Ellijay values are nearly flat in 2026: Gilmer County's typical value was $411,163 in September 2026, down about 0.6% on the year.
That is about 80% above January 2020 and about 2% below the November 2024 peak (Zillow ZHVI). Listings are slower, with a 78-day median on the market in October 2026 (Realtor.com).
This is general information, not legal advice. State rules vary.
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The Ellijay housing market in 2026 is close to flat, with a slight dip. Zillow's typical value for Gilmer County was $411,163 in September 2026, about 0.6% below a year earlier. That figure is still about 80% above January 2020, yet about 2% below the November 2024 peak (Zillow ZHVI, September 2026).
For anyone who bought a house or cabin between 2020 and 2022, those numbers point different ways. This guide sets out the monthly figures for the county and the City of Ellijay and what they mean by purchase month. It also covers how long listings are taking and what a cabin costs to hold.
What is the Ellijay housing market doing in 2026?
Ellijay values have held almost flat in 2026, with a small dip over the year. Gilmer County's typical value was $411,163 in September 2026, down about 0.6% from $413,821 in September 2025 (Zillow ZHVI, September 2026).
The City of Ellijay series tells the same story. Its typical value was $403,103 in September 2026, against $404,941 a year earlier, a drop of about 0.5% (Zillow ZHVI, September 2026). Both series reached their highest month in November 2024.
Month to month, the county figure moved inside a narrow band. It eased from $414,103 in February 2026 to $410,778 in July, then ticked up in August and September (Zillow ZHVI, 2026). September 2026 is the latest month in Zillow's public file as of this writing.
Every Zillow number in this guide is the Zillow Home Value Index (ZHVI) for the middle third of the market, smoothed and seasonally adjusted. It was read from Zillow's public files on November 14, 2026. It tracks a typical house in an area, so it cannot price one cabin, and it says nothing about where values go next.
How far have Gilmer County home values come since 2020?
Gilmer County home values in 2026 sit about 79.5% above January 2020, when the county's typical value was $229,002 (Zillow ZHVI, January 2020). The City of Ellijay figure rose about 79.1% over the same span, from $225,066.
Most of that gain arrived in 19 months. From January 2021 to August 2022, the county figure rose about 52%, from $272,845 to $415,083. It then slipped about 4.8% to $395,177 in March 2023, before climbing to a new high of $420,313 in November 2024 (Zillow ZHVI).
| Month (Zillow ZHVI) | Gilmer County | County change to Sept. 2026 | City of Ellijay | City change to Sept. 2026 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January 2020 | $229,002 | +79.5% | $225,066 | +79.1% |
| January 2021 | $272,845 | +50.7% | $267,102 | +50.9% |
| June 2021 | $318,168 | +29.2% | $310,590 | +29.8% |
| June 2022 | $409,075 | +0.5% | $397,350 | +1.4% |
| August 2022 (high month of 2022) | $415,083 | -0.9% | $403,430 | -0.1% |
| November 2024 (peak) | $420,313 | -2.2% | $410,203 | -1.7% |
| September 2025 | $413,821 | -0.6% | $404,941 | -0.5% |
| September 2026 | $411,163 | Latest month | $403,103 | Latest month |
Every value above comes from Zillow's county and city files for the month named, and each change compares that month with September 2026. Gilmer differs from its neighbor here: its 2022 high was not its last high, because the county kept climbing into late 2024.
Why does your purchase month matter more than the year?
Your purchase month matters because the county figure rose about 29% within 2021 and about 15% between January and August 2022. Today's county figure is about 51% above January 2021, yet about 1% below August 2022 (Zillow ZHVI).
Two illustrative owners
The arithmetic below is illustrative, not a valuation. Picture two owners who each paid exactly the county typical value, with cabins that moved exactly with the county figure.
- Bought in January 2020 for $229,002: the cabin would sit near $411,163 in September 2026, a paper gain of about $182,000.
- Bought in August 2022 for $415,083: the same math leaves it about $3,900 below the purchase price.
Both figures come before agent commissions, closing costs, and the mortgage payoff. Neither owner made a mistake. The second owner closed near the top of a steep climb, and the county figure has barely moved since.
What changes your own number
- What you paid against the typical value in your closing month
- Improvements, furniture, and repairs made since you bought
- Your loan balance and any second mortgage or line of credit
- The costs of selling, whichever way you sell
What did the 2020-2022 cabin wave leave behind?
The 2020-2022 buying wave left Gilmer County with higher prices and, by 2026, far more houses for sale. Realtor.com counted 166 active listings in the county in October 2021 and 689 in October 2026 (Realtor.com, October 2026).
Supply was thinnest as the wave began. Active listings fell from 454 in October 2019 to 144 in October 2020. That month, the median listing spent 39 days on the market (Realtor.com, October 2020).
Asking prices have stayed high since. The median listing price in Gilmer County was $534,900 in October 2026 (Realtor.com, October 2026). That is an asking price for listed houses, not a sale price, so it does not line up with Zillow's typical value.
Cabins rented to guests also came under county rules after the wave. Chapter 45 of the Gilmer County Code, which cites Resolution No. 24-188 of November 14, 2024, now licenses short-term rentals in the unincorporated county.
How long is an Ellijay listing taking to sell?
The median Gilmer County listing spent 78 days on the market in October 2026, up from 72 days in October 2025 (Realtor.com, October 2026). Over the same year, pending listings fell from 104 to 76.
Price cuts are more common too. About 25.4% of active listings carried a price reduction in October 2026, against 20.7% a year earlier (Realtor.com). The table compares the same month each year, because listings rise and fall with the seasons.
| Gilmer County, October (Realtor.com) | Active listings | Median days on market | Pending listings | Share with a price cut |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| October 2019 | 454 | 97 | 124 | 15.0% |
| October 2020 | 144 | 39 | 183 | 10.8% |
| October 2021 | 166 | 68 | 147 | 7.3% |
| October 2022 | 347 | 71 | 96 | 21.3% |
| October 2023 | 362 | 61 | 91 | 23.8% |
| October 2024 | 470 | 75 | 106 | 15.6% |
| October 2025 | 607 | 72 | 104 | 20.7% |
| October 2026 | 689 | 78 | 76 | 25.4% |
Days on market counts only the time a listing is live. A financed sale still needs the buyer's loan approval and appraisal after the contract is signed, and the closing comes after that.
How does Ellijay compare with Blue Ridge and Fannin County?
Gilmer County held its gains longer than Fannin County, but over the past year Gilmer slipped while Fannin rose. Fannin's typical value was $496,269 in September 2026, up about 2.4% on the year and about 5.3% below its June 2022 peak (Zillow ZHVI, September 2026).
| Area (Zillow ZHVI) | January 2020 | Peak month and value | September 2026 | Since Jan. 2020 | From peak | Past 12 months |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gilmer County | $229,002 | Nov. 2024, $420,313 | $411,163 | +79.5% | -2.2% | -0.6% |
| City of Ellijay | $225,066 | Nov. 2024, $410,203 | $403,103 | +79.1% | -1.7% | -0.5% |
| Fannin County | $309,571 | June 2022, $523,838 | $496,269 | +60.3% | -5.3% | +2.4% |
| City of Blue Ridge | $318,765 | June 2022, $552,123 | $511,699 | +60.5% | -7.3% | +1.7% |
Gilmer started lower in 2020 and grew faster, which put it about 19 points ahead of Fannin on gains since January 2020. The two counties also topped out more than two years apart. Our Blue Ridge housing market guide walks through the Fannin County side month by month.
What does an Ellijay rental cabin cost to hold while it is for sale?
A cabin rented to guests in unincorporated Gilmer County carries county license costs on top of the mortgage, taxes, insurance, and upkeep. Chapter 45, the county's short-term rental ordinance, covers unincorporated Gilmer County only, and this guide does not describe City of Ellijay or East Ellijay rules.
The timing lands right now. The county's 2027 renewal window is planned to open November 12, 2026 and close at midnight on December 31, 2026, according to its renewal instructions dated November 4, 2026.
"The short-term rental host license fee for 2027 remains $300 for the year."
2027 renewal instructions, Gilmer County Short-Term Rental Department
What a 2027 renewal asks for
- A notarized attestation form and a notarized short-term rental agency agreement
- An insurance declarations page showing at least $1 million in liability coverage
- An updated information sheet and house rules
- The $300 fee for the full 2027 year
Monthly hotel-motel tax returns are due on the 20th of each month under the county ordinance. The county's Fee Structure Policy, approved December 15, 2025, fines a failure to renew at the license fee plus three times the license fee.
A host license does not pass to a buyer, which shapes how a renting buyer weighs a cabin. Our guide to selling an Ellijay short-term rental cabin covers that hand-off. Owners of acreage in a conservation use covenant face a separate set of rules, set out in our guide to selling Gilmer County conservation use land.
How do a listing and a cash sale compare for an Ellijay owner?
A listing reaches buyers who borrow, and it may bring a higher price. A cash sale trades some of that for a date you set and no showings. Which fits depends on your own numbers and calendar, since no one can forecast the market.
A listing may fit when
- The house or cabin shows well and needs little work
- You can carry the mortgage, taxes, insurance, and license costs through a listing period near the 78-day county median (Realtor.com, October 2026), plus the closing after it
- You can manage showings, guest calendars, and price changes from wherever you live
A cash sale may fit when
- Repairs, an old septic system, or a steep gravel road could slow a financed buyer
- You live hours away and the cabin sits empty between stays
- You want to choose the closing date yourself
Some owners price both before deciding. A cash number set beside an agent's pricing can show what the waiting and the commissions are worth to you.
How can Propcash help an Ellijay house or cabin owner?
Propcash is a direct cash homebuyer, and we want to buy your Ellijay house or cabin as-is. There are no repairs, no showings, and no agent commissions or fees charged to you. You pick the closing date, which can be as few as 7 days after the contract is signed.
Our offers are based on local market data. We'll show you how we got to our number, so you can hold it next to an agent's pricing or another season of renting. If a cash sale isn't your best move, we'll tell you. You can get a cash offer on your Ellijay house or see how it works on our Ellijay cash offer page.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Zillow's Ellijay figure the value of my house or cabin?
No index can price one cabin. Zillow's figure is a typical value for the middle tier of the market, smoothed and seasonally adjusted, and the City of Ellijay series stood at $403,103 in September 2026 (Zillow ZHVI). A single cabin's price turns on its own size, condition, road, view, and rental record.
Are Gilmer County values above their 2022 levels?
That depends on the month in 2022. Gilmer County's typical value of $411,163 in September 2026 sits about 0.5% above June 2022 and about 0.9% below August 2022, the high month of that year (Zillow ZHVI). Against January 2022, when the figure was $359,865, it sits about 14% higher.
When did Ellijay values peak?
The Gilmer County and City of Ellijay series both reached their highest month in November 2024, at $420,313 and $410,203 (Zillow ZHVI, November 2024). By September 2026 the county figure was about 2.2% below that peak. The city figure was about 1.7% below its own.
How many houses are for sale in Gilmer County?
Realtor.com counted 689 active listings in Gilmer County in October 2026, up from 607 in October 2025 and 166 in October 2021 (Realtor.com, October 2026). The count covers the whole county, not only the City of Ellijay. Listings also stayed up longer, with a median of 78 days on the market.
When is the 2027 Gilmer County rental license renewal due?
The county's renewal instructions plan a window from November 12, 2026 to midnight on December 31, 2026, with a fee of $300 for 2027. A renewal asks for notarized forms, updated house rules, and an insurance declarations page showing at least $1 million in liability coverage. The license covers rentals in unincorporated Gilmer County.
Can a cabin in Coosawattee River Resort or on Walnut Mountain get a cash offer?
Yes. Propcash can make a cash offer on a house or cabin anywhere in Gilmer County, including resort communities and river lots, and we buy as-is. Our offers are based on local market data, and we'll show you how we got to our number. Closing can happen in as few as 7 days after the contract is signed, on a date you choose.
Market figures describe areas, not individual houses, and they change every month. County fees and rules can change too. A Georgia attorney or a tax professional can speak to your own sale.
Reviewed by the Propcash Editorial Team under our editorial standards. Published by Propcash, a direct cash buyer of houses. This guide is general information. Laws, fees, and market figures change, so check the current rules for your state.
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