Condo vs House
Condo vs House in San Diego, CA: What Buyers Actually Pay (2026)
Updated November 10, 2026
Reviewed by:
Head of Growth at TurboHome
Head Agent, California · CalDRE #01997822
San Diego condos lost ground while houses held: the median condo fell 3.1% year over year and the median house rose 1.7%, and condos took 14 more days to sell. From November 2025 to October 2026, the median condo in San Diego sold for $595,000 and the median house for $1,220,000. Condos cost 84% of the house price per square foot ($608 against $726), carried median HOA dues of $521 a month, and took 14 more days to sell (26 against 12).
TurboHome Market Analysis · San Diego, CA · Closings Nov 2025 to Oct 2026 · Published November 2026
Condos made up 37% of the condo and house sales in our MLS feed (2,769 against 4,814). 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 San Diego at a glance
| Measure | Condo | House | Townhouse |
|---|---|---|---|
| Closings | 2,769 | 4,814 | 833 |
| Median sale price | $595,000 | $1,220,000 | $815,000 |
| Median price per sq ft | $608 | $726 | $595 |
| Median size (sq ft) | 1,009 | 1,702 | Not reported |
| Median days on market | 26 | 12 | 19 |
| Median sale-to-list | 99.1% | 100.0% | 100.0% |
| Share closed below list | 55.7% | 46.7% | Not reported |
| Share with a price cut before sale | 35.8% | 23.4% | Not reported |
| Median monthly HOA dues | $521 (99.6% have dues) | $138 (25.3% have dues) | $455 |
What the same budget buys: condo vs house by bedroom count
| Bedrooms | Median condo price (closings) | Median house price (closings) |
|---|---|---|
| 1 bedroom | $429,950 (684) | Too few sales |
| 2 bedrooms | $620,000 (1,564) | $910,000 (538) |
| 3 bedrooms | $779,500 (402) | $1,100,000 (1,985) |
| 4 or more bedrooms | $710,000 (53) | $1,490,000 (2,273) |
The widest gap is at 4 or more bedrooms: the median condo sold for $710,000 and the median house for $1,490,000. Rows marked "Too few sales" had fewer than 20 closings of that type.
Condo neighborhoods in San Diego
Downtown San Diego had the most condo sales in our feed (459) at a median $699,900, and the slowest pace in the table, at 37 days. North Park and Navajo were the only neighborhoods where condos closed at list price (100.0%), in 17 and 24 days. In Point Loma, condos sold for a median $621,500 against $1,828,000 for houses.
| 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) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Downtown San Diego | 459 | $699,900 | $693 | 37 | 98.1% | Too few house sales |
| Uptown San Diego | 236 | $725,000 | $687 | 21.5 | 98.9% | $1,578,500 ($948) |
| Rancho Bernardo | 201 | $585,000 | $523 | 28 | 99.0% | $1,199,000 ($636) |
| Navajo | 163 | $457,500 | $514 | 24 | 100.0% | $1,110,000 ($678) |
| University City | 149 | $635,000 | $675 | 27 | 98.5% | $1,625,000 ($872) |
| Mission Valley | 136 | $557,500 | $552 | 26.5 | 98.9% | Too few house sales |
| Point Loma | 126 | $621,500 | $690 | 20 | 99.3% | $1,828,000 ($1,030) |
| North Park | 118 | $575,250 | $688 | 17 | 100.0% | $1,250,000 ($1,003) |
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 San Diego rising or falling?
The median condo price in San Diego fell 3.1% year over year, from $613,800 to $595,000, while the median house price rose 1.7% ($1,199,900 to $1,220,000). Condos took a median 26 days to sell, up from 22, and 55.7% closed below list, against 51.6% a year earlier. The median townhouse sold for $815,000, against $829,900 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 | 2,945 | 2,769 | 4,791 | 4,814 |
| Median sale price | $613,800 | $595,000 | $1,199,900 | $1,220,000 |
| Median price per sq ft | $642 | $608 | $724 | $726 |
| Median days on market | 22 | 26 | 13 | 12 |
| Median sale-to-list | 99.6% | 99.1% | 100.0% | 100.0% |
| Share closed below list | 51.6% | 55.7% | 48.0% | 46.7% |
| Share closed above list | 26.0% | 24.3% | 35.9% | 38.0% |
HOA dues and what they cover
The median condo in San Diego paid $521 a month in HOA dues, and 99.6% of condo sales had dues. The median townhouse paid $455 a month. 25.3% of houses had dues too, at a median $138 a month.
Downtown and Uptown condos are mostly in mid-rise and high-rise buildings whose dues cover staff, elevators and shared amenities, while many complexes in Mission Valley, Rancho Bernardo and Navajo are garden-style, where dues mostly go to grounds, roofs, pools and insurance. 25.3% of San Diego houses also pay dues, usually in planned communities, at a median $138 a month.
Should you buy a condo or a house in San Diego?
55.7% of condos closed below list and 35.8% had a price cut before selling, against 46.7% and 23.4% of houses. 38.0% of houses sold above list, against 24.3% of condos. The median condo closed at 97.9% of its original asking price and the median house at 99.4%. That makes condos the place to negotiate in San Diego, 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 San Diego do both, for a flat fee: see how TurboHome's flat fee works.
Methodology
We looked at closed sales in San Diego 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 San Diego.
FAQ
Why are condos in San Diego cheaper per square foot than houses?
In San Diego, condos sold for a median $608 a square foot against $726 for houses, so condo space cost 84% 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 San Diego?
The median condo in San Diego paid $521 a month in HOA dues, and 99.6% of condo sales had dues. The median townhouse paid $455 a month. 25.3% of houses had dues too, at a median $138 a month.
Do condos take longer to sell than houses in San Diego?
Yes. Condos took a median 26 days to sell from November 2025 to October 2026, against 12 for houses. A year earlier the medians were 22 and 13 days.
Is a buyer's agent rebate worth it in San Diego?
For most buyers, yes: the buyer-side commission is a percentage of the price, so the part refunded at closing grows with the price of the condo or house you buy. TurboHome is a flat-fee buyer's brokerage that refunds the rest of the buyer-side commission to you at closing. Compare the companies that refund the buyer's agent commission in California.
Is now a good time to buy a condo in San Diego?
The median condo price in San Diego fell 3.1% year over year, to $595,000, and 35.8% of condos took a price cut before selling, with 55.7% 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 San Diego
- Days on market in San Diego
- Property taxes in San Diego
- How much over asking to offer in San Diego
- San Diego housing market
- Companies that refund the buyer's agent commission in California
- How TurboHome's flat fee works
- San Diego County 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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