San Diego County, California Housing Market Prices
San Diego 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 22% above the California median More expensive than 81% of counties in California$797,190
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Median rent 10% above the California median More expensive than 84% of counties in California$2,246
Median Home Price Map: Nearby Counties
Housing Market Overview
| Metric | San Diego County | California Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median Home Price | $797,190 | $650,794 | $248,835 |
| Price Trend (Annual %) | 8.9% | 8.9% | 7.5% |
| Median Gross Rent | $2,246 | $2,036 | $1,407 |
| Rent Trend (Annual %) | 6.1% | 5.8% | 5.1% |
| Household Income Trend (Annual %) | — | — | — |
The median home price in San Diego County is about 22% higher than in California. Rent is about 10% 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 County, up about 8.9% and 6.1% a year respectively. Home prices are changing faster.
Median rent in San Diego County rose about 67.2% between 2015 and 2024, from $1,343 to $2,246. Over the same span, rent in California rose about 62.2%.
Affordability
On average, housing unit costs 7.5 yearly household incomes in San Diego County.
Buying the median-priced home in San Diego County costs roughly 29.6 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 County. The price-to-rent ratio in California is about 26.6.
| Metric | San Diego County | California Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median Home Price | $797,190 | $650,794 | $248,835 |
| Median Household Income | $106,588 | $99,161 | $80,455 |
| Price-to-Income Ratio | 7.5 | 6.6 | 3.1 |
Home Prices vs Income Over Time
Between 2015 and 2024, the median home price in San Diego County rose about 120.7%, while median household income rose about 60.0% 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 County | California Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Homeownership Rate | 51.2% | 51.7% | 58.5% |
| Rental Rate | 42.5% | 40.8% | 31.2% |
| Vacancy Rate | 6.3% | 7.5% | 10.2% |
| Median Tenure (years) | 14.0 | 15.0 | 15.0 |
| Median Year Moved In | 2012 | 2011 | 2011 |
San Diego County has a homeownership rate of 51.2%, lower than the California average of 51.7%. Its housing vacancy rate is 6.3%, compared with 7.5% in California.
Housing Stock
| Metric | San Diego County | California Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average Household Size | 2.72 people | 2.84 people | 2.53 people |
| Median Structure Built Year | 1981 | 1975 | 1978 |
| Median Number of Rooms | 4.9 | 5.0 | 5.5 |
The typical housing unit in San Diego County was built around 1981. On average, 2.7 people live in a home with about 4.9 rooms, staying for about 14.0 years on average.
San Diego County, CA Housing Compared With Nearby Counties
San Diego County, CA is the 2nd largest of the 6 counties compared here, 3,282,387 residents against a local median of 2,477,722. San Diego County, CA's median home price, at $797,190, runs 66% above the $479,061 typical of the counties around it.
Median rent tells the same story from another angle: $2,246 against a local median of $1,900, 18% above it. The counties themselves spread $740,627 on median home price, so San Diego County, CA sits at one end of an already wide local range rather than apart from it. San Diego County, CA has the 3rd highest median home price of the 6 areas compared here.
| Area | Population | Median home price | Median rent | Homeownership |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| San Diego County, CA | 3,282,387 | $797,190 #3/6 | $2,246 #2/6 | 54.6% #5/6 |
| Riverside County, CA | 2,477,722 | $479,061 | $1,900 | 69.1% |
| Orange County, CA | 3,164,225 | $1,003,714 | $2,433 | 56.4% |
| Imperial County, CA | 180,111 | $263,087 | $1,056 | 56.8% |
| Los Angeles County, CA | 9,796,997 | $934,813 | $1,953 | 45.9% |
| San Bernardino County, CA | 2,193,778 | $419,799 | $1,800 | 62.0% |
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about the housing market in San Diego County, California.
What is the median home price in San Diego County, California?
The median home price in San Diego County, California is $797,190, higher than the California average of $650,794.
What is the average home price in San Diego County, California?
The typical home price in San Diego County, California, reported as the median sale price, is $797,190. 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 County, California?
The median gross rent in San Diego County, California is $2,246 per month, higher than the California average of $2,036.
What was the median gross rent in San Diego County in 2020?
In 2020, the median gross rent in San Diego County, California was $1,732 per month.
What is the price-to-rent ratio in San Diego County, California?
The price-to-rent ratio in San Diego County, California is about 29.6, meaning it would take roughly 29.6 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 County.
Are home prices or rent rising faster in San Diego County, California?
Both home prices and rent are rising in San Diego County, up about 8.9% and 6.1% a year respectively. Home prices are changing faster.
What is the homeownership rate in San Diego County, California?
51.2% of households in San Diego County, California own their home, lower than the California average of 51.7%.
What is the vacancy rate in San Diego County, California?
The housing vacancy rate in San Diego County, California is 6.3%, lower than the California average of 7.5%.
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