New York, NY vs San Francisco-Oakland-Berkeley: Housing Market Comparison (2026)

Side-by-side Alpha Scores, affordability, momentum, supply, jobs, and rental yield · scores computed September 2026

New York, NY vs San Francisco-Oakland-Berkeley side by side

Metric● New York, NY● San Francisco-Oakland-Berkeley
Alpha Score3541
Price Momentum75—
Inventory Health—97
Affordability22
Economic Strength4942
Rental Yield41
Median Sale Price$847K—
Price-to-Income9.68.4
Payment-to-Income58.4%52.8%
Months of Supply5—
Gross Rental Yield2.6%2.6%
Overvaluation Index6040

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

How New York, NY and San Francisco-Oakland-Berkeley compare, dimension by dimension

  • Affordability: New York, NY and San Francisco-Oakland-Berkeley score the same (2/100).
  • Economic Strength: New York, NY leads — New York, NY 49/100 vs San Francisco-Oakland-Berkeley 42/100.
  • Rental Yield: New York, NY leads — New York, NY 4/100 vs San Francisco-Oakland-Berkeley 1/100.

Frequently asked questions

Which has a higher Alpha Score, New York, NY or San Francisco-Oakland-Berkeley?

San Francisco-Oakland-Berkeley scores higher — 41 vs 35 out of 100. The Alpha Score is a 0-100 composite of price momentum, inventory health, affordability, economic strength, and rental yield.

Is New York, NY or San Francisco-Oakland-Berkeley more affordable?

Affordability is comparable in both markets. Price-to-income is 9.6 in New York, NY and 8.4 in San Francisco-Oakland-Berkeley.

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 New York, NY market brief and the San Francisco-Oakland-Berkeley brief.