Market statistics · Live · updated October 22, 2026
California housing market statistics
California housing market statistics for September 2026: median list price, homes for sale, days on market, price cuts and the monthly payment on a typical home, statewide and for every California metro, side by side with the U.S. Pulled from the publishers every day and free to quote with a link.
Jump to: California metros · vs. the U.S. · What's different in California · Charts
Key takeaways
The California housing market in September 2026
- California's median list price was $725,000 in September 2026, down 3.1% from a year earlier, the 2nd highest of the 50 states and D.C.
- 74,607 homes were for sale, 0.6% more than a year earlier and 6.4% below the same month in 2019. That inventory change ranks 43rd of 51.
- The typical listing sat 55 days (U.S.: 61), and 18.6% of listings had a price cut (U.S.: 20.8%).
- In the Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA metro, the state's largest by households, the median list price was $1,034,500 (down 5.9%) with 20,130 homes for sale.
- Principal and interest on California's median-priced listing, 20% down at Freddie Mac's 7.40%, is about $4,016 a month (U.S. median: $2,322).
- On the FHFA house price index, California home values were up 0.9% over the year to the quarter starting April 2026.
Metros
California metro housing statistics, September 2026
The 25 largest of the 35 California metro areas in Realtor.com's data, largest first. Tap a column to sort. The small line is the change from a year earlier.
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA | $1,034,500−5.9% | $647 | 20,130+4.2% | 55 | 17.1% |
| San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | $957,475−1.8% | $627 | 5,840−10.9% | 37 | 13.4% |
| Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA | $584,984−1.7% | $330 | 13,206+0.1% | 64 | 17.6% |
| San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA | $888,450−6.3% | $587 | 5,749−1.5% | 46 | 20.4% |
| Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom, CA | $599,950−2.6% | $340 | 5,286+1.8% | 51 | 22.0% |
| San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA | $1,388,472+1.7% | $827 | 2,112+17.5% | 35 | 16.4% |
| Fresno, CA | $469,500+2.1% | $263 | 2,154+4.3% | 58 | 19.1% |
| Bakersfield-Delano, CA | $396,500−3.2% | $230 | 2,443+6.7% | 58 | 18.2% |
| Oxnard-Thousand Oaks-Ventura, CA | $942,076−5.7% | $527 | 1,601+8.3% | 56 | 22.3% |
| Stockton-Lodi, CA | $585,000−1.6% | $307 | 1,415−1.3% | 53 | 23.3% |
| Santa Rosa-Petaluma, CA | $908,500−6.8% | $539 | 1,169−5.7% | 55 | 18.3% |
| Modesto, CA | $507,950+1.1% | $302 | 874−0.9% | 46 | 19.2% |
| Vallejo, CA | $572,500−1.3% | $336 | 893−5.6% | 47 | 20.9% |
| Visalia, CA | $424,850+3.7% | $249 | 899+10.3% | 60 | 18.8% |
| Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA | $1,720,750−8.9% | $861 | 718+4.4% | 58 | 16.1% |
| Salinas, CA | $1,289,500+0.7% | $691 | 551−9.2% | 66 | 18.1% |
| San Luis Obispo-Paso Robles, CA | $1,031,250−7.3% | $574 | 722+6.0% | 71 | 22.5% |
| Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA | $1,249,750+0.1% | $729 | 513−7.2% | 53 | 23.6% |
| Merced, CA | $448,225−0.6% | $267 | 465−1.9% | 53 | 18.8% |
| Chico, CA | $429,000+1.7% | $266 | 662+1.8% | 67 | 23.9% |
| Redding, CA | $439,100+4.1% | $254 | 640−10.4% | 58 | 22.3% |
| Yuba City, CA | $460,000−2.3% | $273 | 484+14.4% | 61 | 20.1% |
| Eureka-Arcata, CA | $495,500+4.3% | $309 | 481+0.8% | 78 | 23.2% |
| El Centro, CA | $386,000+0.1% | $249 | 188+20.5% | 71 | 11.2% |
| Napa, CA | $1,272,500−10.1% | $675 | 572+0.5% | 81 | 18.3% |
Metro areas are the Census Bureau's core-based statistical areas; a metro that crosses a state line is listed in each state it covers.
Side by side
California vs. the U.S.
| September 2026 | California | U.S. | Rank of 51 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median list price | $725,000 | $419,250 | 2nd |
| Price per sq ft | $456 | $223 | – |
| Homes for sale | 74,607 | 1,161,615 | 3rd |
| Inventory change, 1 yr | +0.6% | +5.4% | 43rd |
| Median days on market | 55 | 61 | 36th |
| Price cut share | 18.6% | 20.8% | 35th |
| Pending ratio | 0.36 | 0.36 | – |
Rank of the 50 states and D.C., 1 = highest. Pending ratio = pending listings divided by active listings.
Affordability
The monthly payment on a median-priced California home
$4,016 a month
Principal and interest on $725,000, 20% down, 30-year fixed at 7.40%. A year earlier, the same math came to $3,695: $321 a month more now. On the U.S. median listing it is $2,322.
Taxes, insurance, HOA dues and mortgage insurance are extra; in California they can change the real monthly cost a lot from one county to the next. A Total Cost of Ownership report adds them for a specific home.
Local knowledge
What's different about buying and selling in California
California's tax rules make two similar homes carry very different costs. Four rules every California client should hear about.
Proposition 13: 1% rate, 2% cap
The base property tax rate is 1% of assessed value plus voter-approved debt, and assessed value can rise no more than 2% a year until the home sells or is newly built. Neighbors can pay very different taxes, and buyers should expect a supplemental tax bill after closing. Owner-occupants can claim a $7,000 homeowners' exemption.
Proposition 19: moving a tax base
Owners 55 or older, severely disabled owners and disaster victims can move their Prop 13 taxable value to a replacement home anywhere in California up to three times; the replacement must be bought within two years of the sale. Parent-to-child transfers keep the parent's value only for a home that becomes the child's principal residence, capped at the existing value plus $1,044,586 for transfers from February 16, 2025 to February 15, 2027.
The FAIR Plan for fire coverage
When a regular insurer won't cover a home, owners turn to the California FAIR Plan for basic fire coverage, up to $3 million per residence, usually paired with a separate policy for other risks. The Department of Insurance reported FAIR Plan growth slowing to 1.9% in the second quarter of 2026. Check insurability early, especially in wildfire areas.
Transfer tax: county plus city
Counties may charge a documentary transfer tax of $0.55 per $500 of value (about $1.10 per $1,000), and many cities add their own on top, so the total depends on the address. Put the right figure on the seller's net sheet.
General information for agents, checked against the sources below on October 22, 2026. It is not legal or tax advice; rules change, so confirm details for a specific transaction with the right professional.
Trends
How California's numbers have moved
California median list price
California homes for sale
California median days on market
Share of California listings with a price cut
California house price index (FHFA)
30-year fixed mortgage rate
Questions
California housing questions, answered with today's numbers
What is the median home price in California?
The median list price in California was $725,000 in September 2026, per Realtor.com. That is the asking price of the middle listing; closed-sale medians come from the MLS or county records.
How many homes are for sale in California?
74,607 active listings in September 2026, 6.4% below the same month in 2019.
Is California a buyer's or seller's market?
Statewide, listings took a median 55 days and 18.6% had a price cut in September 2026. Markets differ a lot by metro and price range; the metro table on this page shows each one, and an Area Market Report shows one neighborhood.
What is the monthly payment on a median-priced home in California?
About $4,016 a month for principal and interest on $725,000 with 20% down at 7.40%. Property taxes, insurance and HOA dues are extra and vary widely across California.
Free to quote. Use any number on this page with its month and source, and link to agentcos.com/market-statistics/california/.
Want this for one neighborhood?
These are statewide and metro listing numbers. An Area Market Report gives you 12 months of closed sales for one subdivision, neighborhood or ZIP, built from your MLS export, with your logo on it.
More states: Arizona · Florida · North Carolina · Texas · Colorado · every state, side by side
Sources
- Realtor.com Economic Research, Residential Real Estate Data, state and metro monthly files (median list price, price per square foot, active and pending listings, days on market, price-reduced share). realtor.com/research/data
- Freddie Mac, Primary Mortgage Market Survey, weekly. freddiemac.com/pmms
- Federal Housing Finance Agency, House Price Index for California (all transactions), quarterly, through FRED. fred.stlouisfed.org
- California State Board of Equalization, “California Property Tax: An Overview (Publication 29),” March 2025. www.boe.ca.gov
- California State Board of Equalization, “Proposition 19,” accessed October 22, 2026. www.boe.ca.gov
- California Department of Insurance, “FAIR Plan growth slows below 2% as California's insurance market continues to show signs of recovery,” August 3, 2026. www.insurance.ca.gov
- California Revenue and Taxation Code s. 11911, as reproduced by Public.Law (secondary), “Revenue and Taxation Code section 11911,” accessed October 22, 2026. california.public.law
Listing numbers describe asking prices and inventory, not closed sales. The page refreshes from the publishers at least twice a day; each publisher updates on its own schedule.