The First Coast saw a mixed bag in terms of home sales figures in May, according to Northeast Florida Association of Realtors (NEFAR) data released this week.

The six-county Northeast Florida region saw 1,984 closed sales last month. That’s a 10% decrease in home closings compared to May 2024, when there were 2,204 closings. But the latest number was a 3.5% increase over the April 2025 figure, which was 1,917.

The median cost of a home on the First Coast was $388,995 for May. That’s a 3.7% decrease from May 2024, when that figure was $403,995, and a 0.2% decline from April 2025, when the median price tag was $338,173.

NEFAR officials say the numbers indicate the housing market is evening out.

“In general, we are seeing the shift to a more balanced market for both buyers and sellers,” said 2025 NEFAR President Mario Gonzalez. “These changes may continue to signal more sellers to choose to list their home before things shift more to potentially favoring buyers.”

One element of the monthly market analysis that favors buyers is the growing number of homes for sale.

There were 9,147 homes for sale in the Northeast Florida region in May. That’s a 20.1% increase over May 2024, when there were 7,616 homes for sale. It’s a jump from April’s number of 8,577, a 6.6% uptick.

While May’s inventory increase is notable, it’s not as dramatic as the spike seen in April, when there was a sharp 24.5% jump over April 2024’s figure and a 10.2% increase from March.

Individual First Coast analyses were also mixed. Duval County, the region’s largest county by population, with Jacksonville as its key city, had 991 closed home sales. That’s an 8% drop from May 2024, but a 0.6% increase compared to April 2025.

The median home sale price was $329,990, representing a decrease in both year-over-year and month-over-month comparisons.

Clay County was one of only two counties with upward trends in all key sectors. The median sales price came in at $367,990, a 0.8% increase from May 2024, when the figure was $365,000, and a 3.7% increase compared to April’s price tag of $355,000. There were 282 closing sales in Clay in May, a 5.2% jump from May 2024 when there were 268 closings and a 3.7% increase from April’s 272 sales.

St. Johns County, one of the nation’s fastest-growing counties, had a median home sale price of $550,000 in May, a 2.7% drop from May 2024’s price of $565,000 and a 3% decline from April’s sales price of $566,900.

Nassau County also had mixed results in May, with last month’s median home sale cost at $463,400. That’s a 9% increase from May 2024’s price of $425,000, but a 3.5% drop from April’s median cost of $480,000.

Putnam County had a median home sale price of $270,000 in May, a 3.8% increase from May 2024 and an 11.3% jump from April’s price.

Baker County, the First Coast’s most rural county, posted a median home sale price of $265,000. That’s a 12.4% drop from May 2024 and a 13.1% decline from April 2025.

Drew Dixon is a journalist of 40 years who has reported in print and broadcast throughout Florida, starting in Ohio in the 1980s. He is also an adjunct professor of philosophy and ethics at three colleges, Jacksonville University, University of North Florida and Florida State College at Jacksonville. You can reach him at drewdixonwriting@gmail.com.