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San Diego, CA housing market

San Diego, CA metro median sale price $938K in Jul–Sep 2026, up 3.2% year over year. Also days on market, price cuts, affordability and ZIP-code figures.

The median sale price in the San Diego, CA metro is $938K over Jul–Sep 2026, up 3.2% 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 0.7 points (up 2.5% through Q2 2026).

On median sale price, San Diego ($938K) ranks 6th of the 25 California metros Pecan Street tracks, between Los Angeles ($1.01M) and Salinas ($906K). On median days on market, San Diego (46 days) ranks 23rd of the 25 California metros, between Modesto (46 days) and San Francisco (37 days). On share of listings with a price cut, San Diego (36%) ranks 11th of the 25 California metros, between Modesto (37%) and Visalia (36%).

Listings spent a median 46 days on market in Sep 2026, fewer than in most of the 385 metros. 36% of active listings carry a price cut; the 3-month average vs a year earlier is 1.7 points lower. Median asking prices sit about 5% below the median sale price. Building permits authorized 1,200 new housing units in Sep 2026.

At the 7.12% 30-year fixed rate with 20% down, principal and interest on a median-priced home come to $5,049 a month; at 28% of gross income, that takes about $216K a year. The median sale price equals about 21 years of HUD Fair Market Rent, a ratio up 10.2% from a year earlier. That ratio is the 22nd-highest of the 373 metros. Active listings ask a median $587 per square foot; the 3-month average vs a year earlier is down 3.1%.

In eight of the 12 ZIP codes in the table below, median list prices are lower than a year earlier; four are higher.

Headline

Median sale price

Jul–Sep 2026

$938K

+3.2% 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 4, 2026

7.12%

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

$5,049/mo

$216K/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 San Diego compares to other U.S. metros

Price-to-rent↑22nd of 373 (top 6%)
Asking-vs-sale gap↓268th of 291
Days on market↓306th of 385
Home-price growth161st of 383 (top 43%)
Price cuts203rd of 385

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≈ 21 +10.2% YoY
↑22nd of 373 (top 6%)
Asking price / sq ft$587 -3.1% 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 Sep 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≈ 36% -1.7 pts 3-month average vs a year earlier
203rd of 385
New housing units permitted1,200

The median asking price $888K runs about 5% below the median sale price $938K.

Price-cut share is the portion of active for-sale listings that have taken a price reduction (Realtor.com), as of Sep 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, Sep 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 101
MLS board of recordSan Diego MLS (SDMLS)
Price methodologyRedfin vs FHFA HPI
Sale-price windowJul–Sep 2026

Recent signals

Strength 4 / 5

$979K

San Diego median sale price fell back under $1M — now $979K

Dropping back below $1M re-opens a buyer pool that had been priced out — and puts sellers on notice that the last few months' comps are no longer defensible.

Source: Redfin, city figures, Jul–Sep 2026

Housing Economy

San Diego · ConstructionCOPIED

San Diego builders pulled 5.3% fewer single-family permits than a year earlier

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

AprJulOct16522027533038520252026
AprJulOct16522027533038520252026
2024
Chart data
Month202420252026
Dec229303—
Nov320208—
Oct288332—
Sep345325329
Aug256247224
Jul225281279
Jun283252330
May327363184
Apr311327271
Mar266269321
Feb257260260
Jan322248186

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

Builders in the San Diego metro area pulled 3,227 single-family permits in the twelve months through September 2026, 5.3% fewer than in the twelve months before. So far in 2026, permits are running 7.3% below 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 San Diego 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.

San Diego · Home pricesCOPIED

San Diego home prices are 2.5% higher than a year ago

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

19801990200020102020-20%0%20%40%60%San Diego
19801990200020102020-20%0%20%40%60%San Diego
No changeRecession
Chart data
DateSan Diego
Jun 20262.5%
Mar 20262.6%
Dec 20251.8%
Sep 20251.6%
Jun 20251.4%
Mar 20253%
Dec 20245.6%
Sep 20245.6%
Jun 20247.9%
Mar 20248.9%
Dec 20237.5%
Sep 20234.2%
Jun 20230.7%
Mar 20234.9%
Dec 20228.9%
Sep 202216.4%
Jun 202224.7%
Mar 202222.5%
Dec 202120.6%
Sep 202118.4%
Jun 202113.7%
Mar 20218.5%
Dec 20206.3%
Sep 20204.8%
Jun 20204.5%
Mar 20204.1%
Dec 20193.2%
Sep 20192.6%
Jun 20192.3%
Mar 20192.9%
Dec 20184.4%
Sep 20185.4%
Jun 20186.7%
Mar 20187.4%
Dec 20177.2%
Sep 20177.3%
Jun 20177.3%
Mar 20176.5%
Dec 20166.5%
Sep 20166.4%
Jun 20166.7%
Mar 20166.8%
Dec 20156.3%
Sep 20156%
Jun 20154.8%
Mar 20155.1%
Dec 20145.8%
Sep 20147.6%
Jun 201411.9%
Mar 201415%
Dec 201315.7%
Sep 201314.9%
Jun 201311.5%
Mar 20136.3%
Dec 20123.4%
Sep 20121.2%
Jun 20120.1%
Mar 2012-2%
Dec 2011-4.3%
Sep 2011-4.7%
Jun 2011-4.7%
Mar 2011-2.7%
Dec 20100%
Sep 20102.1%
Jun 2010-0.7%
Mar 2010-4%
Dec 2009-3.9%
Sep 2009-7.8%
Jun 2009-12.3%
Mar 2009-15.6%
Dec 2008-19.5%
Sep 2008-20%
Jun 2008-17.2%
Mar 2008-12.6%
Dec 2007-9.8%
Sep 2007-7.8%
Jun 2007-5%
Mar 2007-3.5%
Dec 2006-1.5%
Sep 20061.8%
Jun 20064.5%
Mar 20067.9%
Dec 200510.9%
Sep 200511.8%
Jun 200521.7%
Mar 200526.1%
Dec 200427.2%
Sep 200432%
Jun 200422.8%
Mar 200418%
Dec 200316.9%
Sep 200312.9%
Jun 200314%
Mar 200316.7%
Dec 200217.3%
Sep 200216%
Jun 200214.1%
Mar 200212%
Dec 200111.7%
Sep 200112.6%
Jun 200113.1%
Mar 200113.4%
Dec 200015.4%
Sep 200015%
Jun 200015%
Mar 200013.9%
Dec 199910.4%
Sep 19999.7%
Jun 19999.7%
Mar 199910.6%
Dec 199811.3%
Sep 199810.6%
Jun 19989.2%
Mar 19987.1%
Dec 19974.7%
Sep 19974.1%
Jun 19972%
Mar 1997-0.5%
Dec 1996-0.7%
Sep 1996-1.6%
Jun 1996-0.6%
Mar 19961.8%
Dec 19951.3%
Sep 19950.4%
Jun 1995-1.5%
Mar 1995-4.1%
Dec 1994-4.7%
Sep 1994-4%
Jun 1994-3.9%
Mar 1994-2.8%
Dec 1993-3.1%
Sep 1993-3.7%
Jun 1993-3.1%
Mar 1993-3.1%
Dec 1992-2.2%
Sep 1992-0.8%
Jun 1992-0.7%
Mar 1992-0.5%
Dec 1991-0.2%
Sep 1991-1.6%
Jun 1991-0.5%
Mar 19910.3%
Dec 19901.5%
Sep 19905.3%
Jun 19909.4%
Mar 199014.6%
Dec 198919.3%
Sep 198923.2%
Jun 198922.5%
Mar 198920.4%
Dec 198817.6%
Sep 198813.3%
Jun 198811.2%
Mar 198810.3%
Dec 19879.6%
Sep 19879%
Jun 19879.1%
Mar 19878.1%
Dec 19867.8%
Sep 19866.2%
Jun 19865.8%
Mar 19866.2%
Dec 19854.3%
Sep 19855.7%
Jun 19854.7%
Mar 19853.7%
Dec 19844.2%
Sep 19843.8%
Jun 19847.4%
Mar 19846.1%
Dec 19832.4%
Sep 198313.8%
Jun 19839.8%
Mar 19830%
Dec 19825.8%
Sep 1982-12.6%
Jun 1982-11.4%
Mar 19821.3%
Dec 19818.4%
Sep 19816.4%
Jun 19815.8%
Mar 19813.7%
Dec 1980-4.5%
Sep 19807.7%
Jun 198010.4%
Mar 198014.7%
Dec 197920.1%
Sep 197921.5%
Jun 197921.2%
Mar 197920.1%
Dec 197818%
Sep 197822.3%
Jun 197826.3%
Mar 197831.5%
Dec 197730.1%
Sep 197726.5%
Jun 197720.5%
Mar 19778.1%
Dec 197616.8%

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

FHFA's all-transactions index for the San Diego metro area in the second quarter of 2026 was 2.5% above its level a year earlier. Since 1976, prices have risen an average of 6.7% a year. Nationally, prices were 3.0% higher than a year earlier.

Why it matters. Long-run context shows how the latest change in San Diego 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 · 0.7pp

Redfin (metro)

+3.2%

FHFA HPI · Q2 2026

+2.5%

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.

Market dispatches

Citable market dispatches for San Diego → Latest dispatch: Oct 16, 2026.

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ZIP-level data

ZIPMedian list priceActive listingsNew listingsPrice reductionsDays on marketHome value
92024$2.40M↓109↓36↓40↓47↓$1.88M↑
92028$995K↓171↓48↓56↓64↑$880K↑
92037$3.00M↓180↓36↑40↓54↓$2.36M↑
92057$659K↓142↑56↑56↓42↓$808K↑
92065$899K↑131↑2852↑51↓$810K↑
92101$700K↓333↑64↑92↑58↑$706K↓
92103$1000K↓102↑2832↑53↓$1.06M↑
92108$515K↓117↑24↑44↑64↑$579K↓
92109$1.65M↑110↑36↑36↓40↓$1.48M↑
92115$800K↑105↑44↓52↑43↓$847K↑
92118$3.15M↑108↑242060↓$2.59M↑
92128$775K↓148↑60↓48↓46↑$989K↓

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.