Rogue Valley Times file photo

Jackson County home sales rose in the spring by less than 3% over last year’s sales, but the numbers of homes on the market showed more significant improvements.

Residential inventory rose an overall 16.5% in Jackson County on May 31 to 770 homes compared to the 661 homes on the same date last year, according to new residential statistics for the county released Thursday by the Rogue Valley Association of Realtors and the Southern Oregon Multiple Listing Service.

Within that blanket inventory number for Jackson County were significant increases in major Southern Oregon housing markets. For instance, homes in the east Medford 97504 ZIP code rose to 156 on May 31, an increase of 56% from the 100 homes on the market the same date a year ago. And Central Point rose by 65.5% from last year to 48 homes.

There were 476 homes sold on the market between March 1 and May 31, an increase of 12 homes, or 2.5%, compared to the same three months last year. The largest share of those homes sold were in east Medford, with 140 sales recorded, an increase of six from the year before. Ashland sold 82 homes this spring, up four from last year; Central Point sold 53 homes this spring, up two from last year; Talent, up one home from last year to 14; and Phoenix, up two homes from last year to 12.

Areas that lost ground this spring included west Medford, down seven homes from last year to 75; Eagle Point, down four homes from last year to 28; and White City, down three homes to 23.

The median home price between March 1 and May 31 rose by 2.7% to $405,750. Eagle Point saw the largest home price increase, growing by 19.1% to $489,950; Ashland’s home price rose 5.4% to $556,500; west Medford’s home price rose 4.7% to $325,000; east Medford’s home price rose 2.4% to $450,000; and White City’s rose 5.4% to $322,000.

Other areas with small sample sizes that showed significant increases included Jacksonville, which rose 12.3% to $743,750; Gold Hill and Rogue River, which rose 13.8% to $388,500; and Shady Cove, which rose 7.5% to $380,000.