A person types on a smartphone beside a laptop displaying a long list of data.

For the Data Nerds

ADVICE Josh Taylor. March 9, 2026

If you like to look at the numbers before the noise, here’s the quick read on San Diego last month.

Across the county, detached homes hit a median price of about $1,089,795, up roughly 2.1% year over year. Attached homes landed around $660,000, slightly down year over year.

Homes are still selling, but buyers are taking a little more time. Detached homes averaged about 41 days on market, and attached homes were closer to 50 days.

Inventory is also noticeably higher than last year, which is one of the reasons buyers feel like they have a little more breathing room right now.

But San Diego is never just one market. It really behaves like a collection of smaller markets, and each area is moving a little differently.

Here’s the quick regional snapshot.


Coastal North County

Median price for detached homes sits around $1.7M.

This area continues to be one of the strongest performing parts of the county. Inventory is still relatively tight near the coast, and lifestyle driven buyers continue to compete for well located homes.

The homes that are dialed in are still moving quickly. Anything overpriced tends to sit, because buyers here are very tuned into value.

My take:
Lifestyle markets like Encinitas, Carlsbad, Del Mar, and Solana Beach tend to stay resilient because buyers are not just buying a house, they are buying the location and lifestyle.


Metro San Diego

Median detached price is roughly $1.0M to $1.1M depending on the neighborhood.

This includes areas like North Park, South Park, Mission Hills, Hillcrest, Point Loma, and parts of Clairemont.

Metro has seen more inventory come online, which means buyers have more options than they did a year ago. Homes that are updated and priced correctly are still attracting strong interest, while homes that need work or feel overpriced are taking longer.

My take:
Metro is probably the most balanced part of the market right now. Buyers have choices, but good homes still move.


East County

Median detached price sits around $750K to $800K depending on the submarket.

East County has seen some of the largest inventory increases year over year, which has slowed things slightly compared to the frenzy a few years ago.

That said, affordability compared to the rest of San Diego keeps demand steady, especially from first time buyers and people moving inland for more space.

My take:
This is where buyers tend to find the most negotiating room right now, especially on homes that have been sitting a bit.


North County Inland

Median detached prices hover around $1.1M to $1.2M.

Areas like Poway, Rancho Bernardo, San Marcos, and Escondido continue to see steady demand, particularly from families looking for schools, larger homes, and quieter neighborhoods.

Inventory has ticked up here as well, but homes that are well presented and in good school districts are still attracting attention.

My take:
Family driven markets remain pretty stable because demand for space and schools does not disappear.


My Overall Take

More inventory.
More selective buyers.
A little more patience required.

But the homes that make sense are still getting attention.

This is not a market falling apart. It is a market that is becoming more rational again.

And honestly, that is usually where the best opportunities start to show up.

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