Published October 5, 2026 in Market Update

San Diego rents eased, but buying still looks very different by area

By Cynthia Summerfield

Real estate, San Diego

Realtor.com reported that the median asking rent in the San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad area was $2,679 in August 2026, down 2.4% from a year earlier. For renters weighing a purchase, that is a small but real shift in the monthly math. For owners, it is a reminder that the rental market and the for-sale market are not moving together across San Diego right now.

The national picture adds context. Realtor.com put the national median asking rent for studios through two-bedroom homes across the 50 largest metros at $1,699 in August 2026. San Diego sits well above that. The for-sale side has its own pressure point: CNBC reported the average 30-year fixed rate rose to 7.30% as of September 30, 2026. Realtor.com also noted that mortgage rates topped 7% in September 2026 for the first time since January 2025.

Those national trends set the backdrop. But the Real Estate Data Aggregator's counts for the three months ending July 31, 2026 show that what is happening ZIP code to ZIP code in San Diego can look very different from any metro-wide number.

Where buyers competed hardest

ZIP code 92105, which covers the City Heights and East San Diego area, stood out in the Real Estate Data Aggregator's numbers. More than half of homes, 51.6%, sold above list price in the three months ending July 31, 2026. The median sale price was $740,000, up 10.9% from the same period a year earlier. The average sale-to-list ratio came in at 100.6%, meaning sellers were, on average, getting slightly more than they asked.

ZIP 92117, covering the Clairemont Mesa area, was close behind. The Real Estate Data Aggregator counted 41.7% of homes selling above list there, with a median sale price of $1,150,000, up 11.1% year over year. Inventory fell sharply, down 26.3%, and the median home sold in just 15 days. Half of all listings went under contract within two weeks.

Where the market moved more slowly

The picture in ZIP 92101, which covers much of downtown San Diego, was different. The Real Estate Data Aggregator counted 327 homes for sale there, up 13.9% from a year earlier, and the median days on market was 58 days. Only 8% of homes sold above list price, and just 13.6% went under contract within two weeks of listing. Months of supply reached 7.3, up 1.2 months from a year before. The median sale price was $719,000, up 2.8% year over year, so prices held, but sellers had to wait longer and accept offers closer to their asking price.

A closer look at several ZIP codes

ZIP 92116, covering the Adams Avenue and Kensington area, also moved quickly. The Real Estate Data Aggregator showed a median of just 15 days on market, 13 days shorter than a year ago. The median sale price was $1,250,000, up 8.7%. Nearly 4 in 10 homes, 39.7%, sold above list, up 14.3 points year over year.

In ZIP 92122, which covers University City near UTC, the median sale price fell 13.9% year over year to $900,000, per the Real Estate Data Aggregator. That is a meaningful dip. At the same time, 44% of homes went under contract within two weeks, up 15.8 points. More inventory came to market, up 23.4% in new listings, and buyers moved on the homes they wanted. Not every number pointed the same direction.

OB, covered by ZIP 92107, saw the median sale price rise 12% year over year to $1,400,000, according to the Real Estate Data Aggregator. Inventory dropped 14.5%, and sales volume rose 22.4%. Days on market were 31, five days longer than a year ago, so it was not instant. But the price growth was real.

What the rent number means for buyers and owners

Realtor.com reported the San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad median asking rent at $2,679 in August 2026. That is down 2.4% from a year earlier. For a buyer on the fence, a lower rent bill reduces one pressure to move. For an owner thinking about selling, it is worth knowing that the rental market is softening while some for-sale ZIP codes are holding firm or rising.

Realtor.com put the San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad median home price at $888,450 in September 2026. Redfin put the San Diego metro median at $965,000 as of October 2, 2026, and noted homes are selling 8 days faster than last year. Redfin also reported the Hillcrest area, ZIP 92103, at a median home price of $997,500 as of October 2, 2026. The Real Estate Data Aggregator counted a median sale price of $1,055,000 in that same ZIP for the three months ending July 31, 2026, a reminder that the timing and method of each measure shapes the number you see. These wider metro numbers smooth over the real differences between ZIP codes.

The Federal Housing Finance Agency reported U.S. house prices rose 2.6% from July 2025 to July 2026, and 0.3% from the prior month on a seasonally adjusted basis. San Diego's own numbers, across most ZIP codes, ran ahead of that national pace.

The numbers that did not all move together

A few ZIP codes showed prices down year over year while buyer activity held or rose. In ZIP 92124, covering Tierrasanta, the Real Estate Data Aggregator showed the median sale price down 11.2% to $866,000, yet half of all homes went under contract within two weeks, up 10 points from a year ago. In ZIP 92110, covering Mission Hills and Linda Vista, the median fell 9% to $753,000, but days on market dropped 6 days and 31% of homes went under contract within two weeks. Price and pace do not always move in the same direction.

ZIP 92102, covering South Park and parts of Golden Hill, showed a median sale price of $959,500, up 32.8% year over year. That is a large jump, but the Real Estate Data Aggregator counted only 38 homes sold, so a small number of transactions can move the median significantly in a ZIP with low volume.

These numbers cover the three months ending July 31, 2026. One street can read differently from the whole ZIP code. If you want to know where your address sits against what actually sold nearby, send me a note.