Marin County Civic Center · Photo: Fizbin at en.wikipedia · Public domain504 homes sold in San Rafael in the last year, at a typical $1.2M
About one sale in 3 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 San Rafael homes are listed.
Every place San Rafael 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 Rafael.
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 quarter of San Rafael’s sales are condos, at $961K less than a house
323 houses and 119 condos sold in the year to May 2026. Houses sell faster and draw more bidding wars.
typical sale · 323 sold in 12 months
- Per square foot
- $782CA $494
- Days to sell
- 33
- Sold over asking
- 47%
- Listings with a price cut
- 29%
typical sale · 119 sold in 12 months
- Per square foot
- $481CA $561
- Days to sell
- 81
- Sold over asking
- 16%
- Listings with a price cut
- 23%
Multi-family (2–4 units): 21 sold, typical $1.2M
Townhouses: 41 sold, typical $867K
Too few sales in 12 months for reliable figures.
About as many homes sell as usual, at 1.3 times the 2016 price
504 sales in the last year, against 647 in 2021 and a low of 434 in 2024. The typical sale went from $906K in 2016 to $1.2M.
Source: Redfin Data Center, MLS sales. Typical price and $/sq ft are the monthly medians, weighted by sales.
What $1.2M buys in San Rafael
Check a listing against what San Rafael 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 Rafael are back to pre-pandemic levels, and more homes are for sale
We read every month of San Rafael’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, 504 sales.
If you’re buying in San Rafael
- Shop in September. It brings about 67 new listings a month, close to the busiest month, with fewer bidding wars (45% over asking).
- Some room to negotiate. 26% of listings cut their price, about as many as before the pandemic.
- Bid near asking. Buyers paid 99.6% of the list price on average; 38% paid over.
- You’ll usually have time. Only 36% of homes go under contract within two weeks; the typical one takes 41 days.
Spring brings both the most homes and the most bidding wars
May has the most new listings (about 69 a month), but March is the most competitive: 55% of March sales close over asking. September offers nearly as much choice with fewer homes bid up (45%). January has the least competition (31%) but only about 35 new listings.
Averages for each calendar month, 2015 on.
Calmer than the 2021 frenzy, and about like California as a whole
| San Rafael now | 2017–19 | 2021 peak | CA now | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sold over askingShare of sales that closed above the list price | 38% | 42% | 58% | 36% |
| Gone within two weeksShare of homes under contract within 14 days | 36% | 44% | 54% | 31% |
| Listings with a price cutShare of homes for sale that cut their price | 26% | 24% | 13% | 24% |
| Price paid vs. askingAverage sale price ÷ list price | 99.6% | 101.1% | 105% | 99.7% |
| Days to sellMedian days from listing to contract | 41 | 35 | 27 | 44 |
114 homes for sale on a typical day
That’s 1.5 times the 2014 low (76) and 25% more than in 2017–19.
1 in 4 listings has cut its price
26% in the last year, against 24% in 2017–19 and 24% across California.
Since 2019, houses are up 25%, condos -13%
A house typically sold for $1.5M in the last year (323 sales), a condo for $505K (119).
Median sale price, weighted by sales each month. Years with fewer than 4 sales of a type are left out.
San Rafael ranks 249th of 555 busy California markets for bidding wars
Share of sales over asking in the last year, among towns with 60 or more sales. San Rafael 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.
Five things worth knowing
New listings in May
The month with the most choice. December has the fewest, about 14.
Best time to buySchools
The schools grade for San Rafael, from test results, graduation and how much students grow.
Schools in San RafaelTypical commute
The average one-way trip to work for people who live in San Rafael.
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.
No busy market nearby sells for less a square foot; Larkspur, Ross, Corte Madera, San Anselmo and Kentfield for far more
The busier markets within 25 miles of San Rafael, 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 Rafael | 504 | $1.2M | $679 | 38% | 41 |
| Larkspur | 115 | $1.9M | $979 | 44% | 29 |
| San Anselmo | 111 | $1.5M | $891 | 51% | 28 |
| Corte Madera | 105 | $1.7M | $1,036 | 49% | 27 |
| Kentfield | 78 | $2.6M | $1,045 | 44% | 25 |
| Santa Venetia | 42 | $1M | $659 | 38% | 48 |
| Ross | 29 | $4.6M | $1,472 | 48% | 28 |
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 San Rafael, free
Selling it yourself, renting out an apartment or looking for a roommate? Post it to San Rafael. People who follow the town see it, and so do people comparing San Rafael with their own town. No commission, no listing fee.
Questions about buying a home in San Rafael
What do homes sell for in San Rafael, CA?
504 homes sold in the year to May 2026 at a typical $1.2M, $679 a square foot. Houses sold for about $1.5M, condos for about $505K.
Is San Rafael a buyer’s or seller’s market?
A seller’s market: 105 homes were for sale in May 2026 and 67 sold, about 1.6 months of supply. Buyers paid 99.6% of asking on average, and 26% of listings cut their price.
When is the best time to buy in San Rafael?
May brings the most new listings. The sales history shows which months have fewer bidding wars.
Where can I see homes for sale in San Rafael?
Zillow, Redfin, Realtor.com and Homes.com all carry San Rafael’s MLS listings; the search links above open each one filtered to San Rafael.
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).