The Numbers This Month
This August update uses completed July 2026 sales reported by the California Association of Realtors. "Year over year" compares with July 2025; "days on market" is the median time before a home went into contract. County and regional medians can shift when a different mix of homes sells, so they are a market snapshot, not the appreciation rate of every property.
- Bay Area median sale price: $1.285M, down 8.2% from June and 1.2% from July 2025.
- Bay Area sales: down 11.1% from June and nearly flat, down 0.1%, from July 2025.
- Bay Area inventory: 2.3 months of supply, up from 2.1 months in June but below 2.7 months one year earlier.
- Bay Area market time: a 22-day median, compared with 17 days in June and 24 days in July 2025.
- Alameda and Santa Clara counties: Alameda's median was $1.275M, up 2.0% year over year, with 2.0 months of supply and 15 days on market. Santa Clara's was $1.955M, up 2.9%, with 1.9 months of supply and 13 days on market.
- San Francisco: the median was $2.05M, up 25.2% year over year, with only 1.0 month of supply. That large annual median change can reflect the mix of homes sold and should not be treated as a forecast.
Statewide, July's median was $887,680, up 0.3% year over year. Sales ran at a seasonally adjusted annual pace of 263,170, up 1.1% year over year, and the average 30-year fixed mortgage rate was 6.54%.
Nine-County Market Snapshot
The regional median hides a wide county spread. Use this table as a map for the next local comparison, not as a valuation of a specific home.
| County | Median price | Year over year | Months of supply | Median DOM |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alameda | $1,275,000 | +2.0% | 2.0 | 15 |
| Contra Costa | $875,000 | +1.4% | 2.6 | 15 |
| Marin | $1,770,000 | +8.9% | 1.7 | 48 |
| Napa | $885,000 | -4.3% | 6.8 | 66 |
| San Francisco | $2,050,000 | +25.2% | 1.0 | 22.5 |
| San Mateo | $2,210,000 | +5.2% | 1.5 | 13 |
| Santa Clara | $1,955,000 | +2.9% | 1.9 | 13 |
| Solano | $610,000 | +2.7% | 3.1 | 42.5 |
| Sonoma | $840,000 | -0.6% | 3.4 | 62 |
DOM is median days on market before contract. Monthly medians change with the mix of homes sold; each county name links to the relevant local guide.
What This Means If You're Buying
If you are buying, July offered slightly more time than June, but 2.3 months of regional supply is still tight. The useful response is not to rush every home or wait for one regional headline to settle the decision. Get fully pre-approved, compare recent sales for the exact city and property type, inspect the house itself, and model the complete monthly cost before you remove protections. The county differences are the point: a Santa Clara search with 13 median days behaves differently from a Sonoma or Solano search, and the strategy should change with it. If you want to get ready before you start touring, send me a message.
What This Means If You're Selling
If you are selling, limited supply still helps a well-prepared listing, but July's slower pace makes ambitious pricing less forgiving. A 2.3-month regional supply figure does not mean every home can name its number. Buyers compare the newest local sales, condition, insurance, taxes, and monthly payment, and they hesitate when the asking price gets ahead of those facts. I would rather show you the exact comparable sales and set a price the market can defend than lean on a regional headline. If you want a grounded home-value read before you list, reach out and we will look at your numbers together.
This Month's Homework
This month's homework is to compare the ownership cost, not just the sale price. Start with the Bay Area property-tax map to see how rates and direct charges differ across 38 cities, then put the specific home's price, tax rate, insurance, HOA, and any Mello-Roos into the true monthly cost calculator. Two homes with similar prices can produce very different monthly obligations.
Market Note FAQ
What is the Bay Area housing market doing in August 2026?
C.A.R.'s July 2026 closed-sales report put the San Francisco Bay Area median at $1.285M, down 1.2% from July 2025, while regional sales were nearly unchanged year over year. Supply remained tight at 2.3 months and the median time on market was 22 days. County medians diverged: Alameda was $1.275M, up 2.0% year over year; Santa Clara was $1.955M, up 2.9%; and San Francisco was $2.05M, up 25.2%, a large change that can reflect which homes sold in a single month.
Is now a good time to buy in the Bay Area?
It depends on your finances, timeline, and the exact local market. July's 2.3 months of Bay Area supply still describes a tight market, while the 22-day median gave buyers slightly more time than June. The practical test is whether you have a full mortgage pre-approval, a monthly ownership cost that fits your budget, enough reserves for repairs and surprises, and a plan to hold the home long enough that a market change does not force a sale. If you want to run your actual numbers instead of a general rule, send me a message and we will work through them together.
Source for this issue: California Association of Realtors, July 2026 Home Sales and Price Report, released August 17, 2026. Regional and county figures cover existing single-family detached homes. Medians and market conditions vary by city, property type, and the mix of homes sold, so verify current local comparable sales before acting.
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