Markets  ›  CA  ›  Modesto

Modesto, CA housing market

Modesto, CA metro median sale price $482K in Jul–Sep 2026, up 1.3% year over year. Also days on market, price cuts, affordability and ZIP-code figures.

The median sale price in the Modesto, CA metro is $482K over Jul–Sep 2026, up 1.3% from the same 3 months a year earlier. That change sits near the middle of the 383 U.S. metros Pecan Street ranks on this measure. FHFA's repeat-sales index for the metro agrees within 1.5 points (up 2.8% through Q2 2026).

On median sale price, Modesto ($482K) ranks 16th of the 25 California metros Pecan Street tracks, between Stockton ($541K) and Yuba City ($448K). On median days on market, Modesto (50 days) ranks 21st of the 25 California metros, between Sacramento (52 days) and Vallejo (50 days). On share of listings with a price cut, Modesto (40%) ranks 3rd of the 25 California metros, between Hanford (41%) and Sacramento (38%).

Listings spent a median 50 days on market in Oct 2026, fewer than in most of the 385 metros. 40% of active listings carry a price cut; the 3-month average vs a year earlier is 0.6 points higher. That share is higher than in most of the 385 metros. Median asking prices sit about 4% above the median sale price. Building permits authorized 106 new housing units in Sep 2026.

At the 7.09% 30-year fixed rate with 20% down, principal and interest on a median-priced home come to $2,589 a month; at 28% of gross income, that takes about $111K a year. The median sale price equals about 17 years of HUD Fair Market Rent, a ratio up 2.6% from a year earlier. That ratio is higher than in most of the 373 metros. Active listings ask a median $300 per square foot; the 3-month average vs a year earlier is up 1.9%.

Median list prices are higher than a year earlier in six of the 12 ZIP codes in the table below and lower in six.

Headline

Median sale price

Jul–Sep 2026

$482K

+1.3% year-over-year

How it’s calculated

Average of the last three monthly median sale prices vs. the same three months a year earlier.

Mortgage rate

Nov 5, 2026

7.09%

30-year fixed

Where it comes from

National benchmark: Optimal Blue OBMMI 30-year conforming, via FRED. An average of rates borrowers have actually locked, updated daily.

The same rate appears on every market page.

Monthly payment

Principal & interest

$2,589/mo

$111K/yr income needed

How it’s calculated

Payment — this market’s median sale price with 20% down, on a 30-year fixed loan at the rate shown. Principal and interest only — no property tax, insurance, PMI or HOA.

Income needed — that payment at 28% of gross income. A rule of thumb, not a lending decision.

How Modesto compares to other U.S. metros

Days on market↓303rd of 385
Price cuts↑106th of 385 (top 28%)
Price-to-rent↑120th of 373 (top 33%)
Asking-vs-sale gap↓182nd of 300
Home-price growth225th of 383

Rank across the U.S. metros Pecan Street tracks, on market data alone — a higher rank means more of that measure (more price cuts, faster price growth, a wider asking-vs-sale gap, a higher price-to-rent ratio, or more days on market). The bar shows where this metro sits within that metric’s own cohort (left is more, right is less); ↑ and ↓ mark the positions furthest from the middle, and rows are ordered the same way. Metrics without data for this metro are omitted.

Affordability

Price-to-rent ratio≈ 17 +2.6% YoY
↑120th of 373 (top 33%)
Asking price / sq ft$300 +1.9% 3-month average vs a year earlier

Price-to-rent divides the median sale price by the annual HUD Fair Market Rent (a 3-bedroom, 40th-percentile benchmark), so it is a directional rent-vs-buy read, not a cap rate; its year-over-year change is directional in the same way. Asking price per square foot is the median across active for-sale listings (Realtor.com), as of Oct 2026. The bar under a figure places this metro among the U.S. metros we track on that measure, highest first.

Market pressure

Listings with a price cut≈ 40% +0.6 pts 3-month average vs a year earlier
↑106th of 385 (top 28%)
New housing units permitted106

The median asking price $500K runs about 4% above the median sale price $482K.

Price-cut share is the portion of active for-sale listings that have taken a price reduction (Realtor.com), as of Oct 2026. New housing units authorized by residential building permits in the metro that month — new supply in the pipeline, which counts of existing listings don't capture (US Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey), as of Sep 2026. Asking is the median list price of active listings (Realtor.com, Oct 2026); sale is the headline median of recent closings (Redfin, Jul–Sep 2026) — distinct sources and windows, so the gap is a directional read, not a like-for-like difference. The bar under a figure places this metro among the U.S. metros we track on that measure, highest first.

Market facts

ZIPs with listing data12 shown of 25
MLS board of record—
Price methodologyRedfin vs FHFA HPI
Sale-price windowJul–Sep 2026

Recent signals

No signals flagged for this market right now.

Recent notable readings

Readings from the latest data that sit at one end of the U.S. metros Pecan Street tracks, from the nightly cross-metro comparison. They are not signal alerts.

Housing Economy

Modesto · ConstructionCOPIED

Modesto builders pulled 57.9% more single-family permits than a year earlier

Single-family building permits in the Modesto metro area, by month, one line per year, units

AprJulOct357010514017520252026
AprJulOct357010514017520252026
2024
Chart data
Month202420252026
Dec5554—
Nov6945—
Oct71112—
Sep454874
Aug694771
Jul667287
Jun617796
May9943154
Apr764397
Mar11384162
Feb723879
Jan7377112

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey · data through September 2026

Builders in the Modesto metro area pulled 1,143 single-family permits in the twelve months through September 2026, 57.9% more than in the twelve months before. So far in 2026, permits are running 76.2% above the same months of 2025.

Why it matters. Permits come before starts, and starts come before new homes for sale, so this is the earliest read on how much new building is planned in the Modesto area. When the permit pipeline shrinks, buyers see fewer new-build options later; when it grows, sellers of existing homes face more competition from builders.

Modesto · Home pricesCOPIED

Modesto home prices are 2.8% higher than a year ago

Home prices in the Modesto metro area, change from a year earlier, FHFA all-transactions index, quarterly, percent; shaded bars mark recessions

19801990200020102020-50%-25%0%25%50%Modesto
1990200020102020-50%-25%0%25%50%Modesto
No changeRecession
Chart data
DateModesto
Jun 20262.8%
Mar 20261.1%
Dec 20251.3%
Sep 2025-0.4%
Jun 20251.6%
Mar 20253.5%
Dec 20243.7%
Sep 20246.1%
Jun 20244%
Mar 20244.3%
Dec 20233.7%
Sep 20230.6%
Jun 2023-2.4%
Mar 20231.1%
Dec 20222.8%
Sep 20229.1%
Jun 202218.7%
Mar 202220.3%
Dec 202121.4%
Sep 202121.5%
Jun 202116.3%
Mar 202110.5%
Dec 20208.4%
Sep 20205.7%
Jun 20204.8%
Mar 20204.7%
Dec 20193.8%
Sep 20193.7%
Jun 20194.3%
Mar 20195.6%
Dec 20187.1%
Sep 20188.8%
Jun 20189.4%
Mar 20188.8%
Dec 20178.6%
Sep 20177.9%
Jun 20177.9%
Mar 20178.8%
Dec 20168.3%
Sep 20168.8%
Jun 20169.1%
Mar 20168.6%
Dec 20157.9%
Sep 20157.6%
Jun 20158%
Mar 201510%
Dec 201413%
Sep 201418.2%
Jun 201424.7%
Mar 201428.7%
Dec 201328.7%
Sep 201323.9%
Jun 201317.6%
Mar 201310.3%
Dec 20126.3%
Sep 20123.4%
Jun 2012-0.8%
Mar 2012-3.3%
Dec 2011-8.5%
Sep 2011-9.2%
Jun 2011-7.9%
Mar 2011-6.7%
Dec 2010-4.5%
Sep 2010-2.8%
Jun 2010-7.7%
Mar 2010-12.1%
Dec 2009-9.1%
Sep 2009-15.7%
Jun 2009-23.6%
Mar 2009-30.5%
Dec 2008-36.9%
Sep 2008-37.9%
Jun 2008-32.2%
Mar 2008-24.8%
Dec 2007-19.6%
Sep 2007-12.5%
Jun 2007-9.1%
Mar 2007-5.7%
Dec 2006-0.5%
Sep 20064.1%
Jun 200612.4%
Mar 200622.4%
Dec 200526.7%
Sep 200527.8%
Jun 200530.4%
Mar 200527.1%
Dec 200423.6%
Sep 200423.6%
Jun 200418.6%
Mar 200414.8%
Dec 200314.7%
Sep 200312%
Jun 200312.3%
Mar 200313.8%
Dec 200212.8%
Sep 200211.4%
Jun 200211.1%
Mar 200213.7%
Dec 200117.9%
Sep 200121.3%
Jun 200121.7%
Mar 200117.2%
Dec 200014.1%
Sep 200011.7%
Jun 20007%
Mar 20006.3%
Dec 19993.9%
Sep 19993.5%
Jun 19995%
Mar 19993%
Dec 19985.8%
Sep 19983.9%
Jun 19984.7%
Mar 19985%
Dec 19971.3%
Sep 19972.6%
Jun 1997-0.5%
Mar 1997-1.7%
Dec 1996-1.4%
Sep 1996-3.1%
Jun 1996-0.5%
Mar 19961.9%
Dec 19951.8%
Sep 19950.6%
Jun 1995-3.7%
Mar 1995-6.6%
Dec 1994-7.3%
Sep 1994-5.7%
Jun 1994-3.5%
Mar 1994-1.8%
Dec 1993-1.8%
Sep 1993-2.8%
Jun 1993-1.6%
Mar 1993-1.9%
Dec 1992-1.3%
Sep 1992-0.3%
Jun 1992-1.4%
Mar 1992-1.3%
Dec 1991-1.7%
Sep 1991-2.4%
Jun 1991-1%
Mar 19913%
Dec 19908.2%
Sep 199016.1%
Jun 199023.8%
Mar 199024.7%
Dec 198923.9%
Sep 198918.6%
Jun 198913.6%
Mar 198911.2%
Dec 198810.9%
Sep 198811.4%
Jun 198810%
Mar 19888.4%
Dec 19878.8%
Sep 19878.3%
Jun 19877.6%
Mar 19878.8%
Dec 19868.2%
Sep 19867.6%
Jun 19864.7%
Mar 19864%
Dec 19855.3%
Sep 19852.2%
Jun 19855%
Mar 19852%
Dec 19842.3%
Sep 19841.3%
Jun 1984-1.5%
Mar 1984-4.1%
Dec 1983-8.8%
Sep 198347.2%
Jun 19832.5%
Mar 19832.1%
Dec 19822.9%
Sep 1982-36.2%
Jun 1982-1.7%
Mar 19826.9%
Dec 19813.3%
Sep 198112.9%
Jun 19818.7%
Mar 19817.9%
Dec 198015.5%
Sep 198013.9%
Jun 198015.4%
Mar 198018.6%
Dec 197918.4%
Sep 19798.2%
Jun 197915.4%
Mar 1979-3.1%
Dec 197810.3%
Sep 197823.5%
Jun 197819.9%

Source: FHFA house price index; recession dates from NBER · data through Q2 2026

FHFA's all-transactions index for the Modesto metro area in the second quarter of 2026 was 2.8% above its level a year earlier. Since 1978, prices have risen an average of 5.6% a year. Nationally, prices were 3.0% higher than a year earlier.

Why it matters. Long-run context shows how the latest change in Modesto home prices compares with the market's own history, including the recessions shaded on the chart. When appreciation slows, sellers have less room for a list price to run ahead of recent sales, and buyers feel less pressure to stretch to keep up; when it speeds up, the reverse holds: list prices can run ahead of recent sales and buyers compete harder.

Price reconciliation

normal · 1.5pp

Redfin (metro)

+1.3%

FHFA HPI · Q2 2026

+2.8%

Year-over-year home-price change from two independent methods — Redfin (sale prices over the last 3 months) and FHFA (quarterly repeat-sales index). When they diverge, the market is mid-shift; cite the figure with that in mind.

More markets in CA

BakersfieldChicoEl CentroFresnoHanfordLos AngelesMercedNapaOxnard / Thousand OaksReddingRiverside / San BernardinoSacramento

Get the daily version of this page

This page is the public read. Signed in, you get signals re-checked every 2 hours and a branded share-queue, with a per-agent newsletter in early access. Free trial.

Try it free

ZIP-level data

ZIPMedian list priceActive listingsNew listingsPrice reductionsDays on marketHome value
95307$480K↑40↑16↑12↑40↓$448K↑
95350$440K↑85↓44↑32↓35↓$422K↑
95354$440K↓41↑16↓20↑47↑$393K↑
95355$517K↑86↑32↑4053↓$486K↑
95356$562K↓62↓24↓28↓48↓$517K↑
95357$465K↓39↑12↑12↑37↓$501K↑
95358$479K↑33↑8↑12↓50↓$427K↑
95361$573K↓97↓24↓44↑60↓$553K↑
95363$520K↓80↓24↓24↓69↓$504K↓
95367$500K↓55↓16↓24↑44↓$481K↑
95380$460K↑52↓16↓16↓47↓$442K↑
95382$605K↑51↓20↓20↓54↓$511K↑

ZIP figures from Realtor.com listing data; home value from Zillow ZHVI. ZIP codes shown have the most complete listing-data history and active for-sale inventory in this metro; the latest available month is shown per ZIP. Arrows show the direction of each figure against the same three months a year earlier; no arrow means the change rounds to zero or the comparison isn't available.