New Construction, Housing Market & Real Estate

• In 2025, Cochise County issued 463 residential building permits, up from 441 in 2024, signaling renewed activity after a recent dip.
• Single-family homes remain the dominant product, with 433 permits (93.5% of total), but multifamily construction is showing early signs of growth: 16 permits for 3–4 unit buildings and 14 for 5+ unit buildings (2 structures).
• No permits were issued for 2-unit structures in 2025, continuing a long-term trend of limited duplex development.
• Total permit valuation reached $68 million, with the average single-family permit value rising to $154,575—a 9% increase over 2024, and a return to 2022 levels after a dip in 2023–2024.
• The market is stabilizing after a peak in 2022 (529 permits, $80.2M valuation) and subsequent declines, with 2025 data indicating both resilience and potential for new investment.
• Sierra Vista leads municipal activity, but a significant share of permits are in unincorporated areas, offering opportunities for both infill and greenfield development.
• For investors and developers, the 2025 data suggests: 
  • Strong ongoing demand for single-family homes.
  • Emerging opportunities in small and mid-sized multifamily projects, as the market begins to diversify.
  • Rising valuations may support higher-end or value-added projects.
  • Market stability and modest growth in permits and values point to a favorable environment for new residential investment.

See spreadsheets below for current and historical Cochise County (including city & town) building permits data (number of permits by single- and multi-family units and total/average permit value)

• According to data from the Arizona Regional Multiple Listing Service, Cochise County recorded 346 closed home sales in the third quarter of 2026, which covers July, August, and September. That was down 15.8% from the April–June quarter’s 411 sales and 4.9% from the same quarter a year ago, when 364 homes sold.
• The July–September countywide median sales price was $285,500, down 1.6% from the prior quarter’s $290,100 but up 2.9% from $277,500 a year earlier. Prices have held above last year’s level even as sales have slowed since spring.
• Homes spent an average of 107 days on the market, compared with 96 days in the prior quarter and 89 days a year ago. Sellers received 94.4% of their listing price, down from 95.3% in both the second quarter this year and the third quarter last year.
• Months’ supply rose to 4.1 in the third quarter from 3.1 in the second quarter, though it remained below the 4.7 months recorded a year earlier. 
• Through September, the county’s 1,074 closed sales were still 3.1% ahead of the same period in 2025—a year-to-date lead despite the slower latest quarter.
• Cochise County’s ZIP-level third-quarter results show a split market compared with the same quarter last year: its busiest areas remained relatively resilient, while smaller ZIP codes posted more volatile results because of low sales counts.
• In Sierra Vista's ZIP code 85635, 142 homes sold during the third quarter, down 3.4% from the same quarter last year. Even so, the median price rose 7.0% to $283,500, while homes took an average of 84 days to sell, 16.7% longer than a year earlier. Sellers received 96.5% of list price.
• ZIP code 85650, also in Sierra Vista, recorded 63 sales, down 21.3% from the same quarter last year, while its median price increased 7.2% to $369,900. Homes spent 100 days on the market, up 12.4% from a year earlier, and sellers received 94.5% of list price, indicating firm values despite slower transaction activity.
• In ZIP code 85615 in the Hereford/Palominas area, the median price climbed 13.8% from the same quarter last year to $364,250. Sales slipped 4.3% to 44, while marketing time rose 47.5% to 149 days and sellers received 92.8% of list price. The results suggest buyers had more time and greater negotiating leverage in this higher-priced market.
• Douglas' ZIP code 85607 showed stronger momentum than it did in the same quarter last year. Its median price rose 18.7% to $244,500, sales increased 11.8% to 19, and average days on market fell 3.8% to 76.
• In ZIP code 85603 in the Bisbee area, sales rose 19.0% from the same quarter last year to 25, but the median price slipped 1.0% to $276,300 and marketing time increased 15.4% to 135 days.
• ZIP code 85616 in the Huachuca City/Whetstone area followed a similar pattern: sales increased 20.0% to 18, while the median price declined 3.6% to $220,805 and days on market rose 38.5% to 108.
• Overall, the figures show a cooler summer market with fewer closings, longer marketing times, and slightly more negotiating room for buyers, but no broad retreat in values. Sierra Vista’s two ZIP codes accounted for 205 of the county’s 346 third-quarter sales, making their results especially influential, while smaller markets recorded more varied shifts in sales, prices, and time on market.
• It’s important to note that the Benson area is underrepresented in the Arizona Regional MLS data since many sales there are listed exclusively on the MLS of Southern Arizona.
• For the most recent monthly housing market data (median listing home price, median listing home price per square foot, median sold home price, sale-to-list price ratio, median days on market, and more), select a geography:
  • Cochise County
  • Sierra Vista
  • Douglas
  • Benson
  • Bisbee
  • Willcox
  • Huachuca City
  • Tombstone

See spreadsheets below for current and historical housing market data for Cochise County