Pricey houses and newcomers boost York & Lancaster County home sales. See where
As more people flood into Fort Mill and other housing hot spots across the Rock Hill region, high-end home sales follow. They’re driving the local market both here and across the Charlotte region.
Home sale data across the 16-county Charlotte metro area for April show a market in transition, said Canopy Realtor Association President Charisma Southerland.
“We’re seeing motivated buyers actively pursuing homes in the mid- to luxury-range, while many entry-level buyers remain priced out or paused by higher interest rates,” Southerland said.
The Herald compared year-to-date Canopy figures for the Rock Hill region for the first three months of the year. Here’s what the home market looks like here:
Rock Hill region vs. Charlotte region home sales
▪ With a median sales price topping $430,000 this year, Lancaster County is 5.8% higher than the Charlotte region at $406,900. York County’s $395,000 is 2.9% below the region mark, and Chester County is 29.5% lower at $286,999.
▪ The Charlotte region’s average sales price of $520,118 tops York ($465,597), Lancaster ($464,606) and Chester ($287,018) counties.
▪ Lake Wylie, which includes sales on the North Carolina and South Carolina side of the lake, has a Rock Hill region high $561,000 median sales price this year. Fort Mill ($515,000), Tega Cay ($487,500) and Clover ($422,500) also top the Charlotte region mark. The lowest median sales points come in Lancaster ($324,928), Rock Hill ($329,000) and York ($359,000).
▪ With 1,240 closed home sales this year, York County accounts for nearly 12% of all sales across the 16-county area. York, Lancaster and Chester counties combine for 1,813 sales, or 17.4% of the Charlotte region tally.
▪ The most home sales across the Rock Hill region this year came from Fort Mill (432), Rock Hill (429), Lake Wylie (273 for both sides of the lake), Lancaster (218) and York (211).
▪ Chester County has fewer sales and lower price points than its neighboring counties, but also comes with an unusual quirk. Chester County was the only place in the Rock Hill region with a higher average sales price $287,018 than average list price $283,017. Among 46 counties and communities, Chester and Anson (North Carolina) counties were the only places where that happened.
Population swings and high-end homes
New U.S. Census Bureau population estimates released last week show growth throughout the Charlotte region, but particularly along the state border.
The 48% population growth in Fort Mill from 2020 to last year is more than triple what any other of the 35 largest cities or towns in the Charlotte metro area has seen. Fort Mill is No. 15 nationally in that span for places with 20,000 or more people.
Fort Mill, York, Clover and Tega Cay were all in the top six places for growth in the Charlotte region since 2020, and Lancaster was No. 10.
Meanwhile, Fort Mill and York were the top two places in the Charlotte region for single-year growth, at about 8% each. Lancaster was No. 5.
Those population shifts have come with dramatic increases in high-end home sales.
York, Lancaster and Chester counties set a record in 2023 with 135 home sales at $1 million or more. Last year they grew the record to 185 sales.
Through April, county land records show there have been 76 sales this years at $1 million or more.
This story was originally published May 20, 2025 at 11:45 AM.
