Peterborough home prices jumped in August, even as sales activity across the wider region eased into its usual late-summer lull. The Central Lakes Association of REALTORS® (CLAR) – the regional board that now reports Peterborough's numbers since the former Peterborough and the Kawarthas Association of REALTORS® joined it in 2023 – recorded 152 home sales across Peterborough City and County in August 2026, with the average selling price climbing to $748,495. Here's what's actually going on, and what it means if you're buying or selling in the area.
Peterborough Home Prices in August 2026
CLAR's August 2026 report put the average Peterborough City and County sale price at $748,495 – up 10.9% from July's $674,834, and higher than a year earlier as well. That's a sharp month-over-month move for a market this size, though one month rarely tells the whole story on its own; it's worth watching whether September holds onto the gain or gives some of it back.
New listings totalled 344 for the month, and homes that sold took an average of 41 days to find a buyer. Combined with 152 sales, that's a healthier balance between new inventory and buyer demand than several neighbouring markets saw in August, where activity cooled more noticeably.
The Regional Picture: CLAR's August Report
CLAR reported 1,150 total home sales across its six regions in August 2026 – Durham Region, Hastings County, Kawartha Lakes, Northumberland County, Peterborough City and County, and Prince Edward County. Durham led the pack with 568 sales, though its average price slipped to $823,153 from $840,581 in July, on new listings that fell 17.1% month-over-month. Closer to Peterborough, Kawartha Lakes saw 107 sales at an average price of $683,335, down 2.7% from July but up slightly (0.6%) from a year earlier, with homes averaging 45 days on market.
"August often brings a seasonal slowdown in housing market activity as summer comes to a close," said CLAR President Christine Riley, whose comments pointed to year-over-year gains in several of the region's markets even as month-over-month activity cooled. CLAR CEO Wendy Giroux also flagged that "housing affordability, growth and infrastructure remain key issues ahead of upcoming municipal elections" – a reminder that local policy decisions in the months ahead could shape the market as much as interest rates do.
Interest Rates Are Holding Steady, Too
The Bank of Canada held its policy rate at 2.25% on September 2 – the seventh consecutive hold, unchanged since an October 2025 cut. The Bank pointed to renewed inflation risk from Middle East-driven energy prices and new tariff disputes as reasons for caution. For Peterborough buyers, that steadiness means the financing side of the equation hasn't gotten any harder while prices here have been moving – useful to know if August's price jump has you wondering whether to move sooner rather than later.
What It Means If You're Buying or Selling in Peterborough
If you're selling: August's price gain is encouraging, but 41 days on market and 344 new listings tell you buyers are still doing their homework rather than bidding on impulse. Pricing to the current market – not to August's average in isolation – will still get you the best result. If you're buying: a single strong month doesn't erase the value of comparing recent sales on your specific street, especially with Kawartha Lakes and other nearby markets showing softer month-over-month numbers that could mean more room to negotiate close by.
Peterborough and the Kawarthas cover a lot of ground, and no single average captures what's happening on your block or in your price range. If you're thinking about a move in Peterborough or anywhere else across the Kawarthas this fall, I'm happy to pull the current numbers for your specific neighbourhood and walk through what they mean for your timeline.
