Updated July 2026Zillow Research
Los Angeles vs San Diego: real estate market, July 2026
A side-by-side housing-market snapshot for Los Angeles, CA and San Diego, CA for July 2026: San Diego at a $957K median versus $1.01M in Los Angeles, plus days to pending and the buyer-vs-seller balance, built on Zillow Research figures.
| Metric | Los Angeles, CA | San Diego, CA |
|---|---|---|
| Median sale price | $1.01M ▼ -1.8% | $957K ▲ +3.8% |
| Days to pending | 58 ▲ +3.6% | 43 ▼ -10.4% |
| Homes for sale | 8,367 ▼ -1.9% | 3,496 ▼ -1.2% |
| Sale-to-list | 100.0% ▲ +0.1% | 99.2% ▲ +0.2% |
| Months of supply (est.) | 2.8 ▲ +3.6% | 2.4 ▼ -7.6% |
| Homes sold (est.) | 2,410 ▼ -1.6% | 1,840 ▲ +3.4% |
(est.) = LOKAL estimate, not published by the source at city level.
Metro figures from Zillow Research, ZIP figures from Zillow Research where published, otherwise from the last public Redfin release (each post names its source). Verify against your MLS before posting.
The verdict
As of July 2026, San Diego is the more affordable of the two at a $957,036 median sale price, about 5% below Los Angeles ($1,009,934). San Diego is the faster-moving market, with homes going under contract in about 43 days versus 58 in Los Angeles.
Which market fits your client?
For a buyer client, Los Angeles offers a little more breathing room, with an estimated 2.8 months of supply against 2.4 in San Diego, which usually means less bidding pressure. For a seller client, San Diego is the tighter market, with a 99.2% sale-to-list ratio. On price momentum, San Diego is appreciating faster (+3.8% vs -1.8% year over year).
How we compare these markets
We built LOKAL to pull Los Angeles's and San Diego's numbers straight from Zillow Research, so an agent and a client compare like for like. For July 2026 we recorded a $957K median in San Diego and a $1.01M median in Los Angeles, against roughly $922K a year earlier in 2025. Zillow Research has published these city-level series monthly since 2018, which is what lets us show year-over-year change here in 2026. For complementary demographics on each metro (population and median household income), see the U.S. Census Bureau. LOKAL is independent and not affiliated with Zillow; always verify against your MLS before you publish.
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Full Los Angeles and San Diego market updates
Frequently asked
- Is Los Angeles or San Diego more affordable?
- As of July 2026, San Diego is the more affordable market at a $957,036 median sale price, about 5% below Los Angeles ($1,009,934), per Zillow Research.
- Which market moves faster, Los Angeles or San Diego?
- San Diego moves faster: a typical listing goes under contract in about 43 days, versus 58 days in Los Angeles (July 2026).
- Is Los Angeles or San Diego better for buyers right now?
- Los Angeles gives buyers a little more room, with an estimated 2.8 months of supply versus 2.4 in San Diego. More months of supply usually means less competition and more negotiating leverage for buyers.
- Where do these Los Angeles and San Diego numbers come from?
- Both metros draw on Zillow Research, refreshed monthly. LOKAL turns the figures into a ready-to-post carousel, story and square for either city. LOKAL is not affiliated with Zillow; always verify against your local MLS before quoting figures to clients.
More Los Angeles comparisons
Data from Zillow Research. Figures are metro-level snapshots, not valuations for a specific home.