By Mike Lentz | The Mike Lentz Team – Keller Williams Realty
Today’s home prices have a lot of buyers, especially first-time buyers, wondering if there’s even anything out there that fits their budget. But owning a home may be more within reach than you think. Sometimes it just means considering a different type of home. Condos and townhomes can be a great way to buy without stretching every last dollar.
Right now, two factors make condos and townhomes worth a serious look if you’re feeling priced out.
More Condos and Townhomes To Choose From
Maybe you feel like there’s nothing out there for you, and you’ve exhausted all your options. But have you considered condos or townhomes? A lot of buyers start by looking for a single-family detached home. They don’t even realize what that narrow search omits from their pool of choices.
According to HousingWire Data, there were 233,030 condos and townhomes for sale nationally this June. That’s more than any June in at least the past decade. It’s also more than double the number available back in 2022 (see graph below):
That’s the national number, and it holds up here with a South Jersey twist. Across our five counties, new condo and townhome listings are up about 11 percent so far this year compared to the same stretch in 2025, while new single-family listings barely moved, up under 2 percent. The affordable attached segment is where the fresh supply is actually showing up.
Camden and Burlington counties each added more than a hundred new townhome and condo listings year over year, and Cumberland County saw its attached listings jump by more than half. Gloucester County is the one exception, running slightly behind last year. Right now, condos and townhomes make up roughly one in four active listings across South Jersey, so this is a real slice of the market, not a rounding error.
More options in this segment means less competition, more time to decide, and more room to negotiate. If a detached home has felt out of reach, this is where to widen the search.
They Cost Less Than Single-Family Homes
Price is the other big draw. According to the National Association of Realtors (NAR), the median condo price was $380,000 in June. In contrast, the median single-family home price was $446,400 (see graph below):
Nationally that’s a difference of more than $66,000. In South Jersey, the gap is even wider. Every county in our market shows a bigger dollar discount than the national figure. Here is how single-family homes and the condo-and-townhome segment compare on median sold price so far in 2026:
| County | Single-Family (median) | Condo / Townhome (median) | You Save |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gloucester | $400,000 | $277,500 | $122,500 |
| Camden | $405,532 | $255,000 | $150,532 |
| Burlington | $450,000 | $300,000 | $150,000 |
| Cumberland | $295,000 | $181,500 | $113,500 |
| Salem | $285,900 | $145,000 | $140,900 |
That is a spread of roughly $110,000 to $150,000, or about 30 to 40 percent, depending on the county. The attached market in Salem County is small, fewer than two dozen sales so far this year, so treat that figure as directional rather than exact. Everywhere else the samples are deep enough to trust.
Put it in monthly terms. Buy a $255,000 townhome in Camden County instead of a $405,000 single-family home and you are financing about $150,000 less. That is a materially smaller payment and a far easier mortgage to qualify for.
For first-time buyers, that lower price point pairs well with New Jersey’s down payment assistance. The NJHMFA first-time buyer programs can layer on top of a condo or townhome purchase and stretch your dollars further at exactly the price points where these homes sit. Downsizers get the other side of the same coin. Trading a single-family home for a townhome, or a unit in a 55+ community, frees up equity and hands off the yard work and exterior upkeep.
You’ll find the deepest attached inventory in the more developed parts of the region, places like Washington Township and Deptford in Gloucester County, and the Mount Laurel and Marlton area in Burlington County, where townhome communities are a fixture.
A big reason for the gap? Condos and townhomes are usually smaller than single-family homes, and smaller homes come with smaller price tags. If you don’t need all that extra space, that lower entry price could be exactly what gets you through the door, and it might help you qualify for a mortgage that fits comfortably within your budget.
How Condos and Townhomes Differ
For buyers who feel priced out of the market, a condo or townhome could be a way in. But there are some things to know. Before you start checking out listings, it’s good to understand how these two compare to each other, and to a single-family home.
Single-Family Detached Home
You own the house and the land it sits on. You don’t share any walls with neighbors. That means the most space and privacy. But it also usually comes with a higher price tag, and all the maintenance is on you.
Townhome
You own the building and the lot it sits on. They’re usually multi-level, so you get more space. You share two walls at most. You’ll also have more say over how your home looks and how repairs get done. But more of that upkeep falls on you.
Condo
You own just the inside of your unit. You may have access to community features like a pool or gym. The building and shared space belong to everyone who lives there, which means fewer maintenance responsibilities. But you’ll also likely have more neighbors around you, less control over building decisions, and higher HOA fees, since the HOA handles the exterior and common areas.
Which Type Fits Your Lifestyle?
Each property type offers tradeoffs, and the best choice depends on what you value most. If maintenance-free living sounds appealing, a condo might be ideal. If you want more control and space but still need an affordable price, a townhome could strike the right balance.
The key is matching your budget to your lifestyle priorities. Compromising on square footage or attached walls doesn’t mean settling. It means getting into the market sooner, building equity, and setting yourself up for future moves.
Whether you’re leaning toward condos and townhomes or still weighing your options, there’s a path to homeownership that fits your budget. Let’s connect to see what’s for sale in your area. We’ll figure out which type of home fits your lifestyle and your bottom line.
If you want to talk through what this means for your situation, schedule a quick call and we’ll walk through it together.
For the full picture in your county, see our market reports for Camden, Burlington, Gloucester, Salem, and Cumberland counties.
