Condo vs House
Condo vs House in San Francisco, CA: What Buyers Actually Pay (2026)
Updated November 10, 2026
Reviewed by:
Head of Growth at TurboHome
Head Agent, California · CalDRE #01997822
Condos are the only part of the San Francisco market that is not a bidding war: the median condo closed at 101.2% of list, against 123.5% for houses. From November 2025 to October 2026, the median condo in San Francisco sold for $1,250,000 and the median house for $2,050,000. Condos cost 95% of the house price per square foot ($1,108 against $1,172), carried median HOA dues of $800 a month, and took 5 more days to sell (17 against 12).
TurboHome Market Analysis · San Francisco, CA · Closings Nov 2025 to Oct 2026 · Published November 2026
Condos made up 53% of the condo and house sales in our MLS feed (2,195 against 1,949). 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 Francisco at a glance
| Measure | Condo | House |
|---|---|---|
| Closings | 2,195 | 1,949 |
| Median sale price | $1,250,000 | $2,050,000 |
| Median price per sq ft | $1,108 | $1,172 |
| Median size (sq ft) | 1,108 | 1,805 |
| Median days on market | 17 | 12 |
| Median sale-to-list | 101.2% | 123.5% |
| Share closed below list | 29.2% | 9.3% |
| Share with a price cut before sale | 15.0% | 5.1% |
| Median monthly HOA dues | $800 (95.8% have dues) | n/a (4.9% have dues) |
San Francisco houses are routinely listed below the price sellers expect, to draw multiple offers, which is why the house sale-to-list ratio sits far above 100%. Read it as a measure of competition among buyers, not as a windfall for sellers.
What the same budget buys: condo vs house by bedroom count
| Bedrooms | Median condo price (closings) | Median house price (closings) |
|---|---|---|
| 1 bedroom | $772,000 (662) | Too few sales |
| 2 bedrooms | $1,400,000 (959) | $1,486,500 (398) |
| 3 bedrooms | $2,000,000 (428) | $1,950,000 (757) |
| 4 or more bedrooms | $2,510,000 (65) | $2,920,000 (759) |
The widest gap is at 4 or more bedrooms: the median condo sold for $2,510,000 and the median house for $2,920,000. Rows marked "Too few sales" had fewer than 20 closings of that type.
Condo neighborhoods in San Francisco
South of Market had the most condo sales in our feed (465), at a median $940,000 and $1,005 a square foot, and those condos closed at exactly list price (100.0%) in a median 25 days. The bidding is in the residential neighborhoods away from downtown: Eureka Valley condos closed at 115.6% of list in a median 13 days, and Pacific Heights condos at 105.4% in 12 days. Downtown / Civic Center was the cheapest condo market in the table at $575,000, and only the Financial District was slower (44 days against 38.5).
| 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) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| South of Market | 465 | $940,000 | $1,005 | 25 | 100.0% | Too few house sales |
| Western Addition | 214 | $1,218,750 | $1,096 | 15 | 103.3% | $4,020,000 ($1,413) |
| Inner Mission | 144 | $1,105,000 | $1,018 | 24 | 103.6% | $2,125,000 ($1,159) |
| Pacific Heights | 129 | $1,655,000 | $1,277 | 12 | 105.4% | $8,125,000 ($1,961) |
| Financial District | 126 | $1,835,000 | $1,200 | 44 | 98.8% | Too few house sales |
| Eureka Valley | 117 | $1,600,000 | $1,251 | 13 | 115.6% | $3,475,000 ($1,617) |
| Potrero Hill | 108 | $1,140,000 | $1,104 | 13 | 104.6% | $2,681,500 ($1,458) |
| Downtown / Civic Center | 101 | $575,000 | $873 | 38.5 | 100.0% | Too few house sales |
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 Francisco rising or falling?
The median condo price in San Francisco rose 13.6% year over year, from $1,100,000 to $1,250,000, while the median house price rose 23.9% ($1,655,000 to $2,050,000). Condos took a median 17 days to sell, down from 33, and 29.2% closed below list, against 47.9% 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 | 2,025 | 2,195 | 1,996 | 1,949 |
| Median sale price | $1,100,000 | $1,250,000 | $1,655,000 | $2,050,000 |
| Median price per sq ft | $991 | $1,108 | $1,002 | $1,172 |
| Median days on market | 33 | 17 | 14 | 12 |
| Median sale-to-list | 100.0% | 101.2% | 110.6% | 123.5% |
| Share closed below list | 47.9% | 29.2% | 17.3% | 9.3% |
| Share closed above list | 35.9% | 56.0% | 76.9% | 86.8% |
HOA dues and what they cover
The median condo in San Francisco paid $800 a month in HOA dues, and 95.8% of condo sales had dues. Only 4.9% of houses had dues.
In the South of Market, Financial District and Downtown towers, dues typically pay for building staff, elevators, security and shared amenities such as gyms and roof decks. Many condos in Pacific Heights, the Western Addition and Eureka Valley are in older buildings, where dues go mostly to insurance and to reserves for roofs, plumbing and seismic work. In either case, read the budget, the reserve study and recent minutes for planned special assessments before you offer.
Should you buy a condo or a house in San Francisco?
29.2% of condos closed below list and 15.0% had a price cut before selling, against 9.3% and 5.1% of houses. 86.8% of houses sold above list, against 56.0% of condos. The median condo closed at 101.0% of its original asking price and the median house at 123.5%. That makes condos the place to negotiate in San Francisco, 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 Francisco do both, for a flat fee: see how TurboHome's flat fee works.
Methodology
We looked at closed sales in San Francisco 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.
Tenancy-in-common units (298 closings) are excluded from both the condo and the house groups.
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 Francisco.
FAQ
Why are condos in San Francisco cheaper per square foot than houses?
In San Francisco, condos sold for a median $1,108 a square foot against $1,172 for houses, so condo space cost 95% 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 Francisco?
The median condo in San Francisco paid $800 a month in HOA dues, and 95.8% of condo sales had dues. Only 4.9% of houses had dues.
Do condos take longer to sell than houses in San Francisco?
Yes. Condos took a median 17 days to sell from November 2025 to October 2026, against 12 for houses. A year earlier the medians were 33 and 14 days.
Can I get cash back when I buy a condo or house in San Francisco?
Yes. TurboHome is a flat-fee buyer's brokerage serving San Francisco: it charges a flat fee instead of a percentage commission and refunds the rest of the buyer-side commission to you at closing, on a condo or a house. Compare the companies that refund the buyer's agent commission in California.
Is now a good time to buy a condo in San Francisco?
The median condo price in San Francisco rose 13.6% year over year, to $1,250,000, and 15.0% of condos took a price cut before selling, with 29.2% closing below list. Rising prices mean waiting has cost condo buyers over the past year; price cuts still show which listings have sat long enough to negotiate. 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 Francisco
- Days on market in San Francisco
- Property taxes in San Francisco
- How much over asking to offer in San Francisco
- San Francisco 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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