The 152 market this morning
What does a used 152 ask right now?
With 10 for sale this morning, the Cessna 152 is the 44th most-listed piston type on Barnstormers and second to the Cessna 182 among Cessna types. 4 were listed in the last 30 days and 7 came down, about the same churn as the rest of the class. PA and TX have 2 each.
Asking prices run from $7,500 to $109,900, and half of the 10 priced listings sit between $49,000 and $84,500. The median is $74,500, 27% below the piston singles median of $102,249; 10 of the 13 Cessna types here ask more. Age matters: 1970s airframes ask a median of $64,498 against $70,000 for the 1980s.
4 sellers cut price in the last 30 days, 40% of the live fleet against 27% across every type we track; the average cut took 9% off the ask.
Written from this morning's figures and how they compare with the other types on the site. It changes as the market does.
Asking price distribution
Asking prices as typed by the seller. "Call" and "make offer" are counted as unpriced.
Median asking by decade
| Built | Seen | Median ask | Cut rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 8 | $64,498 | 38% |
| 1980s | 6 | $70,000 | 17% |
Year is read from the seller's title, so 42% of 152 listings don't have one. They count everywhere else on this page but not in this table.
Be first to the next 152 that lists or drops
One Telegram message the morning a 152 appears in your budget, and another the day a seller cuts, with days listed and where the ask sits against these 10. Free during beta.
Buyer's notes
About the Cessna 152
What it is
The Cessna 152 is the 150 with a 110 hp Lycoming O-235, a 28-volt electrical system, a slightly higher gross weight and a few cabin tweaks, built from 1978 to 1985. Cessna made a little over seven thousand of them, mostly for flight schools, and it was the last two-seat Cessna until the 162. The reason it exists is fuel: the O-235 was supposed to run happily on 100LL, which the Continental O-200 in the 150 did not.
It flies exactly like a 150, which is to say slowly, stably and predictably, with a little more useful load and a little less carb ice. The Lycoming is smoother at cruise and rougher at idle. Two average adults and full tanks is still tight. Owners who came from a 150 notice the better cabin heat and the cost of 28-volt parts. The A152 Aerobat carries over the strengthened structure and skylights for gentle aerobatics.
Variants that matter for price
Sellers write 152, 152 II, A152 and Aerobat, and the year and the engine dash number matter more than the badge. The O-235-L2C in the early airplanes had a reputation for lead fouling and sticking exhaust valves on 100LL, and the O-235-N2C that came with the 1983 and later airplanes fixed most of that with different pistons and valves. A late 152 with the N2C is the one to look for. The 125 hp Sparrowhawk conversion wakes up the climb and is a real plus. Wheel pants, a good radio stack and a recent interior make a difference on an airplane where the base is so uniform.
What buyers check
Almost every 152 was a school airplane, and many still are. The questions are how many students, how many hard landings, and how many engines. Look at the lower firewall for wrinkles and patched repairs, the nose gear fork and attach for cracks, and the main gear boxes for corrosion. The seat rails have the same wear inspection as the rest of the Cessna singles and the seat stops need to be there. Flap tracks and rollers wear, the cabin door latches sag, and the rudder and elevator hinges get sloppy with student feet on them. Corrosion collects in the tailcone and the belly.
On the engine, ask about valve sticking and how the previous owner managed lead, and expect an L2C engine to have needed some cylinder work along the way. The exhaust cracks like the 150's does. The 28-volt system means alternator, battery and lighting parts cost more and interchange less. A prop strike in the logs needs a teardown to go with it. An annual on a school 152 typically turns up brakes, a mag, a cracked exhaust part and something in the flap system.
Who it suits
The 152 suits a buyer who wants the simplest certified two-seater for local flying, time building or teaching, and who would rather have a Lycoming than a Continental up front. It is not a traveling airplane and it will not carry two large people any distance. The cross-shop is the Cessna 150 for less money, the Piper Tomahawk, and a Diamond DA20 for newer everything.
How much does a used Cessna 152 cost?
Asking prices on Barnstormers this morning run from $7,500 to $109,900, and the median is $74,500. The middle half of the 10 priced listings sit between $49,000 and $84,500. These are asking prices, not sale prices.
How many Cessna 152s are for sale right now?
10 on Barnstormers as of Oct 18, 2026. 4 were listed in the last 30 days and 7 came down. PlaneSnipe has tracked 24 since Jul 19, 2026.
How long does a Cessna 152 take to sell?
Not enough 152 listings have both appeared and closed yet to say. The survivor rate appears here once the cohort is large enough.
How often do Cessna 152 sellers cut the price?
4 price cuts in the last 30 days against 10 live listings, averaging 9% off the previous ask. Cuts are logged when the asking price drops between two consecutive mornings.
Last 30 days
Which 152 sellers cut their price in the last 30 days?
| Aircraft | Where | Listed | Asking |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cessna 152Oct 14 | NE | 91 d | $55,000$50,000−9% |
| 1979 Cessna 152 SparrowhawkOct 13 | FL | 34 d | $75,000$69,000−8% |
| Cessna 152Oct 2 | NE | 91 d | $62,500$55,000−12% |
| 1978 Cessna 152 CommuterSep 20 | NV | 31 d | $74,900$69,500−7% |
For sale now
Which 152s are for sale right now?
Newest first. Days listed is counted from the morning we first saw the ad; listings that predate Jul 19, 2026 show the day we started watching.
| Aircraft | Where | Listed | Cuts | Asking |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1979 Cessna 152 Commuter | NV | 0 d | – | $84,500 |
| Cessna 152 II For Sale | PA | 2 d | – | $89,900 |
| 1978 Cessna 152 | WI | 11 d | – | $80,000 |
| 1978 Cessna 152 Project | WI | 29 d | – | $7,500 |
| 1979 Cessna 152 Sparrowhawk | FL | 34 d | 1 | $69,000 |
| Cessna 152 | TX | 46 d | – | $89,900 |
| Low Time, Well Equipped C152 | PA | 50 d | – | $109,900 |
| Cessna 152 | NE | 91 d | 2 | $50,000 |
| 1977 Cessna 152 | TX | 91 d | 1 | $49,000 |
| 1980 Cessna 152 Project | CA | 91 d | – | $25,000 |
Cross-shop
What else does a 152 buyer look at?
Other Cessna types with a page here, then the same class at a similar asking price.
Geography and method
Where are the 152s, and how are they counted?
Where they are
How we count
Barnstormers piston categories are read once a day. A listing is "delisted" after it is missing on two consecutive mornings. Days listed starts the morning we first saw the ad, so listings that predate Jul 19, 2026 are excluded from time-on-market figures. Prices are asking prices as typed by the seller. Nothing here is an appraisal. Full methodology.