San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad vs Washington-Arlington-Alexandria: 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 Washington-Arlington-Alexandria side by side

Metric San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad Washington-Arlington-Alexandria
Alpha Score3025
Price Momentum5050
Inventory Health41
Affordability115
Economic Strength6039
Rental Yield4426
Median Sale Price
Price-to-Income7.74.5
Payment-to-Income47.5%27.4%
Months of Supply
Gross Rental Yield3.3%4.3%
Overvaluation Index4020

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 Washington-Arlington-Alexandria compare, dimension by dimension

  • Affordability: Washington-Arlington-Alexandria leads — San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad 1/100 vs Washington-Arlington-Alexandria 15/100.
  • Price Momentum: San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad and Washington-Arlington-Alexandria score the same (50/100).
  • Inventory Health: San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad leads — San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad 4/100 vs Washington-Arlington-Alexandria 1/100.
  • Economic Strength: San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad leads — San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad 60/100 vs Washington-Arlington-Alexandria 39/100.
  • Rental Yield: San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad leads — San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad 44/100 vs Washington-Arlington-Alexandria 26/100.

Frequently asked questions

Which has a higher Alpha Score, San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad or Washington-Arlington-Alexandria?

San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad scores higher — 30 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 San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad or Washington-Arlington-Alexandria more affordable?

Washington-Arlington-Alexandria is more affordable on our affordability dimension. Price-to-income is 7.7 in San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad and 4.5 in Washington-Arlington-Alexandria.

Which housing market has stronger momentum, San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad or Washington-Arlington-Alexandria?

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 Washington-Arlington-Alexandria brief.