CLAYTON, N.C. (WNCN) — Despite the daunting task of finding and purchasing a home, recent data shows the median sales price of a home in the Triangle is less than the national average.

Data from the U.S. Census Bureau released Tuesday shows the median price of a home in the US in April was $420,800.

One of the biggest challenges in the housing market locally continues to be availability.

“We still have low inventory, but we’ve had that for a long time,” said Kendall Clark, a broker at Raleigh Realty.

According to the April data from the Triangle Multiple Listing Service, there were just over 3,700 new listings last month, a 22.7% drop since this time last year. This year as a whole, new listings are down 12.7%.

“It’s a good time to sell and buy. Mostly because, while interest rates seem high, they’re very normal historically, there’s no 2.5% anymore, that’s not happening. However, because of the low inventory, it’s a really good time to sell,” Clark explained.

Despite the low inventory, prices have also cooled slightly since last April. In Wake County, Triangle MLS shows the median sales price was $471,900, down from $485,000 last April.

Despite the decrease from April to April, the median price is up just over 2% in 2023 compared to 2022.

In the Triangle as a whole, the data shows the median price at $400,000 in April, and experts say you can find cheaper.

“You can definitely find it. I have multiple clients who have found homes under $400,000,” said Clark.

New developments outside of Raleigh are also looking to bring lower costs. In Clayton, construction is underway for single-family housing starting at just under $290,000.

Clark says homebuying habits have also changed.

“The adjustment in interest rates, you know, we’ve seen buyers pull back a little bit, even though there’s still really low inventory, buyers are thinking about things, because it’s more of a decision than it was when your interest rate was next to nothing.”