San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad vs San Francisco-Oakland-Berkeley: Housing Market Comparison (2026)

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

San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad vs San Francisco-Oakland-Berkeley side by side

Metric San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad San Francisco-Oakland-Berkeley
Alpha Score3026
Price Momentum5050
Inventory Health43
Affordability11
Economic Strength6061
Rental Yield4419
Median Sale Price
Price-to-Income7.78.3
Payment-to-Income47.5%51.1%
Months of Supply
Gross Rental Yield3.3%2.6%
Overvaluation Index4040

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

How San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad and San Francisco-Oakland-Berkeley compare, dimension by dimension

  • Affordability: San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad and San Francisco-Oakland-Berkeley score the same (1/100).
  • Price Momentum: San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad and San Francisco-Oakland-Berkeley score the same (50/100).
  • Inventory Health: San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad leads — San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad 4/100 vs San Francisco-Oakland-Berkeley 3/100.
  • Economic Strength: San Francisco-Oakland-Berkeley leads — San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad 60/100 vs San Francisco-Oakland-Berkeley 61/100.
  • Rental Yield: San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad leads — San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad 44/100 vs San Francisco-Oakland-Berkeley 19/100.

Frequently asked questions

Which has a higher Alpha Score, San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad or San Francisco-Oakland-Berkeley?

San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad scores higher — 30 vs 26 out of 100. The Alpha Score is a 0-100 composite of price momentum, inventory health, affordability, economic strength, and rental yield.

Is San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad or San Francisco-Oakland-Berkeley more affordable?

Affordability is comparable in both markets. Price-to-income is 7.7 in San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad and 8.3 in San Francisco-Oakland-Berkeley.

Which housing market has stronger momentum, San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad or San Francisco-Oakland-Berkeley?

Both markets show similar price momentum (about 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 San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad market brief and the San Francisco-Oakland-Berkeley brief.