Photo: Doug Anderson · CC BY 2.0619 homes sold in Oak Island in the last year, at a typical $619K
Almost every sale is a house. 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 Oak Island homes are listed.
Every place Oak Island 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 Oak Island.
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.
5% of Oak Island’s sales are condos, at $267K less than a house
565 houses and 32 condos sold in the year to May 2026. Houses sell faster.
typical sale · 565 sold in the year to May 2026
- Per square foot
- $423NC $207
- Days to sell
- 79
- Sold over asking
- 6%
- Listings with a price cut
- 24%
typical sale · 32 sold in the year to May 2026
- Per square foot
- $313NC $275
- Days to sell
- 109
- Sold over asking
- 3%
- Listings with a price cut
- 18%
Multi-family (2–4 units): 4 sold, typical $848K
Townhouses: 11 sold, typical $307K
Too few sales in 12 months for reliable figures.
About as many homes sell as usual, at 2.7 times the 2016 price
619 sales in the last year, against 887 in 2021 and a low of 388 in 2012. The typical sale went from $226K in 2016 to $619K.
Source: Redfin Data Center, MLS sales; from June 2026 each month is a 3-month rolling window, its counts divided by 3. Typical price and $/sq ft are the monthly medians, weighted by sales. Redfin stopped publishing towns’ figures by property type after May 2026, so houses and condos are shown for the year to then.
What $600K buys in Oak Island
Check a listing against what Oak Island 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 Oak Island are rarer than before the pandemic, but 16% fewer homes come up for sale
We read every month of Oak Island’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 September 2026, 619 sales.
If you’re buying in Oak Island
- Shop in August. It brings about 72 new listings a month, close to the busiest month, with fewer bidding wars (13% over asking).
- Offer under asking. Buyers paid 96.7% of the list price on average; 6% paid over.
- You’ll usually have time. Only 26% of homes go under contract within two weeks; the typical one takes 87 days.
Spring brings the homes; fall brings the bidding wars
March has the most new listings (about 86 a month), but October is the most competitive: 17% of October sales close over asking. July and August offer nearly as much choice with fewer homes bid up (16%). January has the least competition (12%).
Averages for each calendar month, 2015 on.
Calmer than the 2021 frenzy, and calmer than North Carolina
| Oak Island now | 2017–19 | 2021 peak | NC now | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sold over askingShare of sales that closed above the list price | 6% | 11% | 28% | 15% |
| Gone within two weeksShare of homes under contract within 14 days | 26% | 1% | 2% | 29% |
| Price paid vs. askingAverage sale price ÷ list price | 96.7% | 96.4% | 98.7% | 97.8% |
| Days to sellMedian days from listing to contract | 87 | 111 | 62 | 67 |
269 homes for sale on a typical day
That’s twice the 2023 low (133), 16% fewer than in 2017–19 and well under 2014’s 364.
Since 2019, houses are up 117%, condos 68%
A house typically sold for $662K in the year to May 2026 (565 sales), a condo for $394K (32).
Median sale price, weighted by sales each month. Years with fewer than 4 sales of a type are left out.
Oak Island ranks 214th of 225 busy North Carolina markets for bidding wars
Share of sales over asking in the last year, among towns with 60 or more sales. Oak Island is one of the state’s calmer markets.
Source: Redfin Data Center, city figures, January 2012 to September 2026 (MLS sales, not seasonally adjusted; from June 2026 each month is a 3-month rolling window, its counts divided by 3). Ratios are weighted by homes sold; price cuts by homes for sale.
Owning the typical Oak Island home costs about $3,586 a month
Price: Oak Island’s typical sale, last 12 months. Property tax at Oak Island’s 0.7% (median bill ÷ median value, Census ACS); insurance at 0.35% of price a year. Before PMI, HOA dues, upkeep and the tax deduction. Whether Oak Island is affordable on local pay is on Cost of living.
Six things worth knowing
New listings in March
The month with the most choice. December has the fewest, about 36.
Best time to buyProperty tax, a year
Of a home’s value: the median bill over the median home value. On a $619K home, about $4,280 a year.
Taxes vs. neighborsSchools
The schools grade for Oak Island, from test results, graduation and how much students grow.
Schools in Oak IslandTypical commute
The average one-way trip to work for people who live in Oak Island.
Work & commuteCheck 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.
St. James, Boiling Spring Lakes and Southport sell for less a square foot; Holden Beach and Bald Head Island for far more
The busier markets within 25 miles of Oak Island, 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 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oak Island | 619 | $619K | $409 | 6% | 87 |
| St. James | 225 | $705K | $266 | 5% | 101 |
| Boiling Spring Lakes | 202 | $306K | $213 | 17% | 82 |
| Southport | 157 | $596K | $282 | 8% | 93 |
| Bald Head Island | 138 | $1.2M | $614 | 5% | 90 |
| Holden Beach | 118 | $1M | $586 | 7% | 83 |
| Caswell Beach | 26 | $688K | $489 | 0% | 100 |
Redfin Data Center, October 2025 to September 2026. Towns with fewer than 20 sales are left out, and Redfin doesn’t report every town separately.
Post your home to Oak Island, free
Selling it yourself, renting out an apartment or looking for a roommate? Post it to Oak Island. People who follow the town see it, and so do people comparing Oak Island with their own town. No commission, no listing fee.
Questions about buying a home in Oak Island
What do homes sell for in Oak Island, NC?
619 homes sold in the year to September 2026 at a typical $619K, $409 a square foot. Houses sold for about $662K, condos for about $394K in the year to May 2026.
Is Oak Island a buyer’s or seller’s market?
A balanced market: 299 homes were for sale in September 2026 and 57 sold, about 5.2 months of supply. Buyers paid 96.7% of asking on average.
When is the best time to buy in Oak Island?
March brings the most new listings. The sales history shows which months have fewer bidding wars.
How much are property taxes in Oak Island?
About 0.7% of a home’s value a year. On a $619K home that’s near $4,280.
Where can I see homes for sale in Oak Island?
Zillow, Redfin, Realtor.com and Homes.com all carry Oak Island’s MLS listings; the search links above open each one filtered to Oak Island.
Sales, prices, days on market and listings: Redfin Data Center (MLS, monthly, not seasonally adjusted; from June 2026 each month is a 3-month rolling window, its counts divided by 3). 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).