Alameda County, California Housing Market Prices
Alameda County Home Prices and Rent at a Glance
The median home price (often called the average home price), rent costs, affordability metrics, and housing stock characteristics for this housing market.
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Median home price 28% above the California median More expensive than 82% of counties in California$833,751
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Median rent 16% above the California median More expensive than 89% of counties in California$2,356
Median Home Price Map: Nearby Counties
Housing Market Overview
| Metric | Alameda County | California Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median Home Price | $833,751 | $650,794 | $248,835 |
| Price Trend (Annual %) | 8.3% | 8.9% | 7.5% |
| Median Gross Rent | $2,356 | $2,036 | $1,407 |
| Rent Trend (Annual %) | 6.5% | 5.8% | 5.1% |
| Household Income Trend (Annual %) | — | — | — |
The median home price in Alameda County is about 28% higher than in California. Rent is about 16% higher than the California average.
Median Home and Rent Price Trends
Median Home Prices, 2015-2024
Median Rent Prices, 2015-2024
Both home prices and rent are rising in Alameda County, up about 8.3% and 6.5% a year respectively. Home prices are changing faster.
Median rent in Alameda County rose about 72.4% between 2015 and 2024, from $1,366 to $2,356. Over the same span, rent in California rose about 62.2%.
Affordability
On average, housing unit costs 6.4 yearly household incomes in Alameda County.
Buying the median-priced home in Alameda County costs roughly 29.5 years of rent at the median monthly rate. That is a relatively high price-to-rent ratio, which tends to favor renting over buying in Alameda County. The price-to-rent ratio in California is about 26.6.
| Metric | Alameda County | California Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median Home Price | $833,751 | $650,794 | $248,835 |
| Median Household Income | $129,593 | $99,161 | $80,455 |
| Price-to-Income Ratio | 6.4 | 6.6 | 3.1 |
Home Prices vs Income Over Time
Between 2015 and 2024, the median home price in Alameda County rose about 112.2%, while median household income rose about 78.5% between 2009 and 2025 — the home price grew faster than income.
Income Growth vs Housing Cost Growth (Year-over-Year %)
Compare income and housing cost trends.
Occupancy & Tenure
| Metric | Alameda County | California Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Homeownership Rate | 51.1% | 51.7% | 58.5% |
| Rental Rate | 42.8% | 40.8% | 31.2% |
| Vacancy Rate | 6.1% | 7.5% | 10.2% |
| Median Tenure (years) | 15.0 | 15.0 | 15.0 |
| Median Year Moved In | 2011 | 2011 | 2011 |
Alameda County has a homeownership rate of 51.1%, lower than the California average of 51.7%. Its housing vacancy rate is 6.1%, compared with 7.5% in California.
Housing Stock
| Metric | Alameda County | California Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average Household Size | 2.69 people | 2.84 people | 2.53 people |
| Median Structure Built Year | 1968 | 1975 | 1978 |
| Median Number of Rooms | 4.8 | 5.0 | 5.5 |
The typical housing unit in Alameda County was built around 1968. On average, 2.7 people live in a home with about 4.8 rooms, staying for about 15.0 years on average.
Alameda County, CA Housing Compared With Nearby Counties
Alameda County, CA is the 2nd largest of the 6 counties compared here, 1,648,382 residents against a local median of 733,246. Alameda County, CA's median home price, at $833,751, runs 25% below the $1,111,762 typical of the counties around it.
The counties themselves spread $1,261,558 on median home price, so Alameda County, CA sits at one end of an already wide local range rather than apart from it. Alameda County, CA has the 4th highest median home price of the 6 areas compared here.
| Area | Population | Median home price | Median rent | Homeownership |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alameda County, CA | 1,648,382 | $833,751 #4/6 | $2,356 #4/6 | 54.4% #6/6 |
| Contra Costa County, CA | 1,163,035 | $663,272 | $2,374 | 68.0% |
| Santa Clara County, CA | 1,901,257 | $1,378,776 | $2,856 | 55.1% |
| San Mateo County, CA | 733,246 | $1,744,985 | $2,920 | 58.2% |
| Solano County, CA | 451,581 | $483,427 | $2,162 | 63.0% |
| Santa Cruz County, CA | 264,809 | $1,111,762 | $2,264 | 59.9% |
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about the housing market in Alameda County, California.
What is the median home price in Alameda County, California?
The median home price in Alameda County, California is $833,751, higher than the California average of $650,794.
What is the average home price in Alameda County, California?
The typical home price in Alameda County, California, reported as the median sale price, is $833,751. The median is used instead of a mathematical average because it is not skewed by a small number of very expensive or very cheap homes, so it better reflects what a typical buyer pays.
What is the median rent in Alameda County, California?
The median gross rent in Alameda County, California is $2,356 per month, higher than the California average of $2,036.
What was the median gross rent in Alameda County in 2020?
In 2020, the median gross rent in Alameda County, California was $1,903 per month.
What is the price-to-rent ratio in Alameda County, California?
The price-to-rent ratio in Alameda County, California is about 29.5, meaning it would take roughly 29.5 years of rent payments at the median rent to equal the median home price. That is a relatively high price-to-rent ratio, which tends to favor renting over buying in Alameda County.
Are home prices or rent rising faster in Alameda County, California?
Both home prices and rent are rising in Alameda County, up about 8.3% and 6.5% a year respectively. Home prices are changing faster.
What is the homeownership rate in Alameda County, California?
51.1% of households in Alameda County, California own their home, lower than the California average of 51.7%.
What is the vacancy rate in Alameda County, California?
The housing vacancy rate in Alameda County, California is 6.1%, lower than the California average of 7.5%.
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