Westchester County's median single-family home price hit $999,000 in the second quarter of 2026, up 16.2% from a year ago. Sales, meanwhile, fell roughly 7.8% over the same period, to about 1,075 homes — fewer homes selling, for a lot more money.
The county's response showed up this month: the Board of Legislators' Affordability and Economic Development Task Force held its first meeting. It exists to respond to exactly this kind of pressure, but it arrives just months after a 2026 budget that cut about 180 county positions and raised property taxes for the first time in seven years.
Why it matters: The same government that cut its own workforce and raised your tax bill is now the one convening a task force on affordability. Whether that produces a policy that changes a number on your mortgage or tax bill — or just a report — is the story to watch the rest of this year.
On the supply side, the county also launched HomeSeeker, a new centralized portal for affordable-housing listings and applications. There's no public usage data yet, so treat it as a new tool, not a proven fix — alongside a separate initiative exploring incentives for empty-nesters to downsize and free up larger homes.
Quick Hits
Wayfair's coming to Yonkers. The retailer confirmed its first physical New York store will open in Yonkers in early 2027, a roughly 114,000-square-foot format across 19 departments — a rare brick-and-mortar bet in a county watching other retailers pull back.
Thirty years, no explanation. A Larchmont bagel shop that had served the community for roughly three decades has quietly closed, with no sign in the window explaining why — one more entry in this year's retail churn.
Heat and smoke, stacked. The county Health Department renewed its heat advisory this week, with real-feel temperatures near 100 degrees, layered on top of an air-quality alert tied to Canadian wildfire smoke. Stay hydrated, limit exertion, and check on elderly neighbors.
A new health-career coalition launches in Purchase. Manhattanville University has formed the Westchester Public Health Network, bringing together 32 organizations to build healthcare career pathways countywide — a long-term answer to a workforce shortage that shows up every time a local clinic struggles to fill a shift.
One More Thing
If you're actively house-hunting right now: what would actually move the needle for you — a rate drop, a price correction, or something the county could do directly? Hit reply and tell us. We're building out this affordability story all year.
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