1 In 4 DC Homebuyers Paying All Cash In 2026

• June 9th

by UrbanTurf Staff

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The all-cash trend in DC's housing market is maintaining its momentum in 2026. 

Of the 1,849 homes that sold in the city in the first four months of 2026, 435 of those transactions — roughly 24% — were all-cash deals, according to data from Bright MLS. That figure continues a years-long climb in cash buying in the city, up from around 17% in 2018-2020 and hovering near 25% in recent years.

The persistence of all-cash purchases comes against a backdrop of a market that has otherwise softened. While the median home price in the city is flat year-over-year, the total number of homes sold dropped nearly 10% year-over-year. For buyers with the means to skip financing altogether, that environment may actually be an incentive — cash offers carry fewer contingencies and can move faster in a market where homes are sitting longer. High interest rates remain another motivator for those who can avoid them entirely.

The all-cash neighborhoods in DC are largely some of the priciest, with three of the top five coming in neighborhoods where the median home price exceeds $1 million. 

Below is a sampling of DC neighborhoods and the percentage of all-cash transactions so far this year:

• Georgetown -- 65%
• West End -- 55%
• Spring Valley -- 40%

This article originally published at https://dc.urbanturf.com/articles/blog/1_in_4_dc_homebuyers_paying_all_cash_in_2026/24712.