The Midwest has seen weaker home sales than the rest of the nation, according to a report released by the National Association of Realtors.

Sales of existing homes fell nearly 18 percent in August from a year ago, higher than the 15 percent drop seen nationally. The median sale price of homes in the region fell 5.6 percent to $168,000.

Des Moines, along with Wichita, Kan,, stood out as one of the few Midwestern cities which didn’t see a huge decline in home prices. According to the Des Moines Area Association of Realtors, the average home price in Greater Des Moines fell about 1 percent, staying around $180,000, while the number of closed contracts dropped to 802, compared with 1,053 in August 2007.

The biggest declines were in Detroit, Cleveland and Minneapolis.