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San Diego market pulse

Real public data for San Diego's ZIP codes, updated as the agencies publish.

Metro prices

Past change, not a forecast.

Data table
San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA metro: FHFA house price index, 2016 Q2 to 2026 Q2
QuarterIndexChange since 2016 Q2
2016 Q2279.1—
2016 Q3281.7+0.9%
2016 Q4283.6+1.6%
2017 Q1293.0+5.0%
2017 Q2302.6+8.4%
2017 Q3308.1+10%
2017 Q4307.6+10%
2018 Q1314.2+13%
2018 Q2318.8+14%
2018 Q3322.3+15%
2018 Q4319.4+14%
2019 Q1319.3+14%
2019 Q2328.5+18%
2019 Q3332.9+19%
2019 Q4332.5+19%
2020 Q1340.8+22%
2020 Q2353.2+27%
2020 Q3360.2+29%
2020 Q4378.1+35%
2021 Q1395.9+42%
2021 Q2427.0+53%
2021 Q3441.3+58%
2021 Q4455.4+63%
2022 Q1484.8+74%
2022 Q2504.4+81%
2022 Q3475.7+70%
2022 Q4463.6+66%
2023 Q1478.1+71%
2023 Q2493.2+77%
2023 Q3501.1+80%
2023 Q4516.4+85%
2024 Q1520.4+86%
2024 Q2533.9+91%
2024 Q3534.1+91%
2024 Q4534.9+92%
2025 Q1532.4+91%
2025 Q2538.7+93%
2025 Q3534.7+92%
2025 Q4523.9+88%
2026 Q1530.0+90%
2026 Q2539.8+93%

Each index has its own base, so compare its changes, not its level.

Details

FHFA's purchase-only index for San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA: repeat sales of the same houses, from mortgages Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac purchased or securitized. It isn't seasonally adjusted, so each span starts in the quarter it ends.

ZIP by ZIP

One-year ZIP changes are noisy: of last year's top-3 ZIPs in our 50 cities, 1 in 15 was top 3 again. Past change, not a forecast.

Loading the ZIP figures…
About these figures

FHFA's experimental ZIP house price index: houses with Fannie Mae or Freddie Mac loans, from sales and refinance appraisals. Condos, co-ops and multi-unit buildings aren't in it. 32 of San Diego's 40 ZIPs have an index; FHFA publishes one only where enough sales exist. A ZIP whose index stops before the latest year shows the year it ends instead of changes. Each index has its own base, so compare a ZIP's changes, not its level.

Rent or buy here

EstimateMonthly housing payment (est.): 20% down · 30-year fixed at 7.03% (Freddie Mac average) · 360 monthly loan payments of $5,333 · APR not calculated (it depends on the lender's fees) · includes principal and interest, property tax, home insurance and any HOA dues, plus mortgage insurance below 20% down.7.03% is Freddie Mac's average 30-year fixed rate for the week of Sep 24, 2026, for buyers with 20% down and excellent credit. It isn't an offer or an APR.Source: Freddie Mac Primary Mortgage Market Survey · Sep 24, 2026 (opens in a new tab)$1,695

a month more to own a typical sample home than HUD's rent for its size, ZIP 92128

Own: 3-bedroom sample house, $999,000Sample: fictional home, for the demo.
EstimateMonthly housing payment (est.): 20% down · 30-year fixed at 7.03% (Freddie Mac average) · 360 monthly loan payments of $5,333 · APR not calculated (it depends on the lender's fees) · includes principal and interest, property tax, home insurance and any HOA dues, plus mortgage insurance below 20% down.7.03% is Freddie Mac's average 30-year fixed rate for the week of Sep 24, 2026, for buyers with 20% down and excellent credit. It isn't an offer or an APR.Source: Freddie Mac Primary Mortgage Market Survey · Sep 24, 2026 (opens in a new tab)$6,485 a monthNot included: upkeep, utilities, flood insurance, special assessments.
Rent: HUD fair market rent, 3 bedrooms
$4,790 a monthHUD Small Area Fair Market Rent, FY2027: a 40th-percentile rent for a standard home, utilities included. Not an asking rent.
See this sample home

Lending

2025 home-purchase loans (first liens) on owner-occupied 1–4 unit homes in San Diego's census tracts: 6,544 loans. Loans that closed, not offers: a rate depends on your credit, down payment, points and the day you lock it.

Middle half of rates
6.25% to 6.875%
Loan costs at closing
$8,484 medianMiddle half $6,556 to $12,556: origination charges (points included) and settlement services, Closing Disclosure section D · 4,999 loans
Loan limits, 2026
$1,104,000 conformingAbove it, a jumbo loan with its own rates and rules; FHA limit $1,104,000 (one-unit home, San Diego County). Limits set by FHFA and HUD.
More lending figures
Borrowed, every loan on the home combined
80% of the value (median)Middle half 70% to 92.2%. 38.8% of buyers borrowed more than 80% of the value, 25.9% more than 90%, 17.7% more than 95%. HMDA's combined loan-to-value counts every loan on the home (second loans, down-payment-assistance loans, financed FHA or VA fees) against the value the lender used, so it doesn't show the cash buyers put down · 6,216 loans
Loan types
Conventional 78.1% · FHA 7.2%VA 14.7% · USDA 0%
Discount points
39.8% of loans paid pointsMedian paid: $3,544. Points buy a lower rate.

For comparison: 7.03% is Freddie Mac's average 30-year fixed rate for the week of Sep 24, 2026, for buyers with 20% down and excellent credit. It isn't an offer or an APR.

Flood and insurance

Federal flood insurance
2,732 policies in force · 554 claims since 2000FEMA National Flood Insurance Program, summed over 40 ZIPs (policies in force Jun 30, 2026; claims since 2000). Private flood policies aren't counted.
Policies insurers didn't renew
1.2% in the median ZIPU.S. Treasury Federal Insurance Office, 2022.

Most homeowners policies exclude flood, so flood insurance is a separate policy. Source: FEMA FloodSmart: What is my flood risk?, retrieved 2026-10-09 (opens in a new tab) Check an address on FEMA's flood map (opens in a new tab)

County hazard ratings (FEMA)

Natural hazards, compared with other U.S. counties

  • San Diego County, CA: expected yearly losses rated very high for earthquake, wildfire, inland flooding; expected yearly losses rated relatively high for heat wave.
    Other ratings for San Diego County, CA
    • HurricaneVery Low
    • Coastal floodingRelatively Moderate
    • TornadoRelatively Moderate
    • Winter weatherRelatively Low
    • HailRelatively Moderate

FEMA National Risk Index December 2025: Expected Annual Loss rating of each hazard, by county (NRI December 2025): expected annual losses to buildings, people and agriculture; FEMA's social-vulnerability adjustments aren't included. This describes each county, not one home. Check an address on FEMA's flood map; in a high-risk flood zone, a federally backed loan requires flood insurance.

What's new in San Diego

Rail openings, zoning changes and big projects from primary sources, newest first. News, not a price forecast.

  1. Zoning change

    SB79 transit-oriented housing rules take effect

    Eligible mapped sites in this urban transit county may use state density, height and floor-area standards. Local exemptions and alternative plans matter; proximity alone does not imply a fixed number of homes.

    California HCD, SB 79 Transit-Oriented Development (opens in a new tab)
  2. Zoning change

    2026 ADU rules clarify combinations and JADU occupancy

    The HCD March 2026 handbook explains combining converted, junior and detached ADUs. A JADU with its own bathroom no longer requires owner-occupancy; shared-bathroom JADUs do. These are conditional rights, not permit guarantees.

    California HCD, ADU Handbook (Gov. Code §§66314, 66323, 66333) (opens in a new tab)
  3. Zoning change

    Pre-approved ADU plans get a statewide review pathway

    AB1332 required local ADU pre-approval programs by this date. A pre-approved plan still needs site-specific checks, utilities and a building permit.

    California HCD, ADU Handbook (Gov. Code §§66314, 66323, 66333) (opens in a new tab)

Rules in California

From state law, standard contract forms and local custom. Research, not legal advice.

ClosingRule
An escrow company runs the closing and holds the money.
Seller's disclosureRule
Real Estate Transfer Disclosure Statement (TDS) plus Natural Hazard Disclosure You may cancel within 5 days in some cases: a required disclosure delivered after the offer is signed: 5 days if e-delivered or mailed, 3 days if handed over in person.
Closing taxesRule
San Diego County documentary transfer tax: 0.11% of the price · seller pays
How buying works in California
Who runs the closing
An escrow company runs the closing and holds the money. Typical time from contract to keys: about 30 days.
The contract
Your signed offer becomes a binding contract once the seller accepts it.
Details

C.A.R. California Residential Purchase Agreement and Joint Escrow Instructions (RPA)

Buyer agreement
C.A.R. Buyer Representation and Broker Compensation Agreement, signed before touring.
Details

State law: signed as soon as practicable and no later than the buyer's offer, 3 months at most, no automatic renewal (Civil Code 1670.50). NAR's 2024 rule moves it before the first tour.

Source: Cal. Civil Code §1670.50 (AB 2992) buyer-broker agreements (effective 2025-01-01, retrieved 2026-09-27)

Inspection
About 17 days for inspections.
Details

RPA default investigation contingency: 17 days; removed in writing (C.A.R. form CR).

Earnest money
1–3% of the price, due within 3 business days, held by: Escrow holder.
Details

RPA ¶3D(1): delivered within 3 business days after acceptance, usually by wire. Typical % is a sample.

Seller's disclosure
Real Estate Transfer Disclosure Statement (TDS) plus Natural Hazard Disclosure You may cancel within 5 days in some cases: a required disclosure delivered after the offer is signed: 5 days if e-delivered or mailed, 3 days if handed over in person.
Details

Civil Code 1102.3: the buyer may terminate by written notice; most disclosures now arrive electronically.

Source: Cal. Civil Code §1102.3 late-disclosure termination right (retrieved 2026-09-27)

Loan and appraisal
Loan contingency: 17 days (set in the contract).
Details

RPA defaults: loan and appraisal contingencies 17 days each. The 2026 RPA adds an optional appraisal-gap clause: the buyer covers a stated shortfall before the contingency applies.

Title insurance
Who pays for the owner's policy varies; the contract decides.
Details

Custom by county: seller pays in Los Angeles, San Diego, Fresno, Kern, Sacramento and Santa Clara; buyer pays in Alameda and San Francisco (Old Republic Title chart, secondary).

Property tax for a new owner
Proposition 13: you're assessed at the purchase price, then at most 2% more a year. About 1.3% of the price a year is our planning figure for San Diego; your bill can differ.
Details

Prop 13: the sale resets the assessed value to the price; 1% base rate plus voter-approved debt (about 1.15–1.3% in the covered cities), then at most 2% growth a year. A supplemental bill follows closing; parcel taxes and Mello-Roos are extra.

Prop 13: the purchase price becomes the assessed value. City of San Diego tax rate area 08001 (the most common city rate), FY 2025-26: 1.25114%. Flat parcel taxes, direct assessments and Mello-Roos (common in newer subdivisions) are extra and not included.

Agent credits to the buyer
California allows an agent to credit part of their pay to the buyer, with the lender's approval.
Details

Legal when disclosed to the seller and the lender and paid through escrow (DRE Reference Book ch. 10).

Source: California DRE Reference Book, ch. 10 (Agency): rebates to the buyer must be disclosed (retrieved 2026-09-27)

Some of these facts rest on secondary sources (a law firm, title company or reference site, not the law or the form itself): C.A.R. RPA defaults: 17-day contingencies, deposit in 3 business days (secondary: Greiner Law); June 2026 C.A.R. form changes incl. RPA appraisal-gap option (secondary); Old Republic Title, Guide to California closing costs (who pays, by county; secondary); Old Republic Title, Guide to California closing costs: who pays, county and city transfer taxes (secondary).

Closing taxes

Closing taxes in San Diego, who customarily pays and the rate
TaxCustomarily paid byRate
San Diego County documentary transfer taxSeller0.11% of the priceOld Republic Title, Guide to California closing costs: who pays, county and city transfer taxes (secondary)
Sources (12)

Programs and deadlines

Official pages for San Diego, the same for every buyer. Each program decides who qualifies.

Down-payment help
MyHome Assistance Program (opens in a new tab) (California Housing Finance Agency (CalHFA))A deferred-payment loan for the down payment or closing costs: up to 3.5% of the price or appraised value (whichever is less) with a CalHFA FHA loan, or 3% with a CalHFA conventional loan.Official page, checked 2026-09-28.California's housing finance agency runs it; the program decides who qualifies and for how much.
Down-payment help in San Diego
First-Time Homebuyer Programs (opens in a new tab) (San Diego Housing Commission)Deferred-payment loans and homeownership grants for low- and moderate-income first-time homebuyers.Official page, checked 2026-09-28.
Homestead exemption
Homeowners' Exemption (opens in a new tab) (California State Board of Equalization)A $7,000 reduction in the taxable value of a home that was the owner's principal residence on January 1; file once with the county assessor (form BOE-266).Deadline: February 15, for the full exemption that yearOfficial page, checked 2026-09-28.
If you disagree with your assessment
Assessment Appeals (opens in a new tab) (San Diego County Clerk of the Board of Supervisors)File an Assessment Appeal Application with the Clerk of the Board; you can also ask the Assessor's Office for a free informal review.When: July 2 through November 30 (regular filing season)Official page, checked 2026-09-28.
After you buy: alerts on your deed
Owner Alert (opens in a new tab) (San Diego County Assessor/Recorder/County Clerk)A free service that emails you right away when a document is recorded that may affect your property.Official page, checked 2026-09-28.

Sample homes in San Diego, each with its estimated monthly cost and the things to check. Found one somewhere else? Check it here.

Sources (35)