Sacramento, CA vs Washington-Arlington-Alexandria: Housing Market Comparison (2026)

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

Sacramento, CA vs Washington-Arlington-Alexandria side by side

Metric Sacramento, CA Washington-Arlington-Alexandria
Alpha Score3425
Price Momentum5350
Inventory Health471
Affordability1115
Economic Strength3140
Rental Yield2226
Median Sale Price$608K
Price-to-Income6.54.5
Payment-to-Income38.4%27.4%
Months of Supply3
Gross Rental Yield3.4%4.3%
Overvaluation Index8020

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

How Sacramento, CA and Washington-Arlington-Alexandria compare, dimension by dimension

  • Affordability: Washington-Arlington-Alexandria leads — Sacramento, CA 11/100 vs Washington-Arlington-Alexandria 15/100.
  • Price Momentum: Sacramento, CA leads — Sacramento, CA 53/100 vs Washington-Arlington-Alexandria 50/100.
  • Inventory Health: Sacramento, CA leads — Sacramento, CA 47/100 vs Washington-Arlington-Alexandria 1/100.
  • Economic Strength: Washington-Arlington-Alexandria leads — Sacramento, CA 31/100 vs Washington-Arlington-Alexandria 40/100.
  • Rental Yield: Washington-Arlington-Alexandria leads — Sacramento, CA 22/100 vs Washington-Arlington-Alexandria 26/100.

Frequently asked questions

Which has a higher Alpha Score, Sacramento, CA or Washington-Arlington-Alexandria?

Sacramento, CA scores higher — 34 vs 25 out of 100. The Alpha Score is a 0-100 composite of price momentum, inventory health, affordability, economic strength, and rental yield.

Is Sacramento, CA or Washington-Arlington-Alexandria more affordable?

Washington-Arlington-Alexandria is more affordable on our affordability dimension. Price-to-income is 6.5 in Sacramento, CA and 4.5 in Washington-Arlington-Alexandria.

Which housing market has stronger momentum, Sacramento, CA or Washington-Arlington-Alexandria?

Sacramento, CA has stronger price momentum — 53/100 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 Sacramento, CA market brief and the Washington-Arlington-Alexandria brief.