Lardner Valenzuela
Coldwell Banker West
San Diego County Housing Market Report
September 2026 · Data through September 30, 2026Market at a Glance
September was a month of two different signals, and I want to give you both. Prices held up, and detached homes sold faster and closer to asking than a year ago. The countywide median rose 1.7% to $910,000, and the detached median climbed 5.8% to $1,079,000. At the same time, the 30-year mortgage rate crossed 7% late in the month, and buyers responded: accepted offers fell 15.9% and closings fell 14.0%. Fewer buyers, steady prices. That is the market in one line.
Median Sale Price
Pending Sales
Closed Sales
Months of Supply
All-property figures (detached + attached). A balanced market is generally considered 4–6 months of supply; at 3.0 months, San Diego County remains seller-leaning. Part of September’s drop is a tough comparison, since September 2025 was the busiest of the last three Septembers, but detached accepted offers (1,082) also came in below September 2024 (1,193), so the slowdown is real. The year as a whole is still on par with last year: year-to-date closed sales are up 0.6% (17,318) and the year-to-date median is up 2.8% at $925,000.
By Property Type
The two halves of the county kept moving in opposite directions. Detached homes stayed scarce: inventory fell 12.9% to 2,950 and supply tightened to 2.4 months. Condos and townhomes kept loosening: attached inventory rose 5.8% to 2,734 and supply reached 4.0 months, the threshold of a balanced market. Both segments saw the same pullback in accepted offers, detached down 16.8% and attached down 14.4%. That points to the rate environment rather than anything specific to one type of home.
| Metric | Sep 2026 | YoY |
|---|---|---|
| Median Sale Price | $1,079,000 | +5.8% |
| Closed Sales | 1,112 | −13.9% |
| Pending Sales | 1,082 | −16.8% |
| New Listings | 1,774 | +0.7% |
| Homes for Sale | 2,950 | −12.9% |
| Months of Supply | 2.4 | −14.3% |
| Days on Market | 37 | −9.8% |
| % of Orig. List Price | 97.7% | +0.7% |
| Metric | Sep 2026 | YoY |
|---|---|---|
| Median Sale Price | $670,000 | −0.2% |
| Closed Sales | 625 | −14.0% |
| Pending Sales | 618 | −14.4% |
| New Listings | 1,230 | +3.9% |
| Homes for Sale | 2,734 | +5.8% |
| Months of Supply | 4.0 | +5.3% |
| Days on Market | 44 | +4.8% |
| % of Orig. List Price | 97.2% | 0.0% |
A note on the headline number: the detached median rose 5.8% while the countywide median rose only 1.7%. That is not a contradiction. The countywide figure is the midpoint of every sale combined, so it does not have to land between the two segment changes; shifts in where sales fell within each segment’s price range move it too. The segment medians are the better guide to what happened to a specific type of home.
Twelve-Month Trends
Median Sale Price
October 2025 – September 2026, by property type
Pending Sales (Accepted Offers)
The leading indicator: monthly accepted offers, October 2025 – September 2026
Months of Supply
Inventory measured against the pace of sales. Detached supply has stayed between 1.8 and 2.6 months over the past twelve months, while attached supply has climbed from 2.8 months in December to 4.0, the edge of a balanced market.
The Numbers
| Metric | All Properties | Detached | Attached |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median Sale Price | $910,000+1.7% | $1,079,000+5.8% | $670,000−0.2% |
| Average Sale Price | $1,223,420+4.0% | $1,463,273+6.0% | $796,373−2.2% |
| Closed Sales | 1,737−14.0% | 1,112−13.9% | 625−14.0% |
| Pending Sales | 1,700−15.9% | 1,082−16.8% | 618−14.4% |
| New Listings | 3,004+2.0% | 1,774+0.7% | 1,230+3.9% |
| Inventory of Homes | 5,684−4.8% | 2,950−12.9% | 2,734+5.8% |
| Months of Supply | 3.0−3.2% | 2.4−14.3% | 4.0+5.3% |
| Days on Market | 39−4.9% | 37−9.8% | 44+4.8% |
| % of Orig. List Received | 97.5%+0.4% | 97.7%+0.7% | 97.2%0.0% |
| Housing Affordability Index | 46−6.1% | 38−11.6% | 62−6.1% |
September 2026 figures with year-over-year change. Source: San Diego MLS via ShowingTime Plus, current as of October 5, 2026. Percent changes are calculated using rounded figures, and prior months are restated as late-reporting sales are recorded. A higher affordability index means greater affordability.
How San Diego Compares
In NAR’s latest national report, as cited in the MLS Monthly Indicators, U.S. existing-home sales ran at a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 3.98 million, down 1.2% from a year earlier and the first reading below 4 million since June 2025. The national median existing-home price rose 1.6% to $429,100, the 38th consecutive month of annual gains, and inventory reached a 4.9-month supply, which NAR called the highest in over ten years. Comparing like with like, using San Diego’s all-property figures: the county is tighter than the nation, with 3.0 months of supply against 4.9, and its $910,000 median is more than double the national figure. To be fair to the other side of the ledger, local sales volume fell harder than national sales this month (closings down 14.0% here versus 1.2% nationally). San Diego’s scarcity is protecting prices, not transaction counts.
Mortgage Rate Snapshot
Financing is the clearest reason accepted offers fell. The Federal Reserve raised its benchmark rate by a quarter point on September 16 to a range of 3.75% to 4%, its first increase since July 2023, and the 30-year fixed moved above 7% in late September, up from an August average of 6.67%. As of October 8 it sits at 7.40%, 1.10 points above where it was a year ago. The county’s housing affordability index slipped to 46 from 49. Pending sales had already been falling year over year in August, so rates are not the only factor, but they are the biggest one in the data.
30-Year Fixed
Up from 7.28% last week; 6.30% a year ago
15-Year Fixed
5.53% a year ago; faster payoff, lower rate
2026 Loan Limits
Conforming, San Diego County 1-unit; high-balance conforming up to $1,104,000
Payment illustration. At the countywide median of $910,000 with 20% down, a $728,000 loan (conforming) runs about $5,041 per month in principal and interest at 7.40%; at last year’s 6.30%, the same loan would have run $4,506, about $535 less. At the detached median of $1,079,000, an $863,200 loan is high-balance conforming (above the $832,750 standard limit but within $1,104,000) and runs about $5,977, versus $5,343 at last year’s rate. At the attached median of $670,000, a $536,000 loan is standard conforming and runs about $3,711, versus $3,318. Put another way, the $5,041 monthly payment on a countywide-median home today would have carried a loan of roughly $814,000 at last year’s rate. Rates vary by credit, down payment, and loan type, and with rates this high, temporary buydowns and lender credits are worth pricing out.
Good News on Both Sides of the Table
For Sellers
Where the leverage is
- Detached prices are still climbing. The detached median rose 5.8% to $1,079,000, its largest year-over-year gain in the past twelve months, and is up 3.3% year to date at $1,100,000.
- Less competition from other sellers. Detached inventory fell 12.9% to 2,950 homes and supply tightened to 2.4 months. If you own a single-family home, you are not fighting a crowd of listings.
- Detached homes sold faster and closer to asking. They went under contract in 37 days, four days quicker than last September, and sellers received 97.7% of original list price, up from 97.0%.
- Condo demand is holding for the year. Year to date, attached accepted offers are up 2.1% and closings are up 2.2%, and condo sellers received 97.2% of list, unchanged from a year ago.
- The year is still ahead. Countywide closed sales are up 0.6% year to date and the year-to-date median is up 2.8% at $925,000. One soft month has not erased that.
For Buyers
Where the openings are
- Fewer buyers are competing with you. Accepted offers fell 16.8% for detached homes and 14.4% for condos and townhomes, the steepest year-over-year declines for either segment in the past twelve months.
- The condo market has reached balance. Attached supply hit 4.0 months with inventory up 5.8% to 2,734, the clearest negotiating room in the county.
- Condo prices are flat. The attached median is $670,000, down 0.2% from a year ago, and down 0.7% year to date at $665,000.
- More single-family listings are arriving. Detached new listings rose 0.7%, the first year-over-year increase since October 2025, and total new listings rose 2.0% to 3,004.
- Time to be deliberate. Condos and townhomes averaged 44 days on market. A well-supported offer with a solid inspection period is realistic, and with rates above 7%, asking a seller for a rate buydown credit is a fair conversation.
Where the Leverage Sits: Months of Supply by Segment
Under 4 months favors sellers; 4–6 months is broadly balanced. Detached supply remains tight at 2.4 months, while attached supply sits right at the balanced threshold. Same county, two very different negotiations.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is San Diego County a buyer’s or seller’s market in September 2026?
It depends on the property type. Detached single-family homes had 2.4 months of supply in September 2026, which favors sellers. Condos and townhomes had 4.0 months of supply, the threshold of a balanced market, which gives buyers more room to negotiate. Countywide supply was 3.0 months.
Why did San Diego home sales fall in September 2026?
Pending sales (accepted offers) fell 15.9% year over year and closed sales fell 14.0%. The 30-year fixed mortgage rate moved above 7% in late September after the Federal Reserve raised its benchmark rate on September 16, and Freddie Mac reported a 7.40% average on October 8, 2026, compared with 6.30% a year earlier.
Are San Diego home prices still going up?
Yes, modestly. The countywide median sale price was $910,000 in September 2026, up 1.7% year over year. The detached median rose 5.8% to $1,079,000, while the attached median was essentially flat at $670,000 (down 0.2%). Year to date, the countywide median is up 2.8% at $925,000.
What loan limits apply in San Diego County in 2026?
For a 1-unit property, loans up to $832,750 are conforming, loans from $832,751 to $1,104,000 are high-balance conforming, and loans above $1,104,000 are jumbo. A 20% down payment on the September 2026 detached median of $1,079,000 produces an $863,200 loan, which is high-balance conforming.
Thinking About Your Next Move?
Prices holding while buyer traffic thins means your home’s value depends more than ever on its specific segment, price point, and block. Whether you are weighing a sale into tight detached inventory or buying while the condo market is balanced, I will give you a clear, no-pressure read on your situation.
Request Your Home Value ReportData source: San Diego MLS via ShowingTime Plus, LLC; Monthly Indicators report current as of October 5, 2026 (data through September 30, 2026). Prior-month figures are restated by the MLS as late-reporting sales are recorded and may differ from previously published reports. National figures from the National Association of REALTORS® and Federal Reserve context as cited in the Monthly Indicators report. Mortgage rate averages are Freddie Mac’s Primary Mortgage Market Survey for the week of October 8, 2026, and reflect national averages for borrowers with 20% down and excellent credit; rates vary by lender, credit profile, down payment, and loan amount. Consult a licensed lender for a personalized quote. Loan limits are the 2026 FHFA limits for San Diego County, 1-unit. Payment illustrations are computed at exact rates for educational purposes only and exclude taxes, insurance, HOA dues, and mortgage insurance.
Information is deemed reliable but not guaranteed. This report is for general information only and is not financial, lending, investment, or tax advice. Market conditions vary by neighborhood and change without notice. This report is not intended to solicit properties already listed. Equal Housing Opportunity. Lardner Valenzuela, REALTOR®, DRE #01836213, Coldwell Banker West, 2300 Boswell Rd, Suite 100, Chula Vista, CA 91914. © 2026 Coldwell Banker Real Estate LLC. Coldwell Banker® and the Coldwell Banker logo are registered service marks owned by Coldwell Banker Real Estate LLC. Each office is independently owned and operated.