Photo: Famartin · CC BY-SA 4.0370 homes sold in California in the last year, at a typical $392K
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 California homes are listed.
Every place California 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 California.
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.
13% of California’s sales are condos, at $220K less than a house
217 houses and 48 condos sold in the year to May 2026. Condos sell faster. Houses draw more bidding wars.
typical sale · 217 sold in 12 months
- Per square foot
- $203MD $239
- Days to sell
- 48
- Sold over asking
- 34%
- Listings with a price cut
- 25%
typical sale · 48 sold in 12 months
- Per square foot
- $224MD $234
- Days to sell
- 43
- Sold over asking
- 19%
- Listings with a price cut
- 27%
Townhouses: 105 sold, typical $359K
Too few sales in 12 months for reliable figures.
About as many homes sell as usual, at 1.8 times the 2016 price
370 sales in the last year, against 572 in 2021 and a low of 233 in 2012. The typical sale went from $224K in 2016 to $392K.
Source: Redfin Data Center, MLS sales. Typical price and $/sq ft are the monthly medians, weighted by sales.
What $400K buys in California
Check a listing against what California 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 California are more common than before the pandemic, but 44% fewer homes come up for sale
We read every month of California’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, 370 sales.
If you’re buying in California
- Shop in April. It brings about 49 new listings a month, close to the busiest month, with fewer bidding wars (26% over asking).
- Some room to negotiate. 25% of listings cut their price, about as many as before the pandemic.
- Bid near asking. Buyers paid 99.5% of the list price on average; 31% paid over.
- Move fast on good ones. 55% of homes are under contract within two weeks.
Spring brings both the most homes and the most bidding wars
May has the most new listings (about 55 a month), and the most competition: 35% close over asking. March and April offer nearly as much choice with fewer homes bid up (26%). September has the least competition (23%).
Averages for each calendar month, 2015 on.
Nearly as heated as 2021, and about like Maryland as a whole
| California now | 2017–19 | 2021 peak | MD now | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sold over askingShare of sales that closed above the list price | 31% | 20% | 39% | 34% |
| Gone within two weeksShare of homes under contract within 14 days | 55% | 24% | 63% | 41% |
| Listings with a price cutShare of homes for sale that cut their price | 25% | 23% | 18% | 27% |
| Price paid vs. askingAverage sale price ÷ list price | 99.5% | 98.8% | 100.5% | 99.8% |
| Days to sellMedian days from listing to contract | 41 | 55 | 29 | 43 |
66 homes for sale on a typical day
That’s 1.5 times the 2023 low (44), 44% fewer than in 2017–19 and well under 2015’s 189.
1 in 4 listings has cut its price
25% in the last year, against 23% in 2017–19 and 27% across Maryland.
Since 2019, houses are up 62%, condos 49%
A house typically sold for $455K in the last year (217 sales), a condo for $235K (48).
Median sale price, weighted by sales each month. Years with fewer than 4 sales of a type are left out.
California ranks 121st of 185 busy Maryland markets for bidding wars
Share of sales over asking in the last year, among towns with 60 or more sales. California 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 California home costs about $2,324 a month
Price: California’s typical sale, last 12 months. Property tax at California’s 0.9% (median bill ÷ median value, Census ACS); insurance at 0.35% of price a year. Before PMI, HOA dues, upkeep and the tax deduction. Whether California 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 23.
Best time to buyProperty tax, a year
Of a home’s value: the median bill over the median home value. On a $392K home, about $3,350 a year.
Taxes vs. neighborsSchools
The schools grade for California, from test results, graduation and how much students grow.
Schools in CaliforniaTypical commute
The average one-way trip to work for people who live in California.
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.
Lexington Park sells for less a square foot; Drum Point for far more
The busier markets within 25 miles of California, 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 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| California | 370 | $392K | $200 | 31% | 41 |
| Wildewood | 190 | $408K | $208 | 28% | 39 |
| Lexington Park | 162 | $376K | $182 | 38% | 46 |
| Drum Point | 53 | $438K | $257 | 47% | 54 |
| Solomons | 49 | $486K | $239 | 14% | 57 |
| Lusby | 27 | $430K | $216 | 44% | 53 |
| Callaway | 24 | $405K | $206 | 21% | 50 |
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 California, free
Selling it yourself, renting out an apartment or looking for a roommate? Post it to California. People who follow the town see it, and so do people comparing California with their own town. No commission, no listing fee.
Questions about buying a home in California
What do homes sell for in California, MD?
370 homes sold in the year to May 2026 at a typical $392K, $200 a square foot. Houses sold for about $455K, condos for about $235K.
Is California a buyer’s or seller’s market?
A seller’s market: 79 homes were for sale in May 2026 and 38 sold, about 2.1 months of supply. Buyers paid 99.5% of asking on average, and 25% of listings cut their price.
When is the best time to buy in California?
May brings the most new listings. The sales history shows which months have fewer bidding wars.
How much are property taxes in California?
About 0.9% of a home’s value a year. On a $392K home that’s near $3,350.
Where can I see homes for sale in California?
Zillow, Redfin, Realtor.com and Homes.com all carry California’s MLS listings; the search links above open each one filtered to California.
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).