Housing Market Overview
The median home price (often called the average home price), rent costs, affordability metrics, and housing stock characteristics for this housing market.
Housing Market Overview
| Metric | Carlsbad | California Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median Home Price | $678,833 | $642,203 | $242,182 |
| Price Trend (Annual %) | 2.4% | 10.0% | 8.2% |
| Median Gross Rent | $2,663 | $1,955 | $1,342 |
| Rent Trend (Annual %) | 5.5% | 6.0% | 5.1% |
| Household Income Trend (Annual %) | — | — | — |
The median home price in Carlsbad is about 6% higher than in California. Rent is about 36% higher than the California average.
Median Home and Rent Price Trends
Median Home Prices, 2015-2023
Median Rent Prices, 2015-2023
Both home prices and rent are rising in Carlsbad, up about 2.4% and 5.5% a year respectively. Rent is changing faster.
Median rent in Carlsbad rose about 50.7% between 2015 and 2023, from $1,767 to $2,663. Over the same span, rent in California rose about 55.7%.
Affordability
On average, housing unit costs 4.8 yearly household incomes in Carlsbad.
Buying the median-priced home in Carlsbad costs roughly 21.2 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 Carlsbad. The price-to-rent ratio in California is about 27.4.
| Metric | Carlsbad | California Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median Home Price | $678,833 | $642,203 | $242,182 |
| Median Household Income | $142,379 | $96,718 | $78,145 |
| Price-to-Income Ratio | 4.8 | 6.6 | 3.1 |
Home Prices vs Income Over Time
Between 2015 and 2023, the median home price in Carlsbad rose about 6.2%, while median household income rose about 64.6% between 2009 and 2023 — income grew faster than the home price.
Income Growth vs Housing Cost Growth (Year-over-Year %)
Compare income and housing cost trends.
Occupancy & Tenure
| Metric | Carlsbad | California Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Homeownership Rate | 61.6% | 51.6% | 58.2% |
| Rental Rate | 32.0% | 40.9% | 31.3% |
| Vacancy Rate | 6.5% | 7.6% | 10.6% |
| Median Tenure (years) | 13.0 | 15.0 | 15.0 |
| Median Year Moved In | 2013 | 2011 | 2011 |
Carlsbad has a homeownership rate of 61.6%, higher than the California average of 51.6%. Its housing vacancy rate is 6.5%, compared with 7.6% in California.
Housing Stock
| Metric | Carlsbad | California Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average Household Size | 2.65 people | 2.85 people | 2.54 people |
| Median Structure Built Year | 1989 | 1975 | 1978 |
| Median Number of Rooms | 5.8 | 5.0 | 5.5 |
The typical housing unit in Carlsbad was built around 1989. On average, 2.6 people live in a home with about 5.8 rooms, staying for about 13.0 years on average.
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about the housing market in Carlsbad, California.
What is the median home price in Carlsbad, California?
The median home price in Carlsbad, California is $678,833, higher than the California average of $642,203.
What is the average home price in Carlsbad, California?
The typical home price in %s, reported as the median sale price, is %s. 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 Carlsbad, California?
The median gross rent in Carlsbad, California is $2,663 per month, higher than the California average of $1,955.
What was the median gross rent in Carlsbad in 2020?
In 2020, the median gross rent in Carlsbad, California was $2,072 per month.
What is the price-to-rent ratio in Carlsbad, California?
The price-to-rent ratio in Carlsbad, California is about 21.2, meaning it would take roughly 21.2 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 Carlsbad.
Are home prices or rent rising faster in Carlsbad, California?
Both home prices and rent are rising in Carlsbad, up about 2.4% and 5.5% a year respectively. Rent is changing faster.
What is the homeownership rate in Carlsbad, California?
61.6% of households in Carlsbad, California own their home, higher than the California average of 51.6%.
What is the vacancy rate in Carlsbad, California?
The housing vacancy rate in Carlsbad, California is 6.5%, lower than the California average of 7.6%.