"The housing market is crashing!" — if you've watched the news lately, you've heard it. So every Monday, we're going to do something the national headlines won't: show you what actually closed right here in Southern Illinois. Real transactions, real prices, town by town.
Here's the first half of 2026 across the nine towns we track — Marion, Carbondale, Mount Vernon, Herrin, Carterville, Murphysboro, Du Quoin, West Frankfort and Benton:
Let that sink in: a home closes in our corner of the state about every two hours, around the clock. Total closings are down about 5.5% from last year's pace — a breather, not a cliff — and in most of our towns, prices are holding steady or climbing. If this is a crash, somebody forgot to tell Southern Illinois.
Town by Town: The Real Numbers
Marion
| Homes closed Jan–Jun 2026 | 372 |
| Same period 2025 | 521 |
| Est. closed volume 2026 YTD | $78.5M |
| June median sale price | $259,441 — 5-year high |
| Pace | A closing every ~12 hours |
What Greg Holthaus sees: Fewer homes are changing hands — closings are off about 29% from last year's red-hot pace — but look at that June median. It's the highest monthly number we've seen in over five years, and first-half prices are running about 4% ahead of 2025. That's a classic tight-inventory market: good listings are scarce, and buyers are paying up for them. If you've been thinking about selling in Marion, this is what leverage looks like.
Carbondale
| Homes closed Jan–Jun 2026 | 407 (+45% vs 2025) |
| Same period 2025 | 281 |
| June median sale price | $161,214 |
| Pace | A closing every ~11 hours |
What Greg Holthaus sees: Carbondale was the busiest market in the region this spring — 407 closings, up 45% over last year. A big slice of that was a wave of lower-priced sales (investor and rental-property turnover), which temporarily pulled the monthly medians way down in March through May. By June the median snapped right back to $161K. Translation: investor money is moving in Carbondale, and traditional home values are just fine.
Mount Vernon
| Homes closed Jan–Jun 2026 | 278 (+2% vs 2025) |
| Est. closed volume 2026 YTD | $41.9M (+11% vs 2025) |
| June median sale price | $164,963 |
| Pace | A closing every ~16 hours |
What Greg Holthaus sees: Quietly one of the strongest markets in Southern Illinois. More homes sold than last year, dollar volume up 11%, and first-half medians up about 8%. Mount Vernon just keeps grinding higher — steady demand, no drama.
Herrin
| Homes closed Jan–Jun 2026 | 219 (+4% vs 2025) |
| Est. closed volume 2026 YTD | $26.4M |
| June median sale price | $113,474 |
| Pace | A closing every ~20 hours |
What Greg Holthaus sees: Steady as she goes. Herrin closed more homes than it did in the first half of last year, and at these price points it remains one of the best value plays in Williamson County — you're 10 minutes from everything and your dollar goes a long way.
Carterville
| Homes closed Jan–Jun 2026 | 195 |
| Same period 2025 | 228 |
| June median sale price | $255,942 |
| Pace | A closing every ~22 hours |
What Greg Holthaus sees: Slow start to the year, strong finish to the spring — May and June closings nearly matched last year's pace, and the June median of $256K is right up there with Marion for the highest in the region. Carterville stays the premium address in Williamson County, and demand for it isn't going anywhere.
Murphysboro
| Homes closed Jan–Jun 2026 | 184 (+3% vs 2025) |
| Est. closed volume 2026 YTD | $19.0M |
| June median sale price | $108,975 |
| Pace | A closing every ~23 hours |
What Greg Holthaus sees: More homes closed than last year and a median near $109K — Murphysboro is where first-time buyers can still get in the game without stretching. Busy and affordable is a good combination.
Du Quoin
| Homes closed Jan–Jun 2026 | 86 |
| Est. closed volume 2026 YTD | $11.3M (+41% vs 2025) |
| June median sale price | $117,973 |
| Pace | A closing every ~2 days |
What Greg Holthaus sees: Closings dipped a little, but dollar volume jumped 41% — buyers in Du Quoin are trading up into nicer, bigger homes. Small-town numbers swing month to month, but the direction of prices here has been clearly up.
West Frankfort
| Homes closed Jan–Jun 2026 | 151 |
| Q2 2026 vs Q2 2025 | 96 vs 96 — dead even |
| June median sale price | $114,974 |
| Pace | A closing every ~29 hours |
What Greg Holthaus sees: A slow winter, but spring pulled it right back — second-quarter closings exactly matched last year. Meanwhile first-half medians are running about 12% ahead of 2025. West Frankfort remains one of the most affordable tickets into Franklin County.
Benton
| Homes closed Jan–Jun 2026 | 140 |
| Est. closed volume 2026 YTD | $16.6M (+22% vs 2025) |
| June median sale price | $119,973 |
| Pace | A closing every ~31 hours |
What Greg Holthaus sees: Fewer sales, bigger sales. Benton's closing count is down, but total dollars are up 22% because higher-value homes are what's moving — especially with Rend Lake in the backyard. Sellers with quality properties are being rewarded.
🔮 Greg Holthaus Predicts: Fall 2026
Based on the current closing pace and how third quarters normally run around here, I expect roughly 1,350–1,450 closings across these nine towns in Q3, led by Marion (~230), Carbondale and Mount Vernon (~200 each). The end of summer is traditionally our strongest stretch — families racing the school calendar — and this year the story to watch is prices: Marion and Carterville medians are already at or near five-year highs, and I don't see the inventory showing up to knock them down this fall.
That's my professional opinion based on local closing pace and seasonality — not a guarantee. Every deal is its own story.
The Bottom Line
Ignore the doom headlines. In the first half of 2026, our nine towns closed 2,032 homes and roughly $279 million in real estate. Yes, total closings are running a touch behind last year — about 5.5% — but that's a market catching its breath after several record years, not a market falling apart. Prices in Marion, Carterville, Mount Vernon, West Frankfort, Du Quoin and Benton are flat to up, and inventory is still tight enough that well-priced homes move fast.
If you're a seller, you're operating from strength — especially in Marion and Carterville. If you're a buyer, more breathing room than 2021–2022 plus our in-house financing means you can actually shop smart instead of panic-bidding. Either way, don't let a national headline make a local decision for you.
📱 Got a Question About This Market? Text Greg.
Buying? Selling? Not sure where to start? Text Greg Holthaus directly — just tell him you saw his blog. He'll help you think through your decision, match you with the best broker for your situation, and point you in the right direction. He's open to a text any time.
Text Greg · 618.925.8654Frequently Asked Questions
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Who is Greg Holthaus?
Greg Holthaus is the Owner and Designated Managing Broker of Southern Illinois Realty Experts, with 25+ years in Southern Illinois real estate and more than 10,000 transactions closed. He leads a full-service operation — home sales, mortgage, title, and property management under one roof — with offices in Marion, Herrin, and Carbondale. Meet Greg ›
About these numbers: Figures come from local MLS closed-sale data for each ZIP code shown, covering all residential home types, with complete data through June 2026. "Closed volume" is estimated as homes sold × that month's median sale price — the true sum of every individual sale is not published at the ZIP level. Year-to-date comparisons use the exact same months in each year (January–June). Projections are the professional opinion of Greg Holthaus, not a guarantee of future results. Southern Illinois Realty Experts is a full-service brokerage offering home sales, mortgage, title, and property management across Southern Illinois.