San Diego, California Housing Market Prices
San Diego 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 30% above the California median$843,873
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Median rent 14% above the California median$2,311
Housing Market Overview
| Metric | San Diego | California Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median Home Price | $843,873 | $650,794 | $248,835 |
| Price Trend (Annual %) | 8.7% | 8.9% | 7.5% |
| Median Gross Rent | $2,311 | $2,036 | $1,407 |
| Rent Trend (Annual %) | 6.3% | 5.8% | 5.1% |
| Household Income Trend (Annual %) | — | — | — |
The median home price in San Diego is about 30% higher than in California. Rent is about 14% 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 San Diego, up about 8.7% and 6.3% a year respectively. Home prices are changing faster.
Median rent in San Diego rose about 68.5% between 2015 and 2024, from $1,372 to $2,311. Over the same span, rent in California rose about 62.2%.
Affordability
On average, housing unit costs 7.8 yearly household incomes in San Diego.
Buying the median-priced home in San Diego costs roughly 30.4 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 San Diego. The price-to-rent ratio in California is about 26.6.
| Metric | San Diego | California Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median Home Price | $843,873 | $650,794 | $248,835 |
| Median Household Income | $108,142 | $99,161 | $80,455 |
| Price-to-Income Ratio | 7.8 | 6.6 | 3.1 |
Home Prices vs Income Over Time
Between 2015 and 2024, the median home price in San Diego rose about 112.1%, while median household income rose about 63.8% 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 | San Diego | California Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Homeownership Rate | 44.2% | 51.7% | 58.5% |
| Rental Rate | 49.1% | 40.8% | 31.2% |
| Vacancy Rate | 6.7% | 7.5% | 10.2% |
| Median Tenure (years) | 13.0 | 15.0 | 15.0 |
| Median Year Moved In | 2013 | 2011 | 2011 |
San Diego has a homeownership rate of 44.2%, lower than the California average of 51.7%. Its housing vacancy rate is 6.7%, compared with 7.5% in California.
Housing Stock
| Metric | San Diego | California Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average Household Size | 2.52 people | 2.84 people | 2.53 people |
| Median Structure Built Year | 1978 | 1975 | 1978 |
| Median Number of Rooms | 4.5 | 5.0 | 5.5 |
The typical housing unit in San Diego was built around 1978. On average, 2.5 people live in a home with about 4.5 rooms, staying for about 13.0 years on average.
San Diego, CA Housing Compared With Nearby Cities
San Diego, CA is the largest of the 4 cities compared here, 1,376,522 residents against a local median of 57,784. Where San Diego, CA breaks from the cities next to it is homeownership, sitting 30% below the local median of 67.4% at 47.3%. That is the weaker end of the local range on this measure.
Median home price tells the same story from another angle: $843,873 against a local median of $657,064, 28% above it. The cities themselves spread 36.9% on homeownership, so San Diego, CA sits at one end of an already wide local range rather than apart from it. San Diego, CA has the 3rd highest homeownership of the 4 areas compared here.
| Area | Population | Median home price | Median rent | Homeownership |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| San Diego, CA | 1,376,522 | $843,873 #1/4 | $2,311 #1/4 | 47.3% #3/4 |
| Santee, CA | 58,712 | $590,423 | $2,277 | 72.1% |
| National City, CA | 57,784 | $732,876 | $1,679 | 35.2% |
| La Presa, CA | 34,750 | $657,064 | $1,848 | 67.4% |
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about the housing market in San Diego, California.
What is the median home price in San Diego, California?
The median home price in San Diego, California is $843,873, higher than the California average of $650,794.
What is the average home price in San Diego, California?
The typical home price in San Diego, California, reported as the median sale price, is $843,873. 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 San Diego, California?
The median gross rent in San Diego, California is $2,311 per month, higher than the California average of $2,036.
What was the median gross rent in San Diego in 2020?
In 2020, the median gross rent in San Diego, California was $1,768 per month.
What is the price-to-rent ratio in San Diego, California?
The price-to-rent ratio in San Diego, California is about 30.4, meaning it would take roughly 30.4 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 San Diego.
Are home prices or rent rising faster in San Diego, California?
Both home prices and rent are rising in San Diego, up about 8.7% and 6.3% a year respectively. Home prices are changing faster.
What is the homeownership rate in San Diego, California?
44.2% of households in San Diego, California own their home, lower than the California average of 51.7%.
What is the vacancy rate in San Diego, California?
The housing vacancy rate in San Diego, California is 6.7%, lower than the California average of 7.5%.
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