Ontario County’s housing committee is planning broader public outreach and a closer review of development barriers as new county data shows the median sale price for a single-family home reached $300,000 in 2025.
According to new county data, 1,492 housing units were built from 2020 through the end of 2025, nearly matching the 1,493-unit need identified in the county’s 2023 Housing Needs Assessment.
Despite that construction, the median sale price remains far above the $169,950 recorded in 2017, and county officials say pressure on the housing market continues.
Construction costs remain a challenge
Homes built since 2020 have cost an average of $198.73 per square foot, according to the county, even as the typical size of newly constructed homes has declined compared with homes built during the previous two decades.
The committee plans to examine how construction costs, local zoning and development rules affect the supply and affordability of housing.
Its work will also look at housing needs among older residents and students, the availability of homes for workers and the effect of housing shortages on major employers trying to recruit and retain employees.
Future discussions are expected to address school enrollment, transportation and access, utility capacity needed for new development and the balance between building more housing and preserving agricultural land.
The committee is considering inviting builders, developers, school superintendents, neighboring counties, colleges, health care providers and other organizations to future meetings to identify problems and possible solutions.
Committee plans more public outreach
More than 30 developers, real estate agents, contractors, community advocates, attorneys, county employees and supervisors attended a county Fair Housing event in Farmington in May.
Participants discussed changes since the Housing Needs Assessment was completed in 2023 and the obstacles communities continue to face, according to the county.
The committee recently filled two vacancies by adding Stephanie Buisch, representing the Ontario County Economic Development Corporation, and Geneva Ward 5 and 6 Supervisor Esther Dickinson, representing the county Board of Supervisors.
Co-Chairman Jim Yockel outlined the committee’s priorities during a July 16 presentation to the Board of Supervisors, saying the county would continue working on recommendations from the housing assessment.
Board Chairman Bill Wellman of Phelps said the county had nearly reached the assessment’s construction goal but still faced regional housing-market pressures.
The Board of Supervisors commissioned the Housing Needs Assessment in 2022 using federal American Rescue Plan Act funding after residents and employers raised concerns about difficulty finding housing across the county.
Urban Partners completed the countywide study, and supervisors established the interdisciplinary Housing Ad Hoc Committee in 2024 through Resolution No. 268-2024 to continue work on housing stability.
The committee will use updated market data, community feedback and the assessment as it evaluates where and how Ontario County can accommodate future housing needs.
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