San Diego · Market Guide
What the numbers in a San Diego housing report mean, which ones to trust, and where the official data lives.
How to read the San Diego market
Read San Diego housing data one property type and one area at a time, over several months, never a single month. Median price tells you what a typical sale looked like; price per square foot is a steadier read on value; days on market and months of supply tell you who has the leverage. The most reliable public figures come from the Greater San Diego Association of REALTORS, the California Association of REALTORS and the San Diego County Assessor/Recorder/County Clerk.
Read direction, not decimals. Any one month moves with which homes happen to close. A few large coastal sales can lift a median; a run of condo closings can pull it down. Compare the same month a year earlier, or a rolling three to six months, before drawing a conclusion.
The core metrics, defined
What each number measures and how to read it
| Metric | What it measures | How to read it |
|---|---|---|
| Median price | The middle sale price of homes that closed in the period: half sold for more, half for less. | Shifts with the mix of homes that sold, not only with value. Best read year over year, by property type. |
| Price per sq ft | Sale price divided by the home’s living area. | Adjusts for size, so it is usually steadier than the median. Lot size, views and condition still skew it. |
| Days on market | How long homes took to sell, measured from listing to contract or to close depending on the report. | Rising days point to more buyer leverage; falling days, to more seller leverage. Check which definition the source uses. |
| Active listings | Homes on the market and available at a point in time. | A snapshot of choice for buyers. Seasonal, so compare to the same time last year. |
| Months of supply | Active listings divided by the average number of monthly sales. | How long current inventory would last at the current pace. Fewer months favors sellers; more months favors buyers. |
| Homes sold | The number of closed sales in the period. | Low counts make every other figure jumpier. The smaller the area, the longer the window you need. |
None of these numbers means much alone. A rising median with rising days on market is a different story from a rising median with homes selling in a weekend. Read price, pace and supply together, and always ask what property type and what area the figure covers.
Closed sales also lag the market. A sale that closes this month usually went under contract weeks earlier, so the latest closed figures describe decisions buyers and sellers made a month or two ago.
Why San Diego has to be read in pieces
The comparisons that matter
| Split | Why it matters | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| Detached vs attached | Houses and condos or townhomes sell to different buyers at different price points, and attached homes carry HOA dues. | Never combine them. Use reports that separate detached and attached sales. |
| Coastal vs inland | Homes west of Interstate 5 sit inside the Coastal Zone and the 30-foot coastal height limit, with a different buyer and a different cost of ownership. | Compare coastal homes with coastal homes, and inland with inland. |
| Neighborhood and era | A Mission Hills Spanish Revival, a North Park bungalow and a Clairemont ranch house are different products. | Narrow to the neighborhood, then to similar age, style and size. |
| City vs county | The City of San Diego is one of 18 incorporated cities in San Diego County, and many reports are countywide. | Check whether a figure covers the county, the city, or a zip code. |
A countywide median blends everything from inland condos to oceanfront estates. It is useful for direction, and almost useless for pricing a specific house. The closer the comparison is to your home in type, location and condition, the more it tells you.
Where the official data lives
Public sources for San Diego housing figures
| Source | What it publishes | Where |
|---|---|---|
| Greater San Diego Association of REALTORS (SDAR) | Monthly housing statistics from the local MLS, by area, for detached and attached homes. | SDAR market reports |
| California Association of REALTORS (C.A.R.) | Monthly statewide and county sales and median price data, affordability indexes and historical series. | C.A.R. market data |
| San Diego County Assessor/Recorder/County Clerk | Ownership, assessed values, parcel maps, property characteristics and recorded documents for individual properties. | County property records |
Price, pace and supply, one property type and one place at a time.
What is the best single number for judging San Diego home values?
No single number does the job, but price per square foot over several months, for one property type in one area, is usually steadier than the median sale price. The median shifts with which homes happen to sell; price per square foot adjusts for size. Read both alongside days on market and months of supply.
Where can I find official San Diego housing statistics?
The Greater San Diego Association of REALTORS publishes monthly statistics from the local MLS, broken out by area and by detached and attached homes. The California Association of REALTORS publishes monthly county-level sales and median price data and historical series. For a specific property, the San Diego County Assessor/Recorder/County Clerk holds ownership, assessed value and recorded sale documents.
Why do condos and houses in San Diego need to be read separately?
Attached homes such as condos and townhomes and detached single-family houses sell to different buyers at different price points, and attached homes carry HOA dues that affect what a buyer can pay. Combining them into one median hides both trends, so every useful San Diego report separates them.
For San Diego Buyers and Sellers
Want a read on your home or your search?
Public reports describe the market. A valuation describes your house. Debbie Pisaro represents buyers and sellers in San Diego and across California, and prepares every valuation by hand. Many of the homes she sells never reach the open market.
Reach DebbieDebbie Pisaro, California real estate agent, DRE #01369110, is a 24-year California real estate veteran, an Inman Luxury Leader and the founder of Coastline 840. Coastline 840 is a brand of Side, Inc., CA DRE #02014153, responsible broker. This page explains how to read housing data; it does not report current figures. More at debbiepisaro.com and coastline840.com, and in the San Diego real estate guide and seller guide. DRE #01369110 · Coastline 840 · Side, Inc. DRE #02014153