San Francisco - CA vs Sacramento - CA: 2026 Housing Comparison

What this means for buyers

San Francisco - CA is roughly 96% more expensive than Sacramento - CA in typical home value. Homes sit on market longer in Sacramento - CA (22 days vs 16), suggesting more buyer leverage there. Sacramento - CA sees more listings with price cuts (29.8% vs 21.2%), a sign of softening seller expectations.

San Francisco vs Sacramento: what the numbers say

At today's 7.24% average 30-year rate with 20% down, the typical home would cost about $6,108 a month in principal and interest in San Francisco and $3,123 in Sacramento, a gap of $2,985 a month.

Typical rent runs $3,445 in San Francisco and $2,269 in Sacramento, so the mortgage payment alone is 1.8 times rent in San Francisco and 1.4 times rent in Sacramento, before taxes and insurance.

Home prices are 27.1 years of rent in San Francisco and 21.0 in Sacramento; the lower ratio in Sacramento means buying there is cheaper relative to renting.

Over the last 23 months typical values moved -0.6% in San Francisco and -2.3% in Sacramento; over just the last three months the change was +1.4% in San Francisco and +0.3% in Sacramento.

Homes sell for 106.1% of list price in San Francisco and 99.6% in Sacramento, after 16 and 22 days on the market, with price cuts on 21% and 30% of listings. All three signs point the same way: buyers have more room to negotiate in Sacramento.

The number of homes for sale is down 13% on a year ago in San Francisco and down 4% on a year ago in Sacramento.

Payments assume a 30-year fixed loan at the Freddie Mac weekly average rate (2026-10-29), 20% down, principal and interest only. Home values, rents and market figures are Zillow Research metro data.