Photo: Cristiano Tomás · CC BY-SA 4.0168 homes sold in Rio del Mar in the last year, at a typical $1.5M
About one sale in 6 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 Rio del Mar homes are listed.
Every place Rio del Mar 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 Rio del Mar.
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.
10% of Rio del Mar’s sales are condos, at $719K less than a house
135 houses and 16 condos sold in the year to May 2026. Houses sell faster and draw more bidding wars.
typical sale · 135 sold in 12 months
- Per square foot
- $857CA $494
- Days to sell
- 44
- Sold over asking
- 26%
- Listings with a price cut
- 35%
typical sale · 16 sold in 12 months
- Per square foot
- $771CA $561
- Days to sell
- 87
- Sold over asking
- 19%
- Listings with a price cut
- 17%
Multi-family (2–4 units): 5 sold, typical $1.8M
Townhouses: 12 sold, typical $1.2M
Too few sales in 12 months for reliable figures.
About as many homes sell as usual, at 1.7 times the 2016 price
168 sales in the last year, against 266 in 2015 and a low of 124 in 2023. The typical sale went from $880K in 2016 to $1.5M.
Source: Redfin Data Center, MLS sales. Typical price and $/sq ft are the monthly medians, weighted by sales.
What $1.6M buys in Rio del Mar
Check a listing against what Rio del Mar 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 Rio del Mar are back to pre-pandemic levels, but a quarter fewer homes come up for sale
We read every month of Rio del Mar’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, 168 sales.
If you’re buying in Rio del Mar
- Shop in August. It brings about 21 new listings a month, close to the busiest month, with fewer bidding wars (30% over asking).
- You can negotiate. 29% of listings have cut their price, against 23% before the pandemic.
- Offer under asking. Buyers paid 97.5% of the list price on average; 24% paid over.
- You’ll usually have time. Only 28% of homes go under contract within two weeks; the typical one takes 47 days.
Spring brings both the most homes and the most bidding wars
May has the most new listings (about 25 a month), and the most competition: 42% close over asking. July and August offer nearly as much choice with fewer homes bid up (33%). January has the least competition (21%) but only about 12 new listings.
Averages for each calendar month, 2015 on.
Calmer than the 2021 frenzy, and calmer than California
| Rio del Mar now | 2017–19 | 2021 peak | CA now | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sold over askingShare of sales that closed above the list price | 24% | 23% | 59% | 36% |
| Gone within two weeksShare of homes under contract within 14 days | 28% | 27% | 59% | 31% |
| Listings with a price cutShare of homes for sale that cut their price | 29% | 23% | 13% | 24% |
| Price paid vs. askingAverage sale price ÷ list price | 97.5% | 98.2% | 104.4% | 99.7% |
| Days to sellMedian days from listing to contract | 47 | 59 | 30 | 44 |
43 homes for sale on a typical day
That’s 2.2 times the 2021 low (19), 28% fewer than in 2017–19 and well under 2013’s 72.
1 in 4 listings has cut its price
29% in the last year, against 23% in 2017–19 and 24% across California. More sellers are pricing high and coming down.
Since 2019, houses are up 55%, condos 29%
A house typically sold for $1.7M in the last year (135 sales), a condo for $955K (16).
Median sale price, weighted by sales each month. Years with fewer than 4 sales of a type are left out.
Rio del Mar ranks 442nd of 555 busy California markets for bidding wars
Share of sales over asking in the last year, among towns with 60 or more sales. Rio del Mar is one of the state’s calmer markets.
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 Rio del Mar home costs about $8,789 a month
Price: Rio del Mar’s typical sale, last 12 months. Property tax at Rio del Mar’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 Rio del Mar 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 6.
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 $9,610 a year.
Taxes vs. neighborsSchools
The schools grade for Rio del Mar, from test results, graduation and how much students grow.
Schools in Rio del MarTypical commute
The average one-way trip to work for people who live in Rio del Mar.
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.
Aptos and Soquel sell for less a square foot; Pleasure Point for far more
The busier markets within 25 miles of Rio del Mar, 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 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rio del Mar | 168 | $1.5M | $839 | 24% | 47 |
| Capitola | 98 | $1.3M | $978 | 20% | 35 |
| Soquel | 68 | $1.3M | $722 | 26% | 100 |
| Aptos | 61 | $1.2M | $712 | 26% | 68 |
| Pleasure Point | 45 | $2.7M | $1,495 | 18% | 54 |
| Seacliff | 40 | $1.3M | $961 | 35% | 297 |
| La Selva Beach | 30 | $1.9M | $1,036 | 23% | 68 |
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 Rio del Mar, free
Selling it yourself, renting out an apartment or looking for a roommate? Post it to Rio del Mar. People who follow the town see it, and so do people comparing Rio del Mar with their own town. No commission, no listing fee.
Questions about buying a home in Rio del Mar
What do homes sell for in Rio del Mar, CA?
168 homes sold in the year to May 2026 at a typical $1.5M, $839 a square foot. Houses sold for about $1.7M, condos for about $955K.
Is Rio del Mar a buyer’s or seller’s market?
A seller’s market: 49 homes were for sale in May 2026 and 17 sold, about 2.9 months of supply. Buyers paid 97.5% of asking on average, and 29% of listings cut their price.
When is the best time to buy in Rio del Mar?
May brings the most new listings. The sales history shows which months have fewer bidding wars.
How much are property taxes in Rio del Mar?
About 0.6% of a home’s value a year. On a $1.5M home that’s near $9,610.
Where can I see homes for sale in Rio del Mar?
Zillow, Redfin, Realtor.com and Homes.com all carry Rio del Mar’s MLS listings; the search links above open each one filtered to Rio del Mar.
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).