Photo: Dirk Hansen · CC BY-SA 3.09,780 homes sold in San Diego in the last year, at a typical $959K
Houses and condos split the market almost evenly. 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 San Diego homes are listed.
Every place San Diego 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 San Diego.
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.
A third of San Diego’s sales are condos, at $598K less than a house
5121 houses and 3258 condos sold in the year to May 2026. Houses sell faster and draw more bidding wars.
typical sale · 5121 sold in the year to May 2026
- Per square foot
- $737CA $494
- Days to sell
- 26
- Sold over asking
- 35%
- Listings with a price cut
- 29%
typical sale · 3258 sold in the year to May 2026
- Per square foot
- $634CA $561
- Days to sell
- 46
- Sold over asking
- 26%
- Listings with a price cut
- 29%
Multi-family (2–4 units): 366 sold, typical $1.3M
Townhouses: 857 sold, typical $844K
Too few sales in 12 months for reliable figures.
Fewer homes sell than before 2022, at 1.8 times the 2016 price
9,780 sales in the last year, against 16,645 in 2021 and a low of 9,013 in 2023. The typical sale went from $522K in 2016 to $959K.
Source: Redfin Data Center, MLS sales; from June 2026 each month is a 3-month rolling window, its counts divided by 3. Typical price and $/sq ft are the monthly medians, weighted by sales. Redfin stopped publishing towns’ figures by property type after May 2026, so houses and condos are shown for the year to then.
What $950K buys in San Diego
Check a listing against what San Diego 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 San Diego are back to pre-pandemic levels, with about as many homes for sale
We read every month of San Diego’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 September 2026, 9,780 sales.
If you’re buying in San Diego
- Shop in August. It brings about 1410 new listings a month, close to the busiest month, with fewer bidding wars (34% over asking).
- Bid near asking. Buyers paid 99% of the list price on average; 32% paid over.
- You’ll usually have time. Only 35% of homes go under contract within two weeks; the typical one takes 30 days.
Spring brings both the most homes and the most bidding wars
May has the most new listings (about 1563 a month), but April is the most competitive: 40% of April sales close over asking. July and August offer nearly as much choice with fewer homes bid up (37%). January has the least competition (30%).
Averages for each calendar month, 2015 on.
Calmer than the 2021 frenzy, and about like California as a whole
| San Diego now | 2017–19 | 2021 peak | CA now | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sold over askingShare of sales that closed above the list price | 32% | 28% | 57% | 35% |
| Gone within two weeksShare of homes under contract within 14 days | 35% | 40% | 60% | 33% |
| Price paid vs. askingAverage sale price ÷ list price | 99% | 98.7% | 102.2% | 99.9% |
| Days to sellMedian days from listing to contract | 30 | 23 | 12 | 43 |
2276 homes for sale on a typical day
That’s twice the 2023 low (1173), 11% fewer than in 2017–19 and well under 2014’s 3255.
Since 2019, houses are up 64%, condos 44%
A house typically sold for $1.2M in the year to May 2026 (5121 sales), a condo for $614K (3258).
Median sale price, weighted by sales each month. Years with fewer than 4 sales of a type are left out.
San Diego ranks 333rd of 560 busy California markets for bidding wars
Share of sales over asking in the last year, among towns with 60 or more sales. San Diego is in the middle of the pack.
Source: Redfin Data Center, city figures, January 2012 to September 2026 (MLS sales, not seasonally adjusted; from June 2026 each month is a 3-month rolling window, its counts divided by 3). Ratios are weighted by homes sold; price cuts by homes for sale.
Owning the typical San Diego home costs about $5,527 a month
Price: San Diego’s typical sale, last 12 months. Property tax at San Diego’s 0.7% (median bill ÷ median value, Census ACS); insurance at 0.35% of price a year. Before PMI, HOA dues, upkeep and the tax deduction. Whether San Diego 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 661.
Best time to buyProperty tax, a year
Of a home’s value: the median bill over the median home value. On a $959K home, about $6,290 a year.
Taxes vs. neighborsSchools
The schools grade for San Diego, from test results, graduation and how much students grow.
Schools in San DiegoTypical commute
The average one-way trip to work for people who live in San Diego.
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.
La Mesa, Santee, Lemon Grove, El Cajon, Casa de Oro-Mount Helix and Bostonia sell for less a square foot
The busier markets within 25 miles of San Diego, 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 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| San Diego | 9,780 | $959K | $683 | 32% | 30 |
| El Cajon | 596 | $727K | $487 | 38% | 29 |
| Santee | 532 | $772K | $523 | 50% | 25 |
| La Mesa | 470 | $847K | $562 | 40% | 25 |
| Casa de Oro-Mount Helix | 206 | $1.2M | $522 | 42% | 30 |
| Lemon Grove | 189 | $740K | $493 | 50% | 26 |
| Bostonia | 63 | $707K | $514 | 40% | 39 |
Redfin Data Center, October 2025 to September 2026. Towns with fewer than 20 sales are left out, and Redfin doesn’t report every town separately.
Post your home to San Diego, free
Selling it yourself, renting out an apartment or looking for a roommate? Post it to San Diego. People who follow the town see it, and so do people comparing San Diego with their own town. No commission, no listing fee.
Questions about buying a home in San Diego
What do homes sell for in San Diego, CA?
9,780 homes sold in the year to September 2026 at a typical $959K, $683 a square foot. Houses sold for about $1.2M, condos for about $614K in the year to May 2026.
Is San Diego a buyer’s or seller’s market?
A seller’s market: 2583 homes were for sale in September 2026 and 842 sold, about 3.1 months of supply. Buyers paid 99% of asking on average.
When is the best time to buy in San Diego?
May brings the most new listings. The sales history shows which months have fewer bidding wars.
How much are property taxes in San Diego?
About 0.7% of a home’s value a year. On a $959K home that’s near $6,290.
Where can I see homes for sale in San Diego?
Zillow, Redfin, Realtor.com and Homes.com all carry San Diego’s MLS listings; the search links above open each one filtered to San Diego.
Sales, prices, days on market and listings: Redfin Data Center (MLS, monthly, not seasonally adjusted; from June 2026 each month is a 3-month rolling window, its counts divided by 3). 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).