Photo: pelle68 · CC BY-SA 3.0606 homes sold in Costa Mesa in the last year, at a typical $1.5M
About one sale in 4 is a condo. Below: what each kind of home sells for, what your budget buys, the best months to buy, how hard you’ll have to bid, and a shortcut to every site where Costa Mesa homes are listed.
Every place Costa Mesa homes are listed, in one stop
We don’t copy listings: the agents’ sites have the photos and the latest price changes. Set what you want once and we open each site already filtered to Costa Mesa.
For sale
Rent
New, land & open houses
Links open the listing sites; TownRatings isn’t paid for them and doesn’t rank one above another. Rentals and government-owned homes come from sources outside the MLS.
15% of Costa Mesa’s sales are condos, at $704K less than a house
431 houses and 91 condos sold in the year to May 2026. Houses sell faster and draw more bidding wars.
typical sale · 431 sold in 12 months
- Per square foot
- $941CA $494
- Days to sell
- 38
- Sold over asking
- 39%
- Listings with a price cut
- 25%
typical sale · 91 sold in 12 months
- Per square foot
- $710CA $561
- Days to sell
- 57
- Sold over asking
- 25%
- Listings with a price cut
- 23%
Multi-family (2–4 units): 38 sold, typical $1.8M
Townhouses: 46 sold, typical $953K
Too few sales in 12 months for reliable figures.
Fewer homes sell than before 2022, at twice the 2016 price
606 sales in the last year, against 1,032 in 2021 and a low of 560 in 2023. The typical sale went from $722K in 2016 to $1.5M.
Source: Redfin Data Center, MLS sales. Typical price and $/sq ft are the monthly medians, weighted by sales.
What $1.5M buys in Costa Mesa
Check a listing against what Costa Mesa homes sold for
Against the town’s median price per square foot over the last 12 months. A rough check: condition, lot and location within town move a price more than this can see.
Bidding wars in Costa Mesa are more common than before the pandemic, but half fewer homes come up for sale
We read every month of Costa Mesa’s home sales since 2012 so you don’t have to. Each figure covers 12 months, because a single month in a town is too few sales to mean much. Latest: the year to May 2026, 606 sales.
If you’re buying in Costa Mesa
- Shop in August. It brings about 88 new listings a month, close to the busiest month, with fewer bidding wars (31% over asking).
- Some room to negotiate. 24% of listings cut their price, about as many as before the pandemic.
- Bid near asking. Buyers paid 99.8% of the list price on average; 36% paid over.
- You’ll usually have time. Only 40% of homes go under contract within two weeks; the typical one takes 43 days.
Spring brings both the most homes and the most bidding wars
May has the most new listings (about 97 a month), and the most competition: 41% close over asking. July and August offer nearly as much choice with fewer homes bid up (36%). January has the least competition (26%).
Averages for each calendar month, 2015 on.
Calmer than the 2021 frenzy, and about like California as a whole
| Costa Mesa now | 2017–19 | 2021 peak | CA now | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sold over askingShare of sales that closed above the list price | 36% | 24% | 53% | 36% |
| Gone within two weeksShare of homes under contract within 14 days | 40% | 34% | 60% | 31% |
| Listings with a price cutShare of homes for sale that cut their price | 24% | 24% | 14% | 24% |
| Price paid vs. askingAverage sale price ÷ list price | 99.8% | 98.6% | 101.9% | 99.7% |
| Days to sellMedian days from listing to contract | 43 | 52 | 33 | 44 |
118 homes for sale on a typical day
That’s 1.3 times the 2013 low (94), 47% fewer than in 2017–19 and well under 2019’s 237.
1 in 4 listings has cut its price
24% in the last year, against 24% in 2017–19 and 24% across California.
Since 2019, houses are up 83%, condos 43%
A house typically sold for $1.6M in the last year (431 sales), a condo for $914K (91).
Median sale price, weighted by sales each month. Years with fewer than 4 sales of a type are left out.
Costa Mesa ranks 276th of 555 busy California markets for bidding wars
Share of sales over asking in the last year, among towns with 60 or more sales. Costa Mesa is in the middle of the pack.
Source: Redfin Data Center, city market tracker, January 2012 to May 2026 (MLS sales, not seasonally adjusted). Ratios are weighted by homes sold; price cuts by homes for sale.
Owning the typical Costa Mesa home costs about $8,587 a month
Price: Costa Mesa’s typical sale, last 12 months. Property tax at Costa Mesa’s 0.6% (median bill ÷ median value, Census ACS); insurance at 0.35% of price a year. Before PMI, HOA dues, upkeep and the tax deduction. Whether Costa Mesa is affordable on local pay is on Cost of living.
Six things worth knowing
New listings in May
The month with the most choice. December has the fewest, about 37.
Best time to buyProperty tax, a year
Of a home’s value: the median bill over the median home value. On a $1.5M home, about $9,190 a year.
Taxes vs. neighborsSchools
The schools grade for Costa Mesa, from test results, graduation and how much students grow.
Schools in Costa MesaTypical commute
The average one-way trip to work for people who live in Costa Mesa.
Work & commuteCheck the flood map
Flood insurance isn’t in a standard policy, and lenders require it in FEMA flood zones. Check the address before you make an offer.
Natural hazardsLook up any property
Assessed value, lot size and every past sale of a home you’re eyeing are public, at the town or county assessor and the registry of deeds.
Fountain Valley, Santa Ana, Huntington Beach, Midway City and Tustin sell for less a square foot; Newport Beach for far more
The busier markets within 25 miles of Costa Mesa, by what sold. Prices, taxes and how far a paycheck goes next door are on Cost of living.
| Sold | Typical sale | $/sq ft | Over asking | Days to sell | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Huntington Beach | 1,532 | $1.3M | $776 | 31% | 44 |
| Newport Beach | 1,059 | $3.7M | $1,538 | 14% | 64 |
| Santa Ana | 882 | $828K | $594 | 38% | 52 |
| Costa Mesa | 606 | $1.5M | $844 | 36% | 43 |
| Tustin | 401 | $1.2M | $688 | 31% | 41 |
| Fountain Valley | 322 | $1.4M | $703 | 52% | 33 |
| Midway City | 22 | $1.1M | $738 | 45% | 47 |
Redfin Data Center, June 2025 to May 2026. Towns with fewer than 20 sales are left out, and Redfin doesn’t report every town separately.
Post your home to Costa Mesa, free
Selling it yourself, renting out an apartment or looking for a roommate? Post it to Costa Mesa. People who follow the town see it, and so do people comparing Costa Mesa with their own town. No commission, no listing fee.
Questions about buying a home in Costa Mesa
What do homes sell for in Costa Mesa, CA?
606 homes sold in the year to May 2026 at a typical $1.5M, $844 a square foot. Houses sold for about $1.6M, condos for about $914K.
Is Costa Mesa a buyer’s or seller’s market?
A seller’s market: 144 homes were for sale in May 2026 and 46 sold, about 3.1 months of supply. Buyers paid 99.8% of asking on average, and 24% of listings cut their price.
When is the best time to buy in Costa Mesa?
May brings the most new listings. The sales history shows which months have fewer bidding wars.
How much are property taxes in Costa Mesa?
About 0.6% of a home’s value a year. On a $1.5M home that’s near $9,190.
Where can I see homes for sale in Costa Mesa?
Zillow, Redfin, Realtor.com and Homes.com all carry Costa Mesa’s MLS listings; the search links above open each one filtered to Costa Mesa.
Sales, prices, days on market and listings: Redfin Data Center (MLS, monthly, not seasonally adjusted). Property tax rate: Census American Community Survey. Two-bedroom rent: HUD Fair Market Rent. Typical home value: Zillow Home Value Index. Schools grade: TownRatings (how grades work).