San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad vs Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue: 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 Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue side by side

Metric San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue
Alpha Score3023
Price Momentum5050
Inventory Health42
Affordability16
Economic Strength6039
Rental Yield4426
Median Sale Price
Price-to-Income7.76.0
Payment-to-Income47.5%36.7%
Months of Supply
Gross Rental Yield3.3%3.4%
Overvaluation Index

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 Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue compare, dimension by dimension

  • Affordability: Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue leads — San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad 1/100 vs Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue 6/100.
  • Price Momentum: San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad and Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue score the same (50/100).
  • Inventory Health: San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad leads — San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad 4/100 vs Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue 2/100.
  • Economic Strength: San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad leads — San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad 60/100 vs Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue 39/100.
  • Rental Yield: San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad leads — San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad 44/100 vs Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue 26/100.

Frequently asked questions

Which has a higher Alpha Score, San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad or Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue?

San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad scores higher — 30 vs 23 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 Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue more affordable?

Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue is more affordable on our affordability dimension. Price-to-income is 7.7 in San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad and 6.0 in Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue.

Which housing market has stronger momentum, San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad or Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue?

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 Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue brief.