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Featured local agent — California
Sarah Mitchell
Compass Real Estate · California
“Your trusted relocation specialist since 2009. 350+ homes sold. Zero-pressure, data-first approach.”
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California housing market
How is the California housing market trending?
The median home sale price in California is $887,400, a +3.4% change from a year ago. Homes sell in an average of 33 days with 78,189 active listings statewide. Properties Incorporated tracks 1,378 cities across California with monthly market data from Redfin and Zillow plus Census demographic context. (Source: Redfin monthly MLS data + Zillow Research — the most recent releases; Redfin publishes each month's data on a ~6-week lag — as of May 2026.)
What are California's key housing stats?
Latest monthly print: May 2026
Median sale price
$887,400
+3.4% YoY
Days on market
33
statewide average
Active listings
78,189
3.2 months supply
30-yr mortgage rate
6.66%
national, weekly
Sale-to-list ratio
100.7%
above asking on average
What is the California housing market like right now?
California's housing market spans 1,378 cities tracked by Properties Incorporated, from dense metropolitan cores to small rural markets. Conditions vary widely within the state — a single statewide number hides the spread between fast-moving urban markets and quieter inland towns — but the rollup figures above give a useful baseline for anyone evaluating a move, an investment, or a refinance in California.
The Zillow Home Value Index for California stands at $775,549, reflecting a -0.4% change over the past year. ZHVI tracks the typical home value across the full distribution of homes — not just transacted sales — so it captures shifts in California's broader housing stock as well as recent buyer activity.
California's months-of-supply reading is 3.2, under the 4-month threshold most analysts use to classify a seller's market. Buyers should expect competition and tight inventory in active price bands.
Which cities lead the California housing market?
1,378 markets tracked — sorted by population
How do California cities rank by price and growth?
Top markets by price, growth, and velocity — within the largest cities in the state
Most expensive
- 1.La Cañada Flintridge$2.95M
- 2.Castle Hill$1.85M
- 3.Calabasas$1.84M
- 4.Bonita$1.21M
- 5.Morada$1.19M
- 6.Granite Hills$960,900
- 7.Anaheim$955,000
- 8.Carmet$940,000
Most affordable
- 1.Willow Creek$170,000
- 2.Challenge-Brownsville$305,000
- 3.Tuolumne City$317,500
- 4.Porterville$360,000
- 5.Bangor$397,000
- 6.Redding$400,000
- 7.Madera$408,000
- 8.Bakersfield$421,000
Biggest price gains (YoY)
- 1.Diamond Springs+85.1%
- 2.Morada+42.9%
- 3.Rough & Ready+16.9%
- 4.La Cañada Flintridge+15.7%
- 5.Piñon Hills+14.3%
- 6.Imperial+11.5%
- 7.Calabasas+11.4%
- 8.Vandenberg Village+9.9%
Biggest price drops (YoY)
- 1.Bangor-46.4%
- 2.Willow Creek-42.8%
- 3.Granite Hills-34.8%
- 4.Auburn-20.8%
- 5.Castle Hill-14.5%
- 6.Santee-12.8%
- 7.Oakley-10.3%
- 8.Ukiah-8.1%
Fastest-selling
Rankings drawn from the most recent monthly Redfin print across the largest 50 cities by population in California.
How do current mortgage rates affect California home buyers?
The current 30-year fixed mortgage rate sits at 6.66%. For a buyer purchasing the California median-priced home at $887,400 with a 20% down payment, the monthly principal-and-interest payment works out to roughly $4,562 — before taxes, insurance, HOA fees, or private mortgage insurance.
That payment shifts meaningfully with rate moves: a half-point swing on a $709,920 loan changes the monthly bill by roughly $75 to $100. Buyers locking in today should also budget for property taxes and homeowners insurance, both of which can add hundreds per month and vary by county. Model your specific scenario in the mortgage calculator. For where rates and prices are headed next, see our 2026 national forecast comparison.
How do you research California real estate?
Every California city page includes the same metric set as the statewide rollup above — median sale price, year-over-year change, days on market, active inventory, sale-to-list ratio — plus current listings drawn from public MLS feeds, Census Bureau demographic context, and a market-verdict assessment of where the balance currently sits between buyers and sellers.
When you're evaluating a move into California or considering an investment property, three resources work well together: the mortgage calculator for payment math, the affordability tool to back into a target price from income, and the city comparison tool for side-by-side analysis of two finalist markets. Pair them with individual city profiles for the deepest read. For market trend analysis and buying guides, the Properties Incorporated blog covers California housing trends, first-time buyer guides, and investment analysis updated monthly.
Key questions about California real estate
What is the median home price in California?
The median sale price in California is $887,400 as of May 2026, a +3.4% change from a year earlier.
How is the California housing market right now?
As of the most recent monthly print, homes in California are spending about 33 days on the market with roughly 78,189 active listings statewide. Months of supply sits at 3.2 — under 4 months typically favors sellers, over 6 months favors buyers.
Which California cities are most affordable?
The most affordable cities in California by median sale price include Willow Creek, Challenge-Brownsville, Tuolumne City, Porterville, Bangor. Each city page breaks down price, days on market, and recent listings.
Which California cities are most expensive?
The highest median-price cities tracked in California include La Cañada Flintridge, Castle Hill, Calabasas, Bonita, Morada. Price-per-square-foot, inventory levels, and year-over-year change are listed on each city page.
Which California cities are seeing the biggest price increases?
Year-over-year price growth leaders in California include Diamond Springs (+85.1%), Morada (+42.9%), Rough & Ready (+16.9%), La Cañada Flintridge (+15.7%), Piñon Hills (+14.3%). Strong gains can reflect supply constraints, inbound migration, or a combination — read each city page for context.
How long do homes in California take to sell?
The statewide average is roughly 33 days on market. Velocity varies sharply between cities — Willow Creek averages just 1 days, while smaller markets tend to see longer marketing periods.
How does California compare to the national housing market?
California's market data is reported alongside national benchmarks so you can see how the state stacks up. Median price and YoY are shown on each city page.
What is the current 30-year mortgage rate, and what does it mean for California buyers?
The current 30-year fixed mortgage rate is approximately 6.66%. A buyer purchasing a California-median home with 20% down would face roughly $4,562 per month in principal and interest, before taxes, insurance, or HOA fees. Use the mortgage calculator to model your specific numbers.
Is California a good place to invest in real estate?
Whether California fits your investment thesis depends on time horizon, target city, and whether you're optimizing for cash flow or appreciation. Use the city rankings above — particularly the price-growth and days-on-market columns — to identify markets aligned with your strategy, then drill into the city profile for inventory, demographics, and recent sales context.
How do I get started buying a home in California?
Start with a target city (use the rankings above to narrow), then review that city's profile for median price, inventory, and current listings. Run the numbers through the mortgage calculator using today's rate to see what payment fits your budget, and compare two finalists side-by-side using the city comparison tool.
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