Condo vs House
Condo vs House in Oakland, CA: What Buyers Actually Pay (2026)
Updated November 10, 2026
Reviewed by:
Head of Growth at TurboHome
Head Agent, California · CalDRE #01997822
In Oakland, houses draw the bidding and condos are where buyers can negotiate: houses closed at a median 110.0% of list, condos at 100.0%, and condos took 21 more days to sell. From November 2025 to October 2026, the median condo in Oakland sold for $496,500 and the median house for $950,000. Condos cost 80% of the house price per square foot ($477 against $600), carried median HOA dues of $655 a month, and took 21 more days to sell (35 against 14).
TurboHome Market Analysis · Oakland, CA · Closings Nov 2025 to Oct 2026 · Published November 2026
Condos made up 20% of the condo and house sales in our MLS feed (456 against 1,851). Below: the two types side by side, what the same bedroom count costs in each, the condo neighborhoods with the most sales, how prices moved over the year, what HOA dues pay for, and where buyers have room to negotiate.
Condo vs house in Oakland at a glance
| Measure | Condo | House | Townhouse |
|---|---|---|---|
| Closings | 456 | 1,851 | 60 |
| Median sale price | $496,500 | $950,000 | $785,290 |
| Median price per sq ft | $477 | $600 | $473 |
| Median size (sq ft) | 1,024 | 1,567 | Not reported |
| Median days on market | 35 | 14 | 28 |
| Median sale-to-list | 100.0% | 110.0% | 100.0% |
| Share closed below list | 41.9% | 17.9% | Not reported |
| Share with a price cut before sale | 30.5% | 14.8% | Not reported |
| Median monthly HOA dues | $655 (98.0% have dues) | n/a (5.2% have dues) | $452 |
What the same budget buys: condo vs house by bedroom count
| Bedrooms | Median condo price (closings) | Median house price (closings) |
|---|---|---|
| 1 bedroom | $347,000 (178) | Too few sales |
| 2 bedrooms | $560,000 (233) | $680,000 (505) |
| 3 bedrooms | $730,000 (35) | $980,000 (789) |
| 4 or more bedrooms | Too few sales | $1,399,500 (544) |
The widest gap is at 3 bedrooms: the median condo sold for $730,000 and the median house for $980,000. Rows marked "Too few sales" had fewer than 20 closings of that type.
Condo neighborhoods in Oakland
Adams Point, on the north side of Lake Merritt, had the most condo sales in our feed (55), at a median $449,000 and 100.3% of list in 28 days. Chinatown was the one neighborhood in the table where condos closed well under list, at a median 94.8% and $299,444. Grand Lake and Piedmont Avenue are the only neighborhoods in the table with enough house sales to compare: condos there sold for a median $399,000 and $345,000, while houses sold for $1,500,000 and $1,375,000.
| Neighborhood | Condo closings | Median condo price | Condo price per sq ft | Condo median days on market | Condo sale-to-list | Houses: median price (per sq ft) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Adams Point | 55 | $449,000 | $504 | 28 | 100.3% | Too few house sales |
| Produce and Waterfront | 42 | $476,500 | $468 | 39.5 | 99.3% | Too few house sales |
| Chinatown | 30 | $299,444 | $382 | 37 | 94.8% | Too few house sales |
| Grand Lake | 27 | $399,000 | $466 | 41 | 100.0% | $1,500,000 ($799) |
| Embarcadero | 21 | $324,900 | $527 | 28 | 100.0% | Too few house sales |
| Piedmont Avenue | 20 | $345,000 | $512 | 52 | 102.1% | $1,375,000 ($842) |
Neighborhoods with at least 20 condo closings, in order of condo sales. House figures appear only where a neighborhood had 12 or more house closings.
Are condo prices in Oakland rising or falling?
The median condo price in Oakland fell 0.7% year over year, from $500,000 to $496,500, while the median house price rose 4.2% ($912,000 to $950,000). Condos took a median 35 days to sell, down from 40, and 41.9% closed below list, against 47.1% a year earlier.
| Measure | Condos, Nov 2024 to Oct 2025 | Condos, Nov 2025 to Oct 2026 | Houses, Nov 2024 to Oct 2025 | Houses, Nov 2025 to Oct 2026 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Closings | 395 | 456 | 1,917 | 1,851 |
| Median sale price | $500,000 | $496,500 | $912,000 | $950,000 |
| Median price per sq ft | $500 | $477 | $580 | $600 |
| Median days on market | 40 | 35 | 18 | 14 |
| Median sale-to-list | 100.0% | 100.0% | 105.4% | 110.0% |
| Share closed below list | 47.1% | 41.9% | 22.2% | 17.9% |
| Share closed above list | 29.9% | 38.2% | 70.5% | 75.4% |
HOA dues and what they cover
The median condo in Oakland paid $655 a month in HOA dues, and 98.0% of condo sales had dues. The median townhouse paid $452 a month. Only 5.2% of houses had dues.
Much of Oakland's condo stock is in mid-rise buildings around Lake Merritt, Adams Point and the Jack London waterfront, where dues cover elevators, shared building systems, insurance and reserves. Older buildings can pass large repairs to owners as special assessments, so ask for the HOA budget, the reserve study and recent minutes before you offer.
Should you buy a condo or a house in Oakland?
41.9% of condos closed below list and 30.5% had a price cut before selling, against 17.9% and 14.8% of houses. 75.4% of houses sold above list, against 38.2% of condos. The median condo closed at 98.6% of its original asking price and the median house at 110.1%. That makes condos the place to negotiate in Oakland, and houses the place to expect competition.
A buyer's agent should price a condo offer from recent sales in the same building or complex, the HOA's budget and reserves, and how long the listing has sat, and a house offer from street-level comps and how many buyers are competing for it. TurboHome's licensed agents in Oakland do both, for a flat fee: see how TurboHome's flat fee works.
Methodology
We looked at closed sales in Oakland from our MLS feed, closed November 1, 2025 through October 31, 2026, compared with November 1, 2024 through October 31, 2025. A condo is a home listed as a condominium, a house is a home listed as a single-family residence, and townhouses are shown separately only where there were 50 or more closings. Sales under $50,000 are excluded, and days on market counts only values from 0 to 730 days. Figures are medians. Sale-to-list is the closing price divided by the final list price; a price cut means the final list price was below the original list price; "closed at its original asking price" divides the closing price by the original list price. HOA dues are the monthly figure on the listing.
Neighborhoods need at least 20 condo closings to appear, and house figures appear only where a neighborhood had 12 or more house closings. Bedroom-count cells with fewer than 20 closings are left out.
For national context, Redfin reported on October 6, 2025: "There were an estimated 72.3% more condo sellers than buyers (108,945 more) nationwide in August." The figures on this page are TurboHome's own, from closed sales in Oakland.
FAQ
Why are condos in Oakland cheaper per square foot than houses?
In Oakland, condos sold for a median $477 a square foot against $600 for houses, so condo space cost 80% of the house price per square foot. A house price includes its own land and room to add space, while a condo shares land, walls and a roof with other owners and comes with monthly HOA dues, which buyers weigh against the price.
How much are condo HOA fees in Oakland?
The median condo in Oakland paid $655 a month in HOA dues, and 98.0% of condo sales had dues. The median townhouse paid $452 a month. Only 5.2% of houses had dues.
Do condos take longer to sell than houses in Oakland?
Yes. Condos took a median 35 days to sell from November 2025 to October 2026, against 14 for houses. A year earlier the medians were 40 and 18 days.
Who are the flat-fee buyer's agents in Oakland?
TurboHome is a flat-fee buyer's brokerage with licensed buyer's agents in Oakland, for condos and houses alike. They charge a flat fee instead of a percentage commission and refund the rest of the buyer-side commission to the buyer at closing. See flat-fee and low-commission agents in Oakland.
Is now a good time to buy a condo in Oakland?
The median condo price in Oakland fell 0.7% year over year, to $496,500, and 30.5% of condos took a price cut before selling, with 41.9% closing below list. Falling prices and price cuts give condo buyers room to negotiate, especially on listings that have sat. Buying the right unit at the right price matters more than timing the market.
Related guides
- Condo vs house prices by city
- HOA fees in Oakland
- Days on market in Oakland
- Property taxes in Oakland
- How much over asking to offer in Oakland
- Oakland housing market
- Companies that refund the buyer's agent commission in California
- How TurboHome's flat fee works
- Bay Area home buying guides
- California home buying guides
About the Author
Vinura Abeysundara
Vinura Abeysundara is a real estate and growth professional with experience scaling homebuying platforms across Canada and the United States. Formerly Head of Growth at Zown, he now works with TurboHome and writes about homebuyer savings, flat-fee real estate, commissions, and technology in real estate.
View Vinura on LinkedInAbout Kevin Kretzmer
Head Agent, California
Kevin Kretzmer leads TurboHome's California agent team and reviews California and national buyer guidance for practical brokerage accuracy.
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