Transaction Center
Time to bring it home. Find zipForm®, transaction tools, and all the closing resources you'll need. Except for the champagne — that's on you.
Californians for Homeownership was founded in response to the California Legislature’s call for public interest organizations to fight local anti-housing policies on behalf of the millions of California residents who need access to more affordable housing.
Programs and grants to provide direct assistance to address the housing crisis in California.
Make A Donation to HAFThe Rising Star Award program is a C.A.R. initiative designed to work with the brokerage community to recognize their up-and-coming agents.
C.A.R. stands ready to assist REALTORS® who have been impacted by wildfires through its Disaster Relief Fund and NAR's REALTORS® Relief Foundation.
California Disaster ResourcesScholarships for California students planning to pursue a career in real estate.
Find out more information on key diversity and inclusion programs and projects available.
Fair Housing Latino Professionals Network C.A.R. Women's InitiativeNew to the industry? YPN is a network to sharpen your skills, heighten your leadership, and connect with fellow REALTORS®.
As a member of C.A.R., you receive more than 100 free and discounted benefits. Find out more about your member benefits here.
NAR Member Discounts C.A.R. Insurance ProductsAs a C.A.R. member you may have questions about your association and the industry. Find the answers here.
New Member FAQs Glossary Service ProvidersC.A.R.'s annual consumer advertising campaign creates awareness of the REALTOR® brand and demonstrates the many benefits of the consumer-REALTOR® relationship.
Branded Content Series Online Campaign Paid Social Partnerships Podcasts Search Sponsorship and BrandingC.A.R. is a statewide trade association dedicated to the advancement of professionalism in real estate.
Annual ReportThe CALIFORNIA ASSOCIATION OF REALTORS® is committed to bring you tools and information to help you succeed. Here are some of the innovative tools, services and education C.A.R. provided to help you achieve your professional goals.
C.A.R.'s Media Center houses the Association's news releases, media guidelines, and logos.
News ReleasesLooking for additional assistance? The Customer Contact Center is looking forward to serving you Monday through Friday between the hours of 8:30 a.m. and 4:45 p.m.
Need help finding the right person? Try searching through our various rosters & directories.
For release:
January 15, 2021
California housing market ends year on high note as sales continue strong in December and median price reaches another record high, C.A.R. reports
- Existing, single-family home sales totaled 509,750 in December on a seasonally adjusted annualized rate, up 0.2 percent from November and up 28 percent from December 2019.
- December’s statewide median home price was $717,930, up 2.7 percent from November and up 16.8 percent from December 2019.
- For 2020 as a whole, sales of existing statewide homes were up 3.5 percent from last year.
LOS ANGELES (Jan. 15) – Despite a global pandemic that lingered most of the year, two lockdowns and a struggling economy, California’s housing market closed out 2020 on a high note, recording solid sales and a fifth record-high median price in December, the CALIFORNIA ASSOCIATION OF REALTORS® (C.A.R.) said today.
- Infographic: https://www.car.org/marketing/clients/infographics/December%202020%20Sales%20and%20Price
Closed escrow sales of existing, single-family detached homes in California totaled a seasonally adjusted annualized rate of 509,750 units in December, according to information collected by C.A.R. from more than 90 local REALTOR® associations and MLSs statewide. The statewide annualized sales figure represents what would be the total number of homes sold during 2020 if sales maintained the December pace throughout the year. It is adjusted to account for seasonal factors that typically influence home sales.
December home sales ticked up 0.2 percent from 508,820 in November and were up 28 percent from a year ago, when 398,370 homes were sold on an annualized basis. The year-over-year, double-digit sales gain was the fifth consecutive and the largest yearly gain since May 2009. For the year as a whole, annual home sales rose to a preliminary 411,870 closed escrow sales in California, up 3.5 percent from 2019’s pace of 397,960.
“It’s a testament to the strength of the market that even after the pandemic effectively shut down the spring home-buying season in 2020, the market still was able to recover the substantial sales lost in the first half of the year and even top 2019’s levels,” said C.A.R. President Dave Walsh, vice president and manager of the Compass San Jose office. “With mortgage rates expected to stay near the lowest in history, demand for homeownership will continue to be strong, so home sales should remain elevated into the first half of 2021, as motivated buyers take advantage of the increased purchasing power.”
After dipping below $700,000 the previous month, California’s median home price bounced back above that benchmark and set another record high in December. The statewide median home price rose 2.7 percent on a month-to-month basis to $717,930 in December, up from November’s $698,890. Home prices continued to gain on a year-over-year basis with the statewide median price surging 16.8 percent from $614,880 recorded last December. The double-digit increase from last year was the fifth in a row, and the month-to-month gain was higher than the long-run average of 0.8 percent observed between 1979 and 2019. The statewide median home price for the entire year was $659,380, an increase of 11.3 percent from a revised $592,230 in 2019.
“Home prices, which usually peak during the summer, were unseasonably strong in December,” said C.A.R. Vice President and Chief Economist Jordan Levine. “The imbalance between supply and demand continues to fuel home price gains as would-be home sellers remain reluctant to list their homes during the pandemic, contributing to a more-than-40-percent year-over-year decline in active listings for the seventh straight month.”
Perhaps due to increasing home prices, more consumers said it is a good time to sell, according to C.A.R.’s monthly Consumer Housing Sentiment Index. Conducted in early January, the poll found that 59 percent of consumers said it is a good time to sell, up from 55 percent a month ago, and up from 56 percent a year ago. Meanwhile, low interest rates continue to fuel the optimism for homebuying; one-fourth of the consumers who responded to the poll believed that now is a good time to buy a home, unchanged from last year.
Other key points from C.A.R.’s December 2020 resale housing report include:
Note: The County MLS median price and sales data in the tables are generated from a survey of more than 90 associations of REALTORS® throughout the state and represent statistics of existing single-family detached homes only. County sales data are not adjusted to account for seasonal factors that can influence home sales. Movements in sales prices should not be interpreted as changes in the cost of a standard home. The median price is where half sold for more and half sold for less; medians are more typical than average prices, which are skewed by a relatively small share of transactions at either the lower end or the upper end. Median prices can be influenced by changes in cost, as well as changes in the characteristics and the size of homes sold. The change in median prices should not be construed as actual price changes in specific homes.
*Sales-to-list-price ratio is an indicator that reflects the negotiation power of home buyers and home sellers under current market conditions. The ratio is calculated by dividing the final sales price of a property by its last list price and is expressed as a percentage. A sales-to-list ratio with 100 percent or above suggests that the property sold for more than the list price, and a ratio below 100 percent indicates that the price sold below the asking price.
**Price per square foot is a measure commonly used by real estate agents and brokers to determine how much a square foot of space a buyer will pay for a property. It is calculated as the sale price of the home divided by the number of finished square feet. C.A.R. currently tracks price-per-square foot statistics for 50 counties.
Leading the way…® in California real estate for more than 110 years, the CALIFORNIA ASSOCIATION OF REALTORS® (www.car.org) is one of the largest state trade organizations in the United States with more than 200,000 members dedicated to the advancement of professionalism in real estate. C.A.R. is headquartered in Los Angeles.
# # #
December 2020 County Sales and Price Activity
(Regional and condo sales data not seasonally adjusted)
December 2020 |
Median Sold Price of Existing Single-Family Homes |
Sales |
|||||||
State/Region/County |
Dec. 2020 |
Nov. 2020 |
|
Dec. 2019 |
|
Price MTM% Chg |
Price YTY% Chg |
Sales MTM% Chg |
Sales YTY% Chg |
Calif. Single-family home |
$717,930 |
$698,980 |
r |
$614,880 |
|
2.7% |
16.8% |
0.2% |
28.0% |
Calif. Condo/Townhome |
$520,000 |
$520,000 |
|
$477,000 |
|
0.0% |
9.0% |
8.3% |
31.3% |
Los Angeles Metro Area |
$625,250 |
$630,000 |
|
$550,000 |
|
-0.8% |
13.7% |
14.3% |
31.6% |
Central Coast |
$825,000 |
$825,000 |
|
$700,000 |
|
0.0% |
17.9% |
5.3% |
17.1% |
Central Valley |
$395,000 |
$400,000 |
|
$342,000 |
|
-1.3% |
15.5% |
5.4% |
22.2% |
Far North |
$325,000 |
$340,000 |
|
$282,000 |
|
-4.4% |
15.2% |
18.0% |
30.8% |
Inland Empire |
$450,000 |
$450,000 |
|
$385,000 |
|
0.0% |
16.9% |
13.0% |
34.9% |
San Francisco Bay Area |
$1,058,000 |
$1,100,000 |
|
$908,750 |
|
-3.8% |
16.4% |
1.5% |
40.2% |
Southern California |
$650,000 |
$657,820 |
|
$575,000 |
|
-1.2% |
13.0% |
12.4% |
31.4% |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
San Francisco Bay Area |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Alameda |
$1,060,000 |
$1,049,040 |
|
$881,500 |
|
1.0% |
20.2% |
5.4% |
44.5% |
Contra Costa |
$763,000 |
$810,000 |
|
$665,000 |
|
-5.8% |
14.7% |
7.9% |
52.4% |
Marin |
$1,459,000 |
$1,425,000 |
|
$1,300,000 |
|
2.4% |
12.2% |
-5.9% |
59.6% |
Napa |
$842,000 |
$824,500 |
|
$765,000 |
|
2.1% |
10.1% |
26.0% |
45.8% |
San Francisco |
$1,581,000 |
$1,697,500 |
|
$1,450,000 |
|
-6.9% |
9.0% |
5.6% |
53.8% |
San Mateo |
$1,700,000 |
$1,650,000 |
|
$1,475,000 |
|
3.0% |
15.3% |
-2.9% |
35.9% |
Santa Clara |
$1,375,000 |
$1,383,000 |
|
$1,225,000 |
|
-0.6% |
12.2% |
-8.8% |
31.0% |
Solano |
$510,000 |
$505,250 |
|
$455,500 |
|
0.9% |
12.0% |
-3.8% |
8.6% |
Sonoma |
$720,000 |
$715,000 |
|
$647,500 |
|
0.7% |
11.2% |
5.7% |
39.4% |
Southern California |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Los Angeles |
$709,500 |
$664,160 |
|
$641,340 |
|
6.8% |
10.6% |
22.1% |
30.5% |
Orange |
$950,000 |
$930,000 |
|
$840,000 |
|
2.2% |
13.1% |
5.5% |
25.1% |
Riverside |
$488,250 |
$490,000 |
|
$420,000 |
|
-0.4% |
16.3% |
15.8% |
39.0% |
San Bernardino |
$378,500 |
$380,250 |
|
$320,000 |
|
-0.5% |
18.3% |
8.5% |
28.2% |
San Diego |
$730,000 |
$740,000 |
|
$655,000 |
|
-1.4% |
11.5% |
4.4% |
30.3% |
Ventura |
$740,000 |
$760,000 |
|
$657,000 |
|
-2.6% |
12.6% |
-1.4% |
41.7% |
Central Coast |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Monterey |
$785,000 |
$850,000 |
|
$613,250 |
|
-7.6% |
28.0% |
1.6% |
18.4% |
San Luis Obispo |
$711,000 |
$699,500 |
|
$615,500 |
|
1.6% |
15.5% |
13.9% |
35.1% |
Santa Barbara |
$970,000 |
$955,000 |
|
$770,000 |
|
1.6% |
26.0% |
0.7% |
2.7% |
Santa Cruz |
$1,070,000 |
$1,050,000 |
|
$889,000 |
|
1.9% |
20.4% |
3.0% |
11.1% |
Central Valley |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Fresno |
$325,000 |
$323,500 |
|
$285,000 |
|
0.5% |
14.0% |
5.3% |
9.2% |
Glenn |
$297,500 |
$334,750 |
|
$252,000 |
|
-11.1% |
18.1% |
28.6% |
50.0% |
Kern |
$300,000 |
$290,000 |
|
$262,900 |
|
3.4% |
14.1% |
14.5% |
43.1% |
Kings |
$281,750 |
$265,000 |
|
$255,000 |
|
6.3% |
10.5% |
17.6% |
28.2% |
Madera |
$335,000 |
$320,000 |
|
$285,100 |
|
4.7% |
17.5% |
7.0% |
35.6% |
Merced |
$315,000 |
$315,500 |
|
$278,800 |
|
-0.2% |
13.0% |
19.0% |
-11.9% |
Placer |
$559,000 |
$552,650 |
|
$495,000 |
|
1.1% |
12.9% |
2.5% |
32.6% |
Sacramento |
$442,250 |
$442,500 |
|
$385,000 |
|
-0.1% |
14.9% |
1.6% |
24.9% |
San Benito |
$729,500 |
$665,590 |
|
$600,000 |
|
9.6% |
21.6% |
-39.7% |
-6.4% |
San Joaquin |
$435,750 |
$441,500 |
|
$391,500 |
|
-1.3% |
11.3% |
9.7% |
26.4% |
Stanislaus |
$380,000 |
$389,000 |
|
$335,000 |
|
-2.3% |
13.4% |
0.9% |
14.8% |
Tulare |
$295,000 |
$280,000 |
|
$252,000 |
|
5.4% |
17.1% |
12.7% |
9.1% |
Far North |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Butte |
$408,460 |
$405,000 |
|
$351,720 |
|
0.9% |
16.1% |
24.1% |
17.9% |
Lassen |
$215,000 |
$231,250 |
|
$247,500 |
|
-7.0% |
-13.1% |
-39.5% |
-8.0% |
Plumas |
$305,000 |
$385,000 |
|
$270,500 |
|
-20.8% |
12.8% |
0.0% |
50.0% |
Shasta |
$307,500 |
$327,250 |
|
$275,000 |
|
-6.0% |
11.8% |
35.0% |
50.5% |
Siskiyou |
$228,000 |
$263,000 |
|
$225,000 |
|
-13.3% |
1.3% |
-31.4% |
-16.7% |
Tehama |
$273,250 |
$371,000 |
|
$237,500 |
|
-26.3% |
15.1% |
41.9% |
33.3% |
Other Calif. Counties |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Amador |
$355,000 |
$360,000 |
|
$300,000 |
|
-1.4% |
18.3% |
20.3% |
66.0% |
Calaveras |
$397,500 |
$407,120 |
|
$339,500 |
|
-2.4% |
17.1% |
-7.9% |
79.2% |
Del Norte |
$346,000 |
$308,750 |
|
$276,780 |
|
12.1% |
25.0% |
70.0% |
36.0% |
El Dorado |
$538,350 |
$585,000 |
|
$465,000 |
|
-8.0% |
15.8% |
-1.0% |
64.2% |
Humboldt |
$370,000 |
$351,000 |
|
$318,500 |
|
5.4% |
16.2% |
0.8% |
31.6% |
Lake |
$306,950 |
$317,000 |
|
$271,500 |
|
-3.2% |
13.1% |
-2.3% |
31.3% |
Mariposa |
$380,000 |
$374,000 |
|
$299,900 |
|
1.6% |
26.7% |
-16.0% |
75.0% |
Mendocino |
$540,000 |
$494,000 |
|
$447,000 |
|
9.3% |
20.8% |
4.3% |
56.5% |
Mono |
$880,000 |
$806,000 |
|
$400,000 |
|
9.2% |
120.0% |
0.0% |
40.0% |
Nevada |
$508,000 |
$466,250 |
|
$400,000 |
|
9.0% |
27.0% |
21.0% |
44.0% |
Sutter |
$369,900 |
$370,000 |
|
$308,250 |
|
0.0% |
20.0% |
14.1% |
19.1% |
Tuolumne |
$330,000 |
$337,500 |
|
$292,000 |
|
-2.2% |
13.0% |
24.2% |
82.3% |
Yolo |
$515,000 |
$511,000 |
|
$441,000 |
|
0.8% |
16.8% |
7.0% |
10.5% |
Yuba |
$360,000 |
$352,500 |
|
$299,850 |
|
2.1% |
20.1% |
-13.1% |
4.3% |
r = revised
NA = not available
December 2020 County Unsold Inventory and Days on Market
(Regional and condo sales data not seasonally adjusted)
December 2020 |
Unsold Inventory Index |
Median Time on Market |
||||||||
State/Region/County |
Dec. 2020 |
Nov. 2020 |
|
Dec. 2019 |
|
Dec. 2020 |
Nov. 2020 |
|
Dec. 2019 |
|
Calif. Single-family homes |
1.3 |
1.9 |
|
2.5 |
|
11.0 |
9.0 |
|
28.0 |
|
Calif. Condo/Townhomes |
1.6 |
2.2 |
|
2.1 |
|
17.0 |
14.0 |
|
28.0 |
|
Los Angeles Metro Area |
1.4 |
2.1 |
|
2.8 |
|
11.0 |
10.0 |
|
31.0 |
|
Central Coast |
1.7 |
2.1 |
|
2.7 |
|
11.0 |
10.0 |
|
38.0 |
|
Central Valley |
1.3 |
1.6 |
|
2.2 |
|
8.0 |
7.0 |
|
22.0 |
|
Far North |
2.1 |
3.0 |
|
4.0 |
|
19.0 |
14.5 |
|
47.0 |
|
Inland Empire |
1.4 |
2.1 |
|
3.3 |
|
12.0 |
11.0 |
|
38.0 |
|
San Francisco Bay Area |
1.1 |
1.6 |
|
1.4 |
|
13.0 |
11.0 |
|
27.0 |
|
Southern California |
1.3 |
2.0 |
|
2.7 |
|
10.0 |
9.0 |
|
28.0 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
San Francisco Bay Area |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Alameda |
0.8 |
1.3 |
|
0.9 |
|
9.0 |
8.0 |
|
20.0 |
|
Contra Costa |
0.9 |
1.3 |
|
1.4 |
|
8.0 |
7.0 |
|
23.0 |
|
Marin |
1.0 |
1.5 |
|
1.7 |
|
28.0 |
25.5 |
|
59.0 |
|
Napa |
2.3 |
3.7 |
|
3.6 |
|
37.0 |
35.0 |
|
65.0 |
|
San Francisco |
1.2 |
2.0 |
|
0.8 |
|
27.0 |
18.0 |
|
20.0 |
|
San Mateo |
1.1 |
1.8 |
|
1.1 |
|
12.0 |
11.0 |
|
23.0 |
|
Santa Clara |
1.1 |
1.4 |
|
1.1 |
|
9.0 |
8.0 |
|
19.0 |
|
Solano |
1.4 |
1.7 |
|
2.2 |
|
29.0 |
27.5 |
|
38.5 |
|
Sonoma |
2.1 |
2.7 |
|
3.0 |
|
37.0 |
33.0 |
|
56.5 |
|
Southern California |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Los Angeles |
1.4 |
2.1 |
|
2.4 |
|
10.0 |
9.0 |
|
24.0 |
|
Orange |
1.3 |
2.0 |
|
2.3 |
|
11.0 |
10.0 |
|
29.0 |
|
Riverside |
1.4 |
2.1 |
|
3.4 |
|
13.0 |
11.0 |
|
36.0 |
|
San Bernardino |
1.3 |
2.0 |
|
3.3 |
|
11.0 |
10.0 |
|
42.0 |
|
San Diego |
1.2 |
1.6 |
|
2.2 |
|
8.0 |
7.0 |
|
20.0 |
|
Ventura |
1.1 |
1.7 |
|
3.8 |
|
27.0 |
27.0 |
|
51.0 |
|
Central Coast |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Monterey |
2.0 |
2.3 |
|
3.0 |
|
10.0 |
11.0 |
|
28.5 |
|
San Luis Obispo |
1.6 |
2.2 |
|
3.3 |
|
10.0 |
10.5 |
|
41.5 |
|
Santa Barbara |
1.6 |
2.0 |
|
2.6 |
|
15.0 |
10.0 |
|
35.5 |
|
Santa Cruz |
1.4 |
2.0 |
|
1.7 |
|
10.5 |
8.0 |
|
44.0 |
|
Central Valley |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Fresno |
1.4 |
1.8 |
|
2.5 |
|
7.0 |
7.0 |
|
18.5 |
|
Glenn |
2.2 |
3.4 |
|
5.4 |
|
5.0 |
26.5 |
|
24.0 |
|
Kern |
1.5 |
2.1 |
|
2.3 |
|
11.0 |
8.0 |
|
20.0 |
|
Kings |
1.3 |
2.0 |
|
2.8 |
|
7.0 |
6.0 |
|
20.0 |
|
Madera |
1.9 |
2.1 |
|
4.5 |
|
13.0 |
14.0 |
|
27.0 |
|
Merced |
1.3 |
2.0 |
|
2.7 |
|
14.0 |
10.5 |
|
34.0 |
|
Placer |
1.1 |
1.5 |
|
1.9 |
|
7.0 |
8.0 |
|
27.0 |
|
Sacramento |
1.0 |
1.3 |
|
1.6 |
|
7.0 |
7.0 |
|
19.0 |
|
San Benito |
2.0 |
1.4 |
|
2.5 |
|
9.0 |
9.0 |
|
27.0 |
|
San Joaquin |
1.0 |
1.4 |
|
2.4 |
|
8.0 |
7.0 |
|
25.0 |
|
Stanislaus |
1.3 |
1.6 |
|
2.0 |
|
8.0 |
7.0 |
|
20.0 |
|
Tulare |
1.5 |
2.0 |
|
2.6 |
|
8.5 |
7.0 |
|
23.0 |
|
Far North |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Butte |
1.4 |
2.5 |
|
2.7 |
|
7.0 |
7.0 |
|
42.0 |
|
Lassen |
3.7 |
2.5 |
|
4.5 |
|
100.0 |
72.5 |
|
148.0 |
|
Plumas |
2.9 |
3.8 |
|
6.7 |
|
91.0 |
118.0 |
|
168.0 |
|
Shasta |
1.8 |
3.0 |
|
4.0 |
|
17.0 |
8.0 |
|
30.5 |
|
Siskiyou |
3.7 |
2.9 |
|
5.5 |
|
31.0 |
11.0 |
|
39.0 |
|
Tehama |
3.4 |
5.1 |
|
5.3 |
|
45.5 |
41.0 |
|
91.0 |
|
Other Calif. Counties |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Amador |
1.9 |
2.7 |
|
5.4 |
|
23.0 |
17.0 |
|
58.5 |
|
Calaveras |
1.5 |
1.8 |
|
4.9 |
|
61.0 |
62.5 |
|
87.0 |
|
Del Norte |
2.2 |
5.3 |
|
5.1 |
|
127.0 |
116.0 |
|
142.0 |
|
El Dorado |
1.3 |
1.6 |
|
3.6 |
|
20.0 |
18.0 |
|
57.0 |
|
Humboldt |
1.8 |
2.2 |
|
4.2 |
|
12.0 |
12.5 |
|
35.5 |
|
Lake |
2.5 |
3.5 |
|
5.8 |
|
35.0 |
27.0 |
|
64.5 |
|
Mariposa |
2.8 |
3.1 |
|
7.4 |
|
73.0 |
34.0 |
|
67.0 |
|
Mendocino |
2.6 |
3.3 |
|
6.3 |
|
67.0 |
51.0 |
|
68.0 |
|
Mono |
2.0 |
2.5 |
|
6.9 |
|
106.0 |
105.0 |
|
148.0 |
|
Nevada |
1.8 |
2.7 |
|
3.6 |
|
20.0 |
11.5 |
|
34.0 |
|
Sutter |
0.9 |
1.4 |
|
2.2 |
|
10.0 |
6.0 |
|
35.0 |
|
Tuolumne |
1.9 |
2.8 |
|
5.8 |
|
30.0 |
24.5 |
|
60.5 |
|
Yolo |
1.4 |
1.9 |
|
2.1 |
|
13.0 |
9.0 |
|
29.0 |
|
Yuba |
1.2 |
1.2 |
|
2.7 |
|
7.0 |
9.0 |
|
26.5 |
|
r = revised
NA = not available