In 43 of 50 US states, Google searches for homes for sale peak in July, not in the spring months traditionally called "selling season." December is the quietest month in 49 states, and in Minnesota buyer search runs 66% higher in its best month than its worst.
Stagingmate ResearchFor each state and year, each month's search interest as a share of that year's total. Shares averaged across the 5 years. The best month is the month with the highest average share. Each state was pulled twice and averaged, because Google Trends samples its data.
Search interest measures buyer attention, not closed sales. Google Trends values are relative within each state, so states are compared on seasonal shape, not volume. Trends data is sampled, so each state was pulled twice and averaged. In many states the July peak is clearer in the five-year average than in any single year.
states where buyer search peaks in July.
states where December is the quietest month.
more buyer search in Minnesota's best month than its quietest.
Gap between each state's busiest and quietest month for buyer search, 2021–2025.
| Minnesota | 66% | July | December |
| North Dakota | 65% | July | December |
| Indiana | 61% | July | December |
| Michigan | 60% | July | December |
| Pennsylvania | 59% | July | December |
| Vermont | 59% | June | December |
| Wisconsin | 58% | July | December |
| Massachusetts | 57% | July | December |
| Maine | 56% | July | December |
| Ohio | 56% | July | December |
| New Hampshire | 55% | July | December |
| Delaware | 54% | July | December |
| New Jersey | 53% | July | December |
| Illinois | 52% | July | December |
| Kentucky | 52% | July | December |
| Iowa | 51% | July | December |
| Montana | 50% | June | December |
| North Carolina | 50% | July | December |
| Rhode Island | 50% | August | December |
| South Dakota | 50% | July | December |
| West Virginia | 50% | July | December |
| Nebraska | 49% | July | December |
| Maryland | 48% | July | December |
| Colorado | 47% | July | December |
| Oregon | 47% | July | December |
| Virginia | 47% | July | December |
| Connecticut | 46% | July | December |
| Georgia | 46% | July | December |
| Idaho | 46% | July | December |
| Missouri | 46% | July | December |
| Washington | 46% | July | December |
| Tennessee | 45% | July | December |
| South Carolina | 44% | July | December |
| Alabama | 43% | July | December |
| New York | 43% | July | December |
| Utah | 43% | July | December |
| California | 41% | July | December |
| Kansas | 40% | July | December |
| Wyoming | 40% | April | December |
| Arkansas | 39% | July | December |
| Mississippi | 39% | July | December |
| Texas | 39% | July | December |
| Alaska | 37% | April | November |
| Arizona | 37% | July | December |
| Louisiana | 36% | July | December |
| Oklahoma | 36% | July | December |
| Nevada | 34% | July | December |
| New Mexico | 34% | July | December |
| Florida | 32% | March | December |
| Hawaii | 28% | February | December |
states where buyer search peaks in July.
Real estate advice usually points sellers at spring. Search data tells a later story. Across 2021 to 2025, searches for "homes for sale" and "houses for sale" built through the first half of the year and topped out in July in 43 states.
July takes 9.5% of a typical state's annual buyer search. December takes 6.5%. A perfectly flat year would put every month at 8.3%.
7 states peak in a month other than July:
The earliest peaks are in Hawaii (February, a 28% gap between its best and quietest months) and Florida (March, a 32% gap between its best and quietest months), both popular with buyers relocating from colder states.
more buyer search in Minnesota in July than in December.
| State | Best month | Share of year | Quietest month | Best vs quietest |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Minnesota | July | 9.7% | December | +66% |
| North Dakota | July | 9.9% | December | +65% |
| Indiana | July | 9.8% | December | +61% |
| Michigan | July | 9.7% | December | +60% |
| Pennsylvania | July | 9.8% | December | +59% |
| Vermont | June | 9.7% | December | +59% |
| Wisconsin | July | 9.8% | December | +58% |
| Massachusetts | July | 9.5% | December | +57% |
| Maine | July | 9.5% | December | +56% |
| Ohio | July | 9.7% | December | +56% |
| New Hampshire | July | 9.6% | December | +55% |
| Delaware | July | 9.6% | December | +54% |
| New Jersey | July | 9.5% | December | +53% |
| Illinois | July | 9.6% | December | +52% |
| Kentucky | July | 9.6% | December | +52% |
| Iowa | July | 9.7% | December | +51% |
| Montana | June | 9.5% | December | +50% |
| North Carolina | July | 9.7% | December | +50% |
| Rhode Island | August | 9.5% | December | +50% |
| South Dakota | July | 9.6% | December | +50% |
| West Virginia | July | 9.7% | December | +50% |
| Nebraska | July | 9.6% | December | +49% |
| Maryland | July | 9.5% | December | +48% |
| Colorado | July | 9.7% | December | +47% |
| Oregon | July | 9.4% | December | +47% |
| Virginia | July | 9.6% | December | +47% |
| Connecticut | July | 9.4% | December | +46% |
| Georgia | July | 9.6% | December | +46% |
| Idaho | July | 9.5% | December | +46% |
| Missouri | July | 9.4% | December | +46% |
| Washington | July | 9.3% | December | +46% |
| Tennessee | July | 9.5% | December | +45% |
| South Carolina | July | 9.4% | December | +44% |
| Alabama | July | 9.4% | December | +43% |
| New York | July | 9.4% | December | +43% |
| Utah | July | 9.4% | December | +43% |
| California | July | 9.4% | December | +41% |
| Kansas | July | 9.3% | December | +40% |
| Wyoming | April | 9.4% | December | +40% |
| Arkansas | July | 9.5% | December | +39% |
| Mississippi | July | 9.4% | December | +39% |
| Texas | July | 9.5% | December | +39% |
| Alaska | April | 9.5% | November | +37% |
| Arizona | July | 9.4% | December | +37% |
| Louisiana | July | 9.2% | December | +36% |
| Oklahoma | July | 9.4% | December | +36% |
| Nevada | July | 9.3% | December | +34% |
| New Mexico | July | 9.3% | December | +34% |
| Florida | March | 9.3% | December | +32% |
| Hawaii | February | 9.0% | December | +28% |
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Stagingmate Research (2026). Buyers search hardest in July, not spring, in 43 of 50 states. https://stagingmate.com/research/best-month-to-sell-a-house-state-by-state
Free to use under CC BY 4.0 with a link to this page. For the full dataset or a local cut, email press@stagingmate.com.
By buyer search activity, July in 43 of 50 states, based on Google Trends data from 2021 to 2025. Spring listings still benefit from rising demand into summer.