🏠 Buying a house in California | 🏘️ Selling a house in California | 🚚 Moving to California
❓ FAQ | 📊 Methodology
🏡 Home values in California have risen 2.63% over the past year, indicating a buyer's market.
📈 Housing inventory (the total number of homes for sale) stands at 62,974. That's about 4.81 months of inventory, indicating a seller's market.
📊 The sale-to-list price ratio (the percentage of listing price sellers are actually getting) is 99.40%, indicating a seller's market.
How does California compare to the national average?
| Data point | Value | Rank | Compared to national avg |
| Typical home value | $761,839[1] | #2 of 50 states | 102.7% higher |
| Median listing price | $748,500[2] | #3 of 50 states | 68.9% higher |
| Median sale price | $862,200[3] | #2 of 50 states | 97.1% higher |
| 30-year mortgage rate | 7.00%[4] | #24 of 50 states | 0.3% higher |
| Median days on market | 58[5] | #21 of 50 states | 1.4% shorter |
Looking to buy or sell in California?
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Buying a house in the California real estate market
California has an affordability score of 9, meaning it takes 9 years of the median household income ($95,521) to afford California's median home sale price ($862,200). Because of this, we rank California as the 2nd least affordable state for buyers based strictly on prices compared to income.
| Data Point | Value | Rank | Compared to national avg |
| Median sale price | $862,200[6] | #2 of 50 states | 97.1% higher |
| 30-year mortgage rate | 7.00%[7] | #24 of 50 states | 0.3% higher |
| Median household income | $95,521[8] | #5 of 50 states | 24.1% higher |
| Affordability ratio | 9.0 | #49 of 50 states | 61.9% higher |
| Buyers agent commission | 2.46%[9] | #7 of 50 states | 10.4% lower |
Who pays for realtor commission in California?
Real estate agents' commissions are technically the responsibility of their respective clients - buyers pay their agents, and sellers pay theirs. Each party signs a contract with their agent promising to pay. However, sellers usually offer to pay for the buyer's agent so they can more easily afford the home.
Who pays closing costs in California?
Sellers are usually responsible for most closing costs, but some closing expenses fall to the buyer. As a buyer, you'll be expected to pay for the mortgage loan origination fee and other lender-related fees, private mortgage insurance, the down payment, an appraisal fee, and a home inspection fee.
Learn more about who pays closing costs in California.
Resources for California home buyers
Preparing to buy in California
California home buying costs
Selling a house in the California real estate market
According to our detailed survey of California real estate agents, listing agents (those representing the seller) charge an average commission in California of 2.57%, which is the 2nd lowest in the United States. Buyers' agents charge an average commission of 2.46%, which is the 7th lowest in the United States.
| Data point | Value | Rank | Compared to national avg |
| Median listing price | $748,500[10] | #3 of 50 states | 68.9% higher |
| Median sale price | $862,200[11] | #2 of 50 states | 97.1% higher |
| Median days on market | 58[12] | #21 of 50 states | 1.4% shorter |
| Buyer's agent commission | 2.46%[13] | #7 of 50 states | 10.4% lower |
| Listing agent commission | 2.57%[14] | #2 of 50 states | 9.5% lower |
Resources for California home sellers
Preparing to sell in California
- Selling a House in California: 8 Simple Steps
- Average Time to Sell a House in California
- When Is the Best Time to Sell a House in California?
- Top Real Estate Agents in California
California home selling costs and requirements
Moving to California
According to our recent moving trends survey[15], California is the 1st most desirable state to move to, with 32% of Americans indicating that they would choose to move there if money were no object. Likewise, 20% of survey respondents indicated that they would move to Los Angeles among a choice of America's largest cities, and 19% indicated that they would move to San Francisco. Among medium-sized cities, 12% indicated that they would move to Bakersfield, and 10% indicated that they would move to Fresno.
Here's how California cities rank in a number of our research studies.
| Study | Best California city | Rank |
| Best Pizza Cities[16] | San Diego | 5th best |
| Best Coffee Cities[17] | San Jose | 2nd best |
| Best LGBTQ Cities[18] | San Francisco | best |
| Best Bike Cities[19] | San Francisco | 2nd best |
| Best Commuter Cities[20] | San Jose | 18th best |
Where to shop for homes in California
Frequently asked questions
As of October 10, 2025, the median days on market (DOM) in California is 64. On average, it takes about 63 days to sell in California.
Home values have risen in California over the past year. The current median home value is $775,058 and it's projected to decrease by 1.62% in the next year.
As of October 10, 2025, sellers in California are typically getting 100% of the list price for their homes.
Methodology
Information on market conditions is based on Zillow data as of August 2025, Realtor.com data as of September 2025, and HouseCanary data as of October 10, 2025, unless specified otherwise.
We gathered our commission rate data from a September 2025 survey of 828 of agents nationwide. The survey asked about standard local rates for both listing and buying agents. These data points are averages based on responses we’ve received from 96 agents in California.