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 | Sunnyvale | California Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median Home Price | $530,093 | $642,203 | $242,182 |
| Price Trend (Annual %) | 9.9% | 10.0% | 8.2% |
| Median Gross Rent | $3,072 | $1,955 | $1,342 |
| Rent Trend (Annual %) | 6.7% | 6.0% | 5.1% |
| Household Income Trend (Annual %) | — | — | — |
The median home price in Sunnyvale is about 17% lower than in California. Rent is about 57% 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 Sunnyvale, up about 9.9% and 6.7% a year respectively. Home prices are changing faster.
Median rent in Sunnyvale rose about 70.5% between 2015 and 2023, from $1,802 to $3,072. Over the same span, rent in California rose about 55.7%.
Affordability
On average, housing unit costs 2.9 yearly household incomes in Sunnyvale.
Buying the median-priced home in Sunnyvale costs roughly 14.4 years of rent at the median monthly rate. That is a relatively low price-to-rent ratio, which tends to favor buying over renting in Sunnyvale. The price-to-rent ratio in California is about 27.4.
| Metric | Sunnyvale | California Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median Home Price | $530,093 | $642,203 | $242,182 |
| Median Household Income | $182,699 | $96,718 | $78,145 |
| Price-to-Income Ratio | 2.9 | 6.6 | 3.1 |
Home Prices vs Income Over Time
Between 2015 and 2023, the median home price in Sunnyvale fell about 32.0%, while median household income rose about 104.6% 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 | Sunnyvale | California Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Homeownership Rate | 41.1% | 51.6% | 58.2% |
| Rental Rate | 53.9% | 40.9% | 31.3% |
| Vacancy Rate | 5.1% | 7.6% | 10.6% |
| Median Tenure (years) | 12.0 | 15.0 | 15.0 |
| Median Year Moved In | 2014 | 2011 | 2011 |
Sunnyvale has a homeownership rate of 41.1%, lower than the California average of 51.6%. Its housing vacancy rate is 5.1%, compared with 7.6% in California.
Housing Stock
| Metric | Sunnyvale | California Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average Household Size | 2.58 people | 2.85 people | 2.54 people |
| Median Structure Built Year | 1978 | 1975 | 1978 |
| Median Number of Rooms | 4.3 | 5.0 | 5.5 |
The typical housing unit in Sunnyvale was built around 1978. On average, 2.6 people live in a home with about 4.3 rooms, staying for about 12.0 years on average.
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about the housing market in Sunnyvale, California.
What is the median home price in Sunnyvale, California?
The median home price in Sunnyvale, California is $530,093, lower than the California average of $642,203.
What is the average home price in Sunnyvale, 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 Sunnyvale, California?
The median gross rent in Sunnyvale, California is $3,072 per month, higher than the California average of $1,955.
What was the median gross rent in Sunnyvale in 2020?
In 2020, the median gross rent in Sunnyvale, California was $2,700 per month.
What is the price-to-rent ratio in Sunnyvale, California?
The price-to-rent ratio in Sunnyvale, California is about 14.4, meaning it would take roughly 14.4 years of rent payments at the median rent to equal the median home price. That is a relatively low price-to-rent ratio, which tends to favor buying over renting in Sunnyvale.
Are home prices or rent rising faster in Sunnyvale, California?
Both home prices and rent are rising in Sunnyvale, up about 9.9% and 6.7% a year respectively. Home prices are changing faster.
What is the homeownership rate in Sunnyvale, California?
41.1% of households in Sunnyvale, California own their home, lower than the California average of 51.6%.
What is the vacancy rate in Sunnyvale, California?
The housing vacancy rate in Sunnyvale, California is 5.1%, lower than the California average of 7.6%.