Condo vs House
Condo vs House in San Jose, CA: What Buyers Actually Pay (2026)
Updated November 10, 2026
Reviewed by:
Head of Growth at TurboHome
Head Agent, California · CalDRE #01997822
San Jose condos are down 8.5% year over year while houses are down 2.3%, and condo space costs 62% of house space per square foot, the lowest share among the 10 cities in this series. From November 2025 to October 2026, the median condo in San Jose sold for $650,000 and the median house for $1,650,000. Condos cost 62% of the house price per square foot ($610 against $977), carried median HOA dues of $593 a month, and took 18 more days to sell (29 against 11).
TurboHome Market Analysis · San Jose, CA · Closings Nov 2025 to Oct 2026 · Published November 2026
Condos made up 22% of the condo and house sales in our MLS feed (591 against 2,117). 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 Jose at a glance
| Measure | Condo | House | Townhouse |
|---|---|---|---|
| Closings | 591 | 2,117 | 343 |
| Median sale price | $650,000 | $1,650,000 | $986,000 |
| Median price per sq ft | $610 | $977 | $676 |
| Median size (sq ft) | 1,080 | 1,688 | Not reported |
| Median days on market | 29 | 11 | 20 |
| Median sale-to-list | 99.3% | 101.0% | 100.1% |
| Share closed below list | 54.5% | 31.8% | Not reported |
| Share with a price cut before sale | 34.9% | 18.1% | Not reported |
| Median monthly HOA dues | $593 (99.8% have dues) | n/a (8.5% have dues) | $431 |
What the same budget buys: condo vs house by bedroom count
| Bedrooms | Median condo price (closings) | Median house price (closings) |
|---|---|---|
| 1 bedroom | $487,000 (108) | Too few sales |
| 2 bedrooms | $650,000 (378) | $1,100,000 (129) |
| 3 bedrooms | $912,000 (89) | $1,470,000 (870) |
| 4 or more bedrooms | Too few sales | $1,872,500 (1,116) |
The widest gap is at 3 bedrooms: the median condo sold for $912,000 and the median house for $1,470,000. Rows marked "Too few sales" had fewer than 20 closings of that type.
Condo neighborhoods in San Jose
The Villages, a 55+ community, had the most condo sales in our feed (89) at a median $750,000, but the slowest pace in the table: 46 days at 98.4% of list. Downtown San Jose condos sold for a median $655,000 against $1,177,500 for houses in the same neighborhood. Makati was the quickest, at 11 days and 100.8% of list.
| 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) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| The Villages (55+) | 89 | $750,000 | $495 | 46 | 98.4% | Too few house sales |
| Downtown San Jose | 73 | $655,000 | $647 | 28 | 98.2% | $1,177,500 ($777) |
| Trade Winds | 26 | $507,500 | $526 | 25 | 100.0% | Too few house sales |
| Communication Hill | 26 | $903,500 | $621 | 32.5 | 98.5% | $1,350,000 ($710) |
| Makati | 23 | $545,000 | $615 | 11 | 100.8% | 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 Jose rising or falling?
The median condo price in San Jose fell 8.5% year over year, from $710,000 to $650,000, while the median house price fell 2.3% ($1,688,000 to $1,650,000). Condos took a median 29 days to sell, up from 22, and 54.5% closed below list, against 47.3% a year earlier. The median townhouse sold for $986,000, against $1,100,000 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 | 683 | 591 | 2,451 | 2,117 |
| Median sale price | $710,000 | $650,000 | $1,688,000 | $1,650,000 |
| Median price per sq ft | $649 | $610 | $1,000 | $977 |
| Median days on market | 22 | 29 | 10 | 11 |
| Median sale-to-list | 100.0% | 99.3% | 102.6% | 101.0% |
| Share closed below list | 47.3% | 54.5% | 27.4% | 31.8% |
| Share closed above list | 37.5% | 27.6% | 63.5% | 58.1% |
HOA dues and what they cover
The median condo in San Jose paid $593 a month in HOA dues, and 99.8% of condo sales had dues. The median townhouse paid $431 a month. Only 8.5% of houses had dues.
San Jose's condo stock runs from downtown high-rises, where dues usually cover elevators, staff and shared amenities, to garden-style complexes, where they mostly pay for grounds, roofs and insurance. Townhouses carry lower median dues than condos ($431 against $593 a month). In 55+ communities such as The Villages, dues also pay for community amenities, so compare them with other age-restricted options, not with a downtown condo.
Should you buy a condo or a house in San Jose?
54.5% of condos closed below list and 34.9% had a price cut before selling, against 31.8% and 18.1% of houses. 58.1% of houses sold above list, against 27.6% of condos. The median condo closed at 97.7% of its original asking price and the median house at 100.9%. That makes condos the place to negotiate in San Jose, 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 Jose do both, for a flat fee: see how TurboHome's flat fee works.
Methodology
We looked at closed sales in San Jose 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 Jose.
FAQ
Why are condos in San Jose cheaper per square foot than houses?
In San Jose, condos sold for a median $610 a square foot against $977 for houses, so condo space cost 62% 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 Jose?
The median condo in San Jose paid $593 a month in HOA dues, and 99.8% of condo sales had dues. The median townhouse paid $431 a month. Only 8.5% of houses had dues.
Do condos take longer to sell than houses in San Jose?
Yes. Condos took a median 29 days to sell from November 2025 to October 2026, against 11 for houses. A year earlier the medians were 22 and 10 days.
Which companies refund the buyer's agent commission in California?
TurboHome is a flat-fee buyer's brokerage that refunds the rest of the buyer-side commission to the buyer at closing in California, including on condos and houses in San Jose. For the other companies that offer refunds, see our dated roundup of companies that refund the buyer's agent commission in California.
Is now a good time to buy a condo in San Jose?
The median condo price in San Jose fell 8.5% year over year, to $650,000, and 34.9% of condos took a price cut before selling, with 54.5% 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 Jose
- Days on market in San Jose
- Property taxes in San Jose
- How much over asking to offer in San Jose
- San Jose 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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