Micro Market Monday: City of Powell River, Upper Sunshine Coast of BC

2026 Market Shows Softer Pricing but Faster Decisions

Hope everyone had a happy BC Day Long Weekend! We are back (on a Tuesday) with a 'Micro Market Analysis' for the City of Powell River. Each week we have appraisers from our office make the trip across the Salish Sea from Comox to Powell River. We know this market.

The City of Powell River single-family dwelling market remains active, but buyers are clearly price-sensitive. Jackson & Associates reviewed 796 completed MLS sales from January 1, 2022 through July 31, 2026 across the 4 primary neighbourhoods in Powell River: Westview, Cranberry, Wildwood and Townsite.

The data shows that the exceptional seller’s market of early 2022 has passed. Prices have moderated, marketing periods remain longer than they were during the peak, and most homes now sell below their asking price.

Sales Activity Remains Healthy

Annual SFD sales totalled:

• 175 sales in 2022

• 136 in 2023

• 181 in 2024

• 204 in 2025

• 100 during 2026 year-to-date

The 204 sales recorded in 2025 represent the highest full-year transaction volume in the dataset.

There were 100 completed sales during the first seven months of 2026. That is 16% below the 119 sales recorded during the same period of 2025. While activity remains respectable, the market is not maintaining last year’s transaction pace.

June was the strongest month of 2026 so far, with 29 completed sales. Monthly results should be interpreted cautiously because the types and quality of homes selling can vary considerably from one month to the next.

Prices Have Softened

The annual median SFD sale price was:

• 2022: $655,000

• 2023: $606,250

• 2024: $620,000

• 2025: $624,950

• 2026 YTD: $586,500

Because 2026 is incomplete, the fairest comparison is January through July. On that basis, the median declined from $640,000 in 2025 to $586,000 in 2026, a decrease of approximately 8.3%.

The 2026 median is also approximately 17.4% below the $710,000 median recorded during the first seven months of 2022.

The middle 80% of 2026 sales ranged from approximately $438,750 to $800,910. This remains a broad market, but the upper end has been less prominent in the 2026 sales mix than during several earlier years.

Faster Sales Do Not Mean a Return to 2022

One of the more interesting findings is the improvement in median marketing time.

Median days on market increased from 19 days in 2022 to 39 days in 2023, 42 days in 2024 and 51 days in 2025. During 2026 year-to-date, it declined to 31 days.

For a same-period comparison, the median fell from 52 days during January to July in 2025 to 31 days during January to July in 2026.

This does not mean that the market has returned to peak conditions. The aggregate sale-to-list ratio is approximately 97.7%, compared with 102.0% in 2022.

Correctly priced homes can still sell efficiently, but buyers generally have room to negotiate and overpriced listings remain vulnerable to extended exposure.

Westview Accounts for Most Activity

Westview is the largerst Powell River neighbourhood and thus represented 65 of the 100 sales completed during 2026 year-to-date.

The sub-area medians were:

• Westview: $622,500 from 65 sales

• Cranberry: $554,000 from 15 sales

• Wildwood: $544,000 from 13 sales

• Townsite: $483,100 from seven sales

These figures should not be treated as automatic location adjustments. Powell River’s neighbourhoods contain different housing ages, lot sizes, renovation levels, view influences and property characteristics. Townsite’s 2026 result, in particular, is based on only seven sales.

The Appraisal Perspective

The Powell River SFD market is neither collapsing nor surging. It is functioning as a more balanced and selective market. Transaction volume remains meaningful, but 2026 pricing is below both 2025 and the 2022 peak. At the same time, the improvement in median marketing time suggests that buyers are acting when a property is realistically priced. For property owners, lenders and purchasers, broad city-wide statistics are only a starting point. A credible valuation must consider the specific sub-area, dwelling age and condition, renovations, views, lot utility, secondary accommodation and the quality of the most comparable recent sales.

In the current market, accurate pricing matters more than optimistic pricing.

Source: Powell River Real Estate Board - MLS data supplied by Jackson & Associates Ltd. -City of Powell River SFD sales from Jan 1, 2022 through July 31, 2026.