Los Angeles, CA vs San Francisco-Oakland-Berkeley: Housing Market Comparison (2026)

Side-by-side Alpha Scores, affordability, momentum, supply, jobs, and rental yield · as of July 2026

Los Angeles, CA vs San Francisco-Oakland-Berkeley side by side

Metric Los Angeles, CA San Francisco-Oakland-Berkeley
Alpha Score3022
Price Momentum7250
Inventory Health293
Affordability11
Economic Strength3353
Rental Yield131
Median Sale Price$940K
Price-to-Income10.48.4
Payment-to-Income62.0%52.8%
Months of Supply4
Gross Rental Yield2.5%2.6%
Overvaluation Index7040

Highlighted = the stronger read for that metric (supply, valuation, and payment burden are better when lower). Income/rent inputs lag annually.

How Los Angeles, CA and San Francisco-Oakland-Berkeley compare, dimension by dimension

  • Affordability: Los Angeles, CA and San Francisco-Oakland-Berkeley score the same (1/100).
  • Price Momentum: Los Angeles, CA leads — Los Angeles, CA 72/100 vs San Francisco-Oakland-Berkeley 50/100.
  • Inventory Health: Los Angeles, CA leads — Los Angeles, CA 29/100 vs San Francisco-Oakland-Berkeley 3/100.
  • Economic Strength: San Francisco-Oakland-Berkeley leads — Los Angeles, CA 33/100 vs San Francisco-Oakland-Berkeley 53/100.
  • Rental Yield: Los Angeles, CA leads — Los Angeles, CA 13/100 vs San Francisco-Oakland-Berkeley 1/100.

Frequently asked questions

Which has a higher Alpha Score, Los Angeles, CA or San Francisco-Oakland-Berkeley?

Los Angeles, CA scores higher — 30 vs 22 out of 100. The Alpha Score is a 0-100 composite of price momentum, inventory health, affordability, economic strength, and rental yield.

Is Los Angeles, CA or San Francisco-Oakland-Berkeley more affordable?

Affordability is comparable in both markets. Price-to-income is 10.4 in Los Angeles, CA and 8.4 in San Francisco-Oakland-Berkeley.

Which housing market has stronger momentum, Los Angeles, CA or San Francisco-Oakland-Berkeley?

Los Angeles, CA has stronger price momentum — 72/100 vs 50/100.

Want to swap in other cities, change the metrics, or chart the trend over time? Customize this comparison → in the interactive Compare tool. Or read the Los Angeles, CA market brief and the San Francisco-Oakland-Berkeley brief.