The housing markets in Maricopa remain firmly in buyers’ territory, with supply far outpacing demand, according to the Cromford Market Index, a widely watched measure of market balance in metro Phoenix.

Mike Orr, who founded the Cromford Report, uses Arizona Regional Multiple Listing Service data to track supply and demand. Orr created a formula to help the real estate industry know which areas are in demand, and which are flooded with options for buyers. His most recent data shows Maricopa with a score of 50.7, indicating roughly twice as many sellers as buyers. 

“Anything below 90 is a buyers’ market,” Orr said in an interview with InMaricopa yesterday. “If it’s around 50, it means there’s twice as many sellers as buyers. So, if you’re selling, you’ve got a lot of competition. If you’re buying, you’ve got plenty of negotiating power.” 

The index, published daily for more than 20 years, compares current supply and demand with historical averages. A score of 100 represents a balanced market. 

Orr said Maricopa’s score reflects an ongoing surge in homebuilding coupled with relatively weak demand, a trend that has persisted since mortgage interest rates rose above 6% in 2022. 

“These areas have a lot of new construction,” Orr said. “There’s no shortage of homes to choose from.” 

Top Maricopa realtor Dayv Morgan echoes this data.  

“It’s definitely not a seller’s market in Maricopa,” said Morgan. “Inventory levels are very high, giving buyers a lot of power to negotiate on price and repairs. Buyers are expecting sellers to pay concessions, and resale homeowners are competing against new home builders offering interest rates of 4 to 5% range.” 

“2023 and 2024 were a balanced market, but 2025 has gradually moved towards a buyers’ market,” added Morgan.

While homeowners might wonder how to boost local demand or limit supply, Orr said market conditions are largely driven by individual decisions rather than city policies.  

“It’s not something governments can just adjust,” he said. 

Metro Phoenix markets closer to the urban center, such as Tempe or Paradise Valley, show stronger demand because of limited land for new builds, Orr said. However, even those markets have softened compared to the pandemic-era boom of 2020 to 2022. 

The current slowdown, Orr noted, is different from the mid-2000s housing crisis, when risky lending practices fueled unsustainable speculation. “Lenders are much stricter now,” he said. “Delinquency rates are very low.” 

Orr said market demand could rebound if mortgage rates decline. In the meantime, buyers in Maricopa are in a favorable position to negotiate on price and closing costs. 

The full July list is below:

Cromford® Market Index 

1. Paradise Valley – 136.9 (↑ 25%, was 109.2) 
2. Fountain Hills – 111.5 (↓ 7%, was 120.1) 
3. Chandler – 108.4 (↓ 4%, was 113.5) 
4. Avondale – 102.2 (↓ 10%, was 113.3) 
5. Glendale – 100.5 (0%, was 100.7) 
6. Phoenix – 95.2 (↓ 5%, was 99.8) 
7. Mesa – 92.6 (↓ 1%, was 93.9) 
8. Scottsdale – 92.6 (↓ 1%, was 93.6) 
9. Cave Creek – 91.4 (↑ 2%, was 89.4) 
10. Gilbert – 90.0 (↓ 5%, was 94.4) 
11. Tempe – 86.9 (↓ 5%, was 91.3) 
12. Goodyear – 75.4 (0%, was 75.7) 
13. Peoria – 73.6 (↓ 4%, was 76.6) 
14. Surprise – 62.7 (↓ 3%, was 64.7) 
15. Queen Creek – 60.1 (↓ 3%, was 61.8) 
16. Maricopa – 52.7 (↓ 2%, was 53.6) 
17. Buckeye – 49.3 (↓ 7%, was 53.2)