Photo: Jamie Begin · CC BY-SA 4.099 homes sold in Chelsea in the last year, at a typical $377K
About one sale in 4 is a condo. Below: what each kind of home sells for, what your budget buys, the best months to buy, how hard you’ll have to bid, and a shortcut to every site where Chelsea homes are listed.
Every place Chelsea homes are listed, in one stop
We don’t copy listings: the agents’ sites have the photos and the latest price changes. Set what you want once and we open each site already filtered to Chelsea.
For sale
Rent
New, land & open houses
Links open the listing sites; TownRatings isn’t paid for them and doesn’t rank one above another. Rentals and government-owned homes come from sources outside the MLS.
A quarter of Chelsea’s sales are condos, at $77K less than a house
70 houses and 26 condos sold in the year to May 2026. Condos sell faster and draw more bidding wars.
typical sale · 70 sold in 12 months
- Per square foot
- $221MI $172
- Days to sell
- 56
- Sold over asking
- 34%
- Listings with a price cut
- 28%
typical sale · 26 sold in 12 months
- Per square foot
- $198MI $190
- Days to sell
- 52
- Sold over asking
- 42%
- Listings with a price cut
- 45%
Multi-family (2–4 units): 3 sold, typical $419K
Too few sales in 12 months for reliable figures.
Fewer homes sell than a decade ago, at 1.7 times the 2016 price
99 sales in the last year, against 185 in 2017 and a low of 91 in 2022. The typical sale went from $216K in 2016 to $377K.
Source: Redfin Data Center, MLS sales. Typical price and $/sq ft are the monthly medians, weighted by sales.
What $400K buys in Chelsea
Check a listing against what Chelsea homes sold for
Against the town’s median price per square foot over the last 12 months. A rough check: condition, lot and location within town move a price more than this can see.
Bidding wars in Chelsea are more common than before the pandemic, but 57% fewer homes come up for sale
We read every month of Chelsea’s home sales since 2012 so you don’t have to. Each figure covers 12 months, because a single month in a town is too few sales to mean much. Latest: the year to May 2026, 99 sales.
If you’re buying in Chelsea
- Shop in May. It brings about 18 new listings a month, close to the busiest month, with fewer bidding wars (29% over asking).
- You can negotiate. 25% of listings have cut their price, against 17% before the pandemic.
- Bid near asking. Buyers paid 99.5% of the list price on average; 37% paid over.
- Move fast on good ones. Half of homes are under contract within two weeks.
Spring brings the homes; summer brings the bidding wars
May has the most new listings (about 18 a month), but June is the most competitive: 35% of June sales close over asking. January has the least competition (10%) but only about 9 new listings.
Averages for each calendar month, 2015 on.
Nearly as heated as 2021, and hotter than Michigan
| Chelsea now | 2017–19 | 2021 peak | MI now | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sold over askingShare of sales that closed above the list price | 37% | 24% | 40% | 31% |
| Gone within two weeksShare of homes under contract within 14 days | 50% | 27% | 31% | 43% |
| Listings with a price cutShare of homes for sale that cut their price | 25% | 17% | 21% | 28% |
| Price paid vs. askingAverage sale price ÷ list price | 99.5% | 98.6% | 100.1% | 98.4% |
| Days to sellMedian days from listing to contract | 50 | 85 | 47 | 33 |
18 homes for sale on a typical day
That’s 1.3 times the 2022 low (13), 57% fewer than in 2017–19 and well under 2016’s 66.
1 in 4 listings has cut its price
25% in the last year, against 17% in 2017–19 and 28% across Michigan. More sellers are pricing high and coming down.
Since 2019, houses are up 39%, condos 30%
A house typically sold for $393K in the last year (70 sales), a condo for $316K (26).
Median sale price, weighted by sales each month. Years with fewer than 4 sales of a type are left out.
Chelsea ranks 62nd of 194 busy Michigan markets for bidding wars
Share of sales over asking in the last year, among towns with 60 or more sales. Chelsea is in the middle of the pack.
Source: Redfin Data Center, city market tracker, January 2012 to May 2026 (MLS sales, not seasonally adjusted). Ratios are weighted by homes sold; price cuts by homes for sale.
Owning the typical Chelsea home costs about $2,455 a month
Price: Chelsea’s typical sale, last 12 months. Property tax at Chelsea’s 1.6% (median bill ÷ median value, Census ACS); insurance at 0.35% of price a year. Before PMI, HOA dues, upkeep and the tax deduction. Whether Chelsea is affordable on local pay is on Cost of living.
Six things worth knowing
New listings in May
The month with the most choice. December has the fewest, about 6.
Best time to buyProperty tax, a year
Of a home’s value: the median bill over the median home value. On a $377K home, about $5,850 a year.
Taxes vs. neighborsSchools
The schools grade for Chelsea, from test results, graduation and how much students grow.
Schools in ChelseaCheck the flood map
Flood insurance isn’t in a standard policy, and lenders require it in FEMA flood zones. Check the address before you make an offer.
Natural hazardsLook up any property
Assessed value, lot size and every past sale of a home you’re eyeing are public, at the town or county assessor and the registry of deeds.
Grass Lake Township, Manchester and Stockbridge sell for less a square foot; Dexter and Ann Arbor for far more
The busier markets within 25 miles of Chelsea, by what sold. Prices, taxes and how far a paycheck goes next door are on Cost of living.
| Sold | Typical sale | $/sq ft | Over asking | Days to sell | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ann Arbor | 1,055 | $470K | $290 | 33% | 44 |
| Chelsea | 99 | $377K | $208 | 37% | 50 |
| Dexter | 62 | $451K | $264 | 34% | 66 |
| Manchester | 36 | $292K | $171 | 36% | 91 |
| Pinckney | 32 | $317K | $211 | 41% | 36 |
| Grass Lake Township | 26 | $257K | $176 | 31% | 50 |
| Stockbridge | 26 | $221K | $163 | 23% | 58 |
Redfin Data Center, June 2025 to May 2026. Towns with fewer than 20 sales are left out, and Redfin doesn’t report every town separately.
Post your home to Chelsea, free
Selling it yourself, renting out an apartment or looking for a roommate? Post it to Chelsea. People who follow the town see it, and so do people comparing Chelsea with their own town. No commission, no listing fee.
Questions about buying a home in Chelsea
What do homes sell for in Chelsea, MI?
99 homes sold in the year to May 2026 at a typical $377K, $208 a square foot. Houses sold for about $393K, condos for about $316K.
Is Chelsea a buyer’s or seller’s market?
A seller’s market: 13 homes were for sale in May 2026 and 10 sold, about 1.3 months of supply. Buyers paid 99.5% of asking on average, and 25% of listings cut their price.
When is the best time to buy in Chelsea?
May brings the most new listings. The sales history shows which months have fewer bidding wars.
How much are property taxes in Chelsea?
About 1.6% of a home’s value a year. On a $377K home that’s near $5,850.
Where can I see homes for sale in Chelsea?
Zillow, Redfin, Realtor.com and Homes.com all carry Chelsea’s MLS listings; the search links above open each one filtered to Chelsea.
Sales, prices, days on market and listings: Redfin Data Center (MLS, monthly, not seasonally adjusted). Property tax rate: Census American Community Survey. Two-bedroom rent: HUD Fair Market Rent. Typical home value: Zillow Home Value Index. Schools grade: TownRatings (how grades work).