The median house price of residential real estate in California has increased notably since 2012. After a brief correction in property prices in 2022, the median price reached ******* U.S. dollars in December 2023.

Graph and download economic data for All-Transactions House Price Index for California (CASTHPI) from Q1 1975 to Q2 2025 about appraisers, CA, HPI, housing, price index, indexes, price, and USA.

Graph and download economic data for Housing Inventory: Median Listing Price Year-Over-Year in California (MEDLISPRIYYCA) from Jul 2017 to Aug 2025 about CA, listing, median, price, and USA.

In October 2024, the median sales price of an existing single-family home in Del Norte, California saw an increase of nearly ** percent, compared to the *** percent increase in the state. ** counties saw prices fall during this period. In Trinity, the median sales price of single-family homes decreased by approximately ** percent.

The U.S. housing market continues to evolve, with the median price for existing homes forecast to fall to ******* U.S. dollars by 2027. This projection comes after a period of significant growth and recent fluctuations, reflecting the complex interplay of economic factors affecting the real estate sector. The rising costs have not only impacted home prices but also down payments, with the median down payment more than doubling since 2012. Regional variations in housing costs Home prices and down payments vary dramatically across the United States. While the national median down payment stood at approximately ****** U.S. dollars in early 2024, homebuyers in states like California, Massachusetts, and Hawaii faced down payments exceeding ****** U.S. dollars. This disparity highlights the challenges of homeownership in high-cost markets and underscores the importance of location in determining housing affordability. Market dynamics and future outlook The housing market has shown signs of cooling after years of rapid growth, with a modest price increase of *** percent in 2024. This slowdown can be attributed in part to rising mortgage rates, which have tempered demand. Despite these challenges, most states continued to see year-over-year price growth in 2025, with Rhode Island and West Virginia leading the packby home appreciation. As the market adjusts to new economic realities, potential homebuyers and investors alike will be watching closely for signs of stabilization or renewed growth in the coming years.

All-Transactions House Price Index for California was 967.68000 Index 1980 Q1=100 in January of 2025, according to the United States Federal Reserve. Historically, All-Transactions House Price Index for California reached a record high of 967.81000 in October of 2024 and a record low of 41.67000 in January of 1975. Trading Economics provides the current actual value, an historical data chart and related indicators for All-Transactions House Price Index for California - last updated from the United States Federal Reserve on September of 2025.

Graph and download economic data for All-Transactions House Price Index for Los Angeles County, CA (ATNHPIUS06037A) from 1975 to 2024 about Los Angeles County, CA; Los Angeles; CA; HPI; housing; price index; indexes; price; and USA.

The median house prices in the most expensive zip codes in California reached as high as *** million U.S dollars. Atherton (94027), had the most expensive median house price, followed by Santa Barbara (93108), and Beverly Hills (90210). Six of the ranked zip codes were among the top ten most expensive zip codes in the United States in 2023.

VITAL SIGNS INDICATOR
Home Prices (EC7)

FULL MEASURE NAME
Home Prices

LAST UPDATED
December 2022

DESCRIPTION
Home prices refer to the cost of purchasing one’s own house or condominium. While a significant share of residents may choose to rent, home prices represent a primary driver of housing affordability in a given region, county or city.

DATA SOURCE
Zillow: Zillow Home Value Index (ZHVI) - http://www.zillow.com/research/data/
2000-2021

California Department of Finance: E-4 Historical Population Estimates for Cities, Counties, and the State - https://dof.ca.gov/forecasting/demographics/estimates/
2000-2021

US Census Population and Housing Unit Estimates - https://www.census.gov/programs-surveys/popest.html
2000-2021

Bureau of Labor Statistics: Consumer Price Index - http://data.bls.gov
2000-2021

US Census ZIP Code Tabulation Areas (ZCTAs) - https://www.census.gov/programs-surveys/geography/guidance/geo-areas/zctas.html
2020 Census Blocks

CONTACT INFORMATION
vitalsigns.info@bayareametro.gov

METHODOLOGY NOTES (across all datasets for this indicator)
Housing price estimates at the regional-, county-, city- and zip code-level come from analysis of individual home sales by Zillow based upon transaction records. Zillow Home Value Index (ZHVI) is a smoothed, seasonally adjusted measure of the typical home value and market changes across a given region and housing type. It reflects the typical value for homes in the 35th to 65th percentile range. ZHVI is computed from public record transaction data as reported by counties. All standard real estate transactions are included in this metric, including REO sales and auctions. Zillow makes a substantial effort to remove transactions not typically considered a standard sale. Examples of these include bank takeovers of foreclosed properties, title transfers after a death or divorce and non arms-length transactions. Zillow defines all homes as single-family residential, condominium and co-operative homes with a county record. Single-family residences are detached, which means the home is an individual structure with its own lot. Condominiums are units that can be owned in a multi-unit complex, such as an apartment building. Co-operative homes are slightly different from condominiums in that the homeowners own shares in the corporation that owns the building, not the actual units themselves.

For metropolitan area comparison values, the Bay Area metro area’s median home sale price is the population-weighted average of the nine counties’ median home prices. Data is adjusted for inflation using Bureau of Labor Statistics metropolitan statistical area (MSA)-specific series. Inflation-adjusted data are presented to illustrate how home prices have grown relative to overall price increases; that said, the use of the Consumer Price Index (CPI) does create some challenges given the fact that housing represents a major chunk of consumer goods bundle used to calculate CPI. This reflects a methodological tradeoff between precision and accuracy and is a common concern when working with any commodity that is a major component of the CPI itself.

Graph and download economic data for All-Transactions House Price Index for San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA (MSA) (ATNHPIUS41740Q) from Q4 1975 to Q2 2025 about San Diego, appraisers, CA, HPI, housing, price index, indexes, price, and USA.

The median house price in *****, Atherton, California, was about *** million U.S. dollars. This made it the most expensive zip code in the United States in 2023. ***** Sagaponack, N.Y., was the runner-up with a median house price of about *** million U.S. dollars. Of the ** most expensive zip codes in the United States in 2026, six were in California.

In October 2024, the median sales price of an existing single-family home in San Mateo, California was *********** U.S. dollars. This was more than double the median sales price in the state of California. The most affordable county was Trinity, where an existing single family home sold for approximately ******* U.S. dollars.

Graph and download economic data for Housing Inventory: Median Listing Price in Los Angeles County, CA (MEDLISPRI6037) from Jul 2016 to Aug 2025 about Los Angeles County, CA; Los Angeles; CA; listing; median; price; and USA.

Mexico Average House Price: Baja California data was reported at 903,598.000 MXN in Mar 2019. This records an increase from the previous number of 720,437.000 MXN for Dec 2018. Mexico Average House Price: Baja California data is updated quarterly, averaging 658,724.000 MXN from Dec 2014 (Median) to Mar 2019, with 18 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 903,598.000 MXN in Mar 2019 and a record low of 562,050.000 MXN in Dec 2014. Mexico Average House Price: Baja California data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by Federal Mortgage Society. The data is categorized under Global Database’s Mexico – Table MX.EB005: Average House Price.

Graph and download economic data for All-Transactions House Price Index for Orange County, CA (ATNHPIUS06059A) from 1975 to 2024 about Orange County, CA; Los Angeles; CA; HPI; housing; price index; indexes; price; and USA.

This web map shows a comparison of owner occupied housing and the median home value for counties, tracts, and block groups in the US in 2018. Yellow areas have over 50% of households occupied by the home owner. A large symbol denotes a larger median home value. The popup is configured to show the following:% Owner occupied housingCount of owner occupied housesCount of renter occupied housesTotal householdsMedian home valueHousehold income by rangeThe source of the data is Esri's 2018 demographic estimates. For more information about Esri's demographic data, visit the Updated Demographics documentation.

Median Home Sale Price: All Residential: Chico, CA data was reported at 375.000 USD th in Jul 2020. This records an increase from the previous number of 363.000 USD th for Jun 2020. Median Home Sale Price: All Residential: Chico, CA data is updated monthly, averaging 256.500 USD th from Feb 2012 (Median) to Jul 2020, with 102 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 375.000 USD th in Jul 2020 and a record low of 160.000 USD th in May 2012. Median Home Sale Price: All Residential: Chico, CA data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by Redfin. The data is categorized under Global Database’s United States – Table US.EB056: Median Home Sale Price: by Metropolitan Areas.

Graph and download economic data for All-Transactions House Price Index for Oakland-Berkeley-Livermore, CA (MSAD) (ATNHPIUS36084Q) from Q2 1975 to Q2 2025 about Oakland, appraisers, CA, HPI, housing, price index, indexes, price, and USA.

The number of U.S. home sales in the United States declined in 2024, after soaring in 2021. A total of four million transactions of existing homes, including single-family, condo, and co-ops, were completed in 2024, down from 6.12 million in 2021. According to the forecast, the housing market is forecast to head for recovery in 2025, despite transaction volumes expected to remain below the long-term average. Why have home sales declined? The housing boom during the coronavirus pandemic has demonstrated that being a homeowner is still an integral part of the American dream. Nevertheless, sentiment declined in the second half of 2022 and Americans across all generations agreed that the time was not right to buy a home. A combination of factors has led to house prices rocketing and making homeownership unaffordable for the average buyer. A survey among owners and renters found that the high home prices and unfavorable economic conditions were the two main barriers to making a home purchase. People who would like to purchase their own home need to save up a deposit, have a good credit score, and a steady and sufficient income to be approved for a mortgage. In 2022, mortgage rates experienced the most aggressive increase in history, making the total cost of homeownership substantially higher. Are U.S. home prices expected to fall? The median sales price of existing homes stood at 413,000 U.S. dollars in 2024 and was forecast to increase slightly until 2026. The development of the S&P/Case Shiller U.S. National Home Price Index shows that home prices experienced seven consecutive months of decline between June 2022 and January 2023, but this trend reversed in the following months. Despite mild fluctuations throughout the year, home prices in many metros are forecast to continue to grow, albeit at a much slower rate.

Housing Inventory: Median Home Size in Square Feet Year-Over-Year in California was -0.79% in August of 2025, according to the United States Federal Reserve. Historically, Housing Inventory: Median Home Size in Square Feet Year-Over-Year in California reached a record high of 4.05 in July of 2023 and a record low of -6.23 in March of 2021. Trading Economics provides the current actual value, an historical data chart and related indicators for Housing Inventory: Median Home Size in Square Feet Year-Over-Year in California - last updated from the United States Federal Reserve on September of 2025.