Lake of the Ozarks Housing Market 2026: Lakefront vs Off-Water, What Sellers Should Know

The Lake of the Ozarks housing market 2026 data shows a lake split by segment, not one market moving in one direction. In Camden County, the core of Lake of the Ozarks, Missouri, Redfin reports a September 2026 median sale price of $374,163, down 2.8% from September 2025 (Redfin, September 2026). Over the same months, lakefront house sales ran about 10% ahead of 2025 (LakeExpo, October 2026).

This guide keeps every figure with its source, area, and month. Redfin and Zillow cover the county, its towns, and its ZIP codes. LakeExpo covers lakefront houses and condos, and its figures stay in their own table. If you already plan to sell, our guide to selling a house fast at Lake of the Ozarks covers the local options.

Lake of the Ozarks Housing Market 2026 at a Glance

As of September 2026, Camden County had slightly more sales than a year earlier, a lower median price, a longer wait to contract, and more houses for sale. Each row below names its source, the area it covers, and its period. Redfin rows come from the Redfin Data Center file updated October 7, 2026.

The Redfin rows can be checked against the Redfin Data Center download for region 1614. Redfin's county page describes its median as covering the last three months, while the corresponding Data Center row is labeled as the month of September 2026. The figures in both places are identical.

Two measures, two numbers

Redfin's median is the middle price of the houses that closed in the period. Zillow's Home Value Index (ZHVI) is a modeled estimate of the typical value across all houses and condos in an area, smoothed and seasonally adjusted. The two sat about $50,000 apart in September 2026, so each one stays in its own row and is never averaged with the other.

Are Lake of the Ozarks Home Prices Going Down?

Lake of the Ozarks home prices did not move as one block in 2026: some measures sit below 2025 while lakefront sales volume ran ahead of it. Redfin's September 2026 Camden County median was 2.8% below September 2025. Zillow's county index was about 3.6% below its September 2025 level (Zillow ZHVI, September 2026).

The timing of Zillow's change matters. The county index fell from $335,920 in September 2025 to $321,701 in February 2026. It then rose each month through August 2026, to $324,983, and was $323,721 in September (Zillow ZHVI, September 2026).

Redfin's single-month medians jump around because about 90 to 190 sales close in a typical month. In 2026 the monthly median ranged from $359,500 in April to $438,200 in June (Redfin Data Center, September 2026). A few large lakefront closings in one month can lift the median, and a month heavy with condos can pull it down. This guide does not forecast where prices go next.

Lakefront vs Off-Water: Why the Lake Splits

The lake splits into segments because a lakefront house, an off-water house up the hill, and a nightly-rental condo draw different buyers at different prices. The Camden County Assessor counted 23,533 dwellings built on lakefront real estate as of January 1, 2026, including houses, condominiums, and townhouses (Camden County Assessor, read October 2026). Those lakefront dwellings trade in a different price range from the rest of the county.

What the public data can and cannot show

Redfin and Zillow do not publish a waterfront split for any lake town. Their county, city, and ZIP figures blend three kinds of sales:

• Lakefront houses, on the shoreline, where a dock may convey with the sale.
• Off-water houses, from older cottages on cove roads to newer houses near the highways.
• Condos and townhouses, a mix of lakefront and lake-view units, some run as nightly rentals.

No public source we found isolates off-water houses as a group. The closest view is the gap between county figures, which include everything, and LakeExpo's lakefront-only report. Even that comparison has limits, because the two use different methods and different areas.

Why the segments move apart

A lakefront sale depends on things an off-water sale does not, such as dock condition and the dock permit. Our guide to selling a lake house with a dock and the Ameren permit transfer covers that step. Condos carry HOA dues and, for rental units, the shape of the rental season. Off-water houses depend more on road access, lot slope, and the septic system.

What Are Lakefront Home Prices at Lake of the Ozarks?

LakeExpo reported a median lakefront single-family sale price of $592,500 for September 2026, down 2.5% from September 2025, on 58 sales against 82 a year earlier (LakeExpo, October 2026). Year to date, 553 lakefront houses had sold through September, up from 503 in 2025. Total lakefront house dollar volume was up 15% for the year.

The table below covers LakeExpo's last three monthly reports. LakeExpo is a Lake of the Ozarks news site, and it publishes these monthly reports with its real estate partner. These figures cover lakefront houses and condos only and are kept apart from Redfin and Zillow.

Sources: LakeExpo, August 14, 2026 (July data), LakeExpo, September 21, 2026 (August data), and LakeExpo, October 14, 2026 (September data, linked above). LakeExpo reports average days on market, while Redfin reports a median, so the two are not comparable.

Reading the lakefront numbers

Lakefront medians swing from month to month with the mix of houses that close. LakeExpo said July's lower median reflected "a heavier mix of lower and mid-priced closings rather than a genuine repricing of the market" (LakeExpo, August 2026). August then came in above the prior year, and September slightly below it.

Price cuts are common in the fall. LakeExpo reported that nearly half of active lakefront house listings showed a price reduction in September 2026. In August, 62% of active condo listings had taken one, up from 48% in July (LakeExpo, September 2026).

Condos: more sales, more supply

Lakefront condo sales were up about 30% year to date through September 2026, and total condo dollar volume was up nearly 27% (LakeExpo, October 2026). Supply is still deeper than for lakefront houses, at 9.2 months. If you own a rental unit, our guide to selling a nightly-rental condo at Lake of the Ozarks covers HOA rules, furniture, and booked stays.

How Lake Sales Moved Month by Month in 2026

Camden County sales follow the boating season: closings roughly doubled from late winter to midsummer in 2026, and time to contract shortened as spring arrived. Each row below is a single month from the Redfin Data Center, with the same month of 2025 in parentheses where useful.

Source: Redfin Data Center, county rows for Camden County, MO (region 1614), monthly, updated October 7, 2026. Redfin revises recent months as late sales record, so a later download can differ slightly.

What the seasonal pattern means for a seller

Sales from March through September 2026 ran above the same months of 2025 in every month except August. February was the slowest month, with 90 sales and a 130-day median to contract. July was the busiest, with 190 sales (Redfin Data Center, September 2026).

Inventory built steadily through the year, from 802 houses in January to 1,183 in September. Months of supply ended September at 7.4. In 2025, closings stayed strong into October before falling to about 100 a month in December. A house listed in late fall can wait through the slow winter months for buyers to return.

Osage Beach, Lake Ozark, Camdenton, and Sunrise Beach

Zillow's ZIP figures put Sunrise Beach (65079) highest and Camdenton (65020) lowest of the four main lake ZIPs in September 2026. These are ZIP figures only, not values for any neighborhood, cove, or street. ZIP lines also do not follow city limits, so confirm your ZIP by address.

Source: Zillow ZHVI county and ZIP files (all houses and condos, middle tier, smoothed and seasonally adjusted), September 2026. Zillow revises past months, so earlier downloads can show different values.

The ZIPs did not move together in 2026

Since January 2026, Zillow's value for ZIP 65079 (Sunrise Beach) rose about $9,000 and ZIP 65020 (Camdenton) rose about $4,900. Over the same months, ZIP 65065 (Osage Beach) fell about $9,600 and ZIP 65049 (Lake Ozark) fell about $4,500 (Zillow ZHVI, September 2026). Zillow's index blends houses and condos, so each ZIP's balance of houses and condos shapes its line.

The Osage Beach housing market and other towns on Redfin

Redfin's city rows use a rolling three-month window, and small sale counts make these medians jumpy. For the three months ending September 2026, Redfin reports these figures (Redfin Data Center, September 2026):

• Osage Beach: $394,562 median, down 1.1%, with a 94-day median to contract and 187 houses for sale.
• Village of Four Seasons: $387,266 median, up 6.1%, with a 92-day median to contract.
• Lake Ozark: $399,260 median, up 14.1%, with a 137-day median to contract.
• Camdenton: $269,772 median, up 7.9%, with a 69-day median to contract.

Sunrise Beach had too few recorded sales in the window for a stable median, so it is left out here. Lake Ozark is a separate city that sits in both Miller and Camden counties, so its rows do not line up exactly with the Camden County figures. For Lake Ozark MO home values, the Zillow ZIP row above and the Redfin city row measure different areas.

The 2027 Camden County Reassessment

Camden County sets new assessed values as of January 1, 2027, because Missouri requires new values "as of January first of each odd-numbered year" (RSMo 137.115). Those values then apply in the following even-numbered year, except for new construction and improvements. Residential real property is assessed at 19% of true value under the same statute (RSMo 137.115.5).

The Camden County Assessor says the assessment books typically close by July 1, and taxing districts typically set levies by the end of September. The Camden County Collector typically mails bills in the first week of November (Camden County Assessor, read October 2026).

What the schedule means if you sell

• Closing in late 2026: the 2026 bill rests on values set as of January 1, 2025. Your closing statement shows how the year's tax is split.
• Closing in 2027 or 2028: the bill rests on the January 1, 2027 value, which the Assessor sets during 2027.
• Assessed value is a tax figure: it is a poor guide to what a buyer may pay for a lake house.

Camden County also runs a senior tax freeze under SB 190, with 2026 sign-up from January 2 through June 30 (Camden County Assessor, read October 2026). Our guide to Camden County's senior property tax freeze and selling explains what happens to it at a sale.

Listing or Selling for Cash Before Winter

If your lake house shows well and you can wait, listing with a local agent may net you more. Lakefront houses averaged 44 days on market in September 2026 (LakeExpo, October 2026), and the county median to contract was 73 days (Redfin, September 2026). If the house needs work, or you live in Kansas City or St. Louis and cannot manage showings, a direct cash sale may fit better.

Propcash is a direct cash homebuyer. We make one transparent, data-backed cash offer and show the reasoning behind the number. You sell as-is, pay no fees or commissions, and pick your closing date. A cash sale can close in as few as 7 days after the contract is signed.

The Propcash Promise: our offer stands, there is no aggressive follow-up, and if Propcash is not the right buyer, we say so. You can request a cash offer for your lake house and set it next to a listing estimate. For statewide rules, including Missouri's 2026 wholesaler disclosure law, see our Missouri seller page.

Frequently Asked Questions

Are home prices going down at Lake of the Ozarks?

Lake of the Ozarks prices moved in different directions by segment through September 2026, so one word does not describe the whole lake. Redfin's Camden County median was $374,163 in September 2026, 2.8% below September 2025, while lakefront house sales were up year to date (553 against 503, LakeExpo, October 2026). Zillow's county index has edged up since February 2026, after a dip in late 2025.

What is the median sale price in Camden County, MO, in 2026?

Redfin reports a median sale price of $374,163 for Camden County, Missouri, in September 2026, down 2.8% from September 2025. Zillow's separate typical value index for the county was $323,721 in September 2026. The two figures measure different things, so each should be quoted with its own source and month.

What do lakefront houses sell for at Lake of the Ozarks?

LakeExpo reported a median lakefront single-family sale price of $592,500 for September 2026, down 2.5% from September 2025, on 58 sales. The August 2026 median was $617,450, up more than 9% from a year earlier. Monthly lakefront medians swing with the mix of houses that close, so a single month is a rough guide to any one house.

How long does it take to sell a house at Lake of the Ozarks?

The median Camden County listing that sold in September 2026 went under contract in 73 days, against 67 a year earlier (Redfin). Lakefront houses averaged 44 days on market in September and lakefront condos averaged 75 days (LakeExpo, October 2026). Winter months run slower, with a 130-day county median in February 2026.

When is the next Camden County reassessment?

The next reassessment sets Camden County values as of January 1, 2027. Missouri law requires new assessed values as of January 1 of each odd-numbered year, and those values carry into the following even-numbered year (RSMo 137.115). The Camden County Collector typically mails bills in the first week of November, according to the County Assessor.

Do Redfin and Zillow separate lakefront and off-water houses?

Neither Redfin nor Zillow publishes a lakefront or off-water split for Lake of the Ozarks. Their county, city, and ZIP figures blend lakefront houses, off-water houses, and condos. LakeExpo publishes a monthly report on lakefront houses and condos only, which is why its figures sit in their own table in this guide.