shift from June into July 2026 is a good example of why I like to look at several market indicators together instead of focusing only on home prices.
The headline numbers show a modest increase in the median sales price, very little change in available inventory, and a market that continued to move relatively quickly for homes that attracted buyers. But there is an important distinction when we talk about ZIP code 98221: this is not exactly the same thing as looking only at homes inside the Anacortes city limits.
ZIP code 98221 reaches beyond central Anacortes and includes a broader collection of properties around Fidalgo Island as well as island properties carrying Anacortes-area mailing addresses. That can include everything from an in-town bungalow or condominium to acreage, waterfront property, Guemes Island homes and higher-value island sales. Because of that variety, the ZIP-code statistics can look noticeably different from an Anacortes city-only market report.
For this June 2026 versus July 2026 98221 housing market comparison, I am using the type of information commonly assembled by large real estate databases such as Redfin: median sales price, days on market and available active inventory.
98221 Housing Market at a Glance
The easiest way to describe the July market is this: 98221 pricing remained strong, available inventory was relatively steady, and homes attracting buyers were still moving at a healthy pace.
That does not mean every property in 98221 was selling in 11 days. Far from it. It means the homes represented in the market data were producing a relatively fast overall pace, while individual results continued to vary considerably according to location, condition, price and property type.
98221 Median Home Sales Price Increased in July
The median sales price for homes in ZIP code 98221 was approximately $773,000 in June 2026, compared with approximately $790,000 in July 2026.
That represents an increase of about $17,000, or 2.2% month over month.
At first glance, that suggests a strengthening market. And it certainly indicates that the middle of the sales represented in July landed at a higher price than in June.
But this is where local knowledge matters.
A 2.2% increase in median sales price does not mean that every Anacortes-area home appreciated 2.2% in a single month. Median price is influenced by the particular properties that close during the reporting period.
That matters especially in 98221.
The Anacortes real estate market contains an unusually broad range of properties. Buyers may be choosing between an older downtown home, newer construction, a condominium, a one-level home, acreage, a marina-oriented property, a view home or waterfront real estate.
At the upper end of the market, just a few waterfront or luxury sales can meaningfully influence the overall median.
That is why I view the $790,000 July figure as a useful indicator of the market rather than a universal measure of what every home in 98221 is worth.
For homeowners thinking about selling, a personalized property valuation using true comparable sales is much more useful than simply applying the ZIP-code median to an individual property.
Days on Market Remained Relatively Fast
The Redfin-style monthly market snapshot shows homes in 98221 averaging approximately 12 days on market in June and 11 days in July.
That one-day difference by itself is not dramatic. What is more important is that market time remained relatively short for the properties represented in this particular measurement.
In practical terms, that tells me there was still meaningful buyer activity in the 98221 market during early summer.
It does not tell us that every home was selling quickly. Anyone working in the Anacortes market knows there can be a substantial difference between the homes generating immediate attention and those staying active for several weeks or months. Price is a major part of that difference, but it is not the only factor.
Buyers here pay close attention to views, location, updates, maintenance, lot characteristics, neighborhood, access to the waterfront, marina proximity, floor plan and whether a home offers one-level living. When buyers have several properties to compare, those differences become increasingly important.
A correctly positioned home can receive activity immediately, while another property at a similar asking price may have a much smaller pool of interested buyers.
Available Inventory Was Relatively Stable
Available active inventory moved from approximately 234 homes in June to 237 homes in July.
That is an increase of only three listings, or roughly 1.3%.
Compared with some of the surrounding markets, that is a fairly small month-to-month change.
For buyers searching for homes for sale in Anacortes, WA 98221, that meant July provided slightly more selection, but not a dramatic flood of additional inventory.
You can see current availability through the Lapis Homes property search.
What I find interesting is the relationship between the three statistics.
Inventory was essentially steady. | Median pricing moved slightly higher. | And the homes represented in the market-time statistics continued to sell relatively quickly.
That combination suggests there was still demand in the marketplace, particularly for homes buyers viewed as offering good value.
Why the 98221 Market Is Different From Anacortes City Data
This is probably the most important distinction in this report.
When someone searches for the Anacortes housing market, they may see one set of statistics. When they search specifically for the 98221 housing market, they may see another.
Neither number is necessarily wrong. They can simply represent different geographic areas and different data calculations.
ZIP code 98221 reaches beyond the traditional city neighborhoods. That broader geography means the data can incorporate properties with very different characteristics and price points. For example, an Old Town home and a luxury waterfront residence may both carry an Anacortes 98221 address but compete in completely different markets. The same is true of Skyline real estate, where marina access, water views and proximity to Washington Park can affect buyer demand differently from a property closer to downtown.
That is why the best market analysis becomes progressively more specific:
98221 → Anacortes or island location → neighborhood → property type → price range → individual comparable sales.
The closer we get to the actual property, the more meaningful the analysis becomes.
What the July 2026 Market Means for Buyers
For buyers, July's numbers suggest a market where being prepared still mattered.
- Inventory increased only slightly, while the market-time statistics remained relatively quick.
That means a buyer who finds a well-priced property matching their priorities may not want to assume there will always be several weeks to make a decision.
At the same time, this was not a market where I would recommend treating every property as though it were going to generate an immediate bidding war.
The better strategy is to evaluate each home individually.
- How long has it been listed?
- How does its condition compare with the competition?
- Has the price already been adjusted?
- Are there genuinely comparable recent sales?
- Does the property have a characteristic that is difficult to duplicate, such as a particular view, waterfront access, acreage, marina proximity or main-level living?
Those questions matter much more than simply knowing the ZIP-code median.
What the July 2026 Market Means for Sellers
For sellers, the July data is encouraging, but it also reinforces the importance of good positioning.
A median price around $790,000 and relatively short market time suggest buyers were still willing to act when a property made sense.
But buyers today have access to an enormous amount of information. They know when a home has been sitting on the market. They notice price reductions. They compare photos, condition, square footage and location before they ever schedule a showing.
That makes the initial launch especially important. Professional photography, thoughtful staging, accurate property information, easy showing access and a pricing strategy supported by comparable sales can make an enormous difference.
One mistake I see homeowners make is focusing too heavily on what another property is listed for. The asking price is only one part of the story. I am much more interested in what comparable homes actually sold for, how long they were exposed to the market, whether their price was reduced and how closely their characteristics match the subject property.
If you are considering selling in 98221, contact Lapis Homes for a closer look at your home's direct competition rather than relying solely on a ZIP-code average.
My Local Take on the 98221 Housing Market
When I put June and July 2026 together, I would describe the 98221 real estate market as relatively stable with continued strength in well-positioned properties.
- The median sales price increased from approximately $773,000 to $790,000.
- Average market time moved only slightly, from approximately 12 days to 11 days in the Redfin-style monthly snapshot.
- Available inventory increased modestly from approximately 234 to 237 properties.
Those numbers do not suggest a dramatic change from June to July.
Instead, they suggest a market where buyers were still participating, pricing remained fairly resilient and inventory had not changed enough in one month to dramatically alter the balance of the market.
The biggest takeaway is that the 98221 housing market is not one single market. Downtown Anacortes, Old Town, Skyline, Rock Ridge, West Anacortes, rural Fidalgo Island, Guemes Island and island properties sharing the 98221 ZIP code can each behave differently. That is why broad statistics are wonderful for understanding direction, but they are only the beginning when it comes to determining what a particular property is worth or how quickly it should sell.
For homeowners, buyers and anyone considering a move to Anacortes, I would watch three things closely as the market progresses: inventory, market time and whether closed-sale prices continue to hold as buyers gain additional choices.
Those three measurements together will tell us much more about the direction of the 98221 real estate market than any headline number by itself.
