San Diego Housing Costs Cresting San Francisco Prices

The notoriously pricy Bay Area city has been dethroned as the country's most expensive metropolis.

1 minute read

March 7, 2022, 7:00 AM PST

By Diana Ionescu @aworkoffiction


gaslamp Quarter

Sean Pavone / Shutterstock

It's not getting any cheaper to live in the San Francisco Bay Area, but the rest of the country is catching up, reports Joshua Bote. "OJO Labs, an Austin, Texas-based AI real estate firm, has decreed San Diego the least affordable metro area — in large part due to a staggering 14% increase in the 'median sold price' for a home in the Southern California city compared with last January."

After years of claiming the throne as one of the most expensive areas in the country, the San Francisco Bay Area is finally getting more affordable—sort of. "While the median sold price in the San Francisco Bay Area is more than $1 million, that actually indicates a decrease in median price from last January, according to OJO Labs. (Along with the Fort Myers, Florida, metropolitan area, San Francisco is the only big city in the nation to see a decrease in home prices, OJO said.)"

Wednesday, March 2, 2022 in San Francisco Gate

portrait of professional woman

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching. Mary G., Urban Planner

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching.

Mary G., Urban Planner

Cover CM Credits, Earn Certificates, Push Your Career Forward

Aerial view of town of Wailuku in Maui, Hawaii with mountains in background against cloudy sunset sky.

Maui's Vacation Rental Debate Turns Ugly

Verbal attacks, misinformation campaigns and fistfights plague a high-stakes debate to convert thousands of vacation rentals into long-term housing.

July 1, 2025 - Honolulu Civil Beat

Logo for Planetizen Federal Action Tracker with black and white image of U.S. Capitol with water ripple overlay.

Planetizen Federal Action Tracker

A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.

July 2, 2025 - Diana Ionescu

White and purple sign for Slow Street in San Francisco, California with people crossing crosswalk.

San Francisco Suspends Traffic Calming Amidst Record Deaths

Citing “a challenging fiscal landscape,” the city will cease the program on the heels of 42 traffic deaths, including 24 pedestrians.

July 1, 2025 - KQED

Row of older brick houses in Detroit with front porches and front lawns.

Detroit Says Problems With Property Tax Assessments are Fixed. Advocates Disagree.

With higher-valued properties under assessed and lower-valued properties over assessed, advocates say there's still a problem with Detroit's property tax system.

30 minutes ago - Shelterforce Magazine

Google street view of red brick multi-story power plant building in Pittsburgh, PA.

Defunct Pittsburgh Power Plant to Become Residential Tower

A decommissioned steam heat plant will be redeveloped into almost 100 affordable housing units.

July 4 - Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

Cyclist on protected bike lane in middle of street in Washington D.C. with Washington Monument obelisk visible in background.

Trump Prompts Restructuring of Transportation Research Board in “Unprecedented Overreach”

The TRB has eliminated more than half of its committees including those focused on climate, equity, and cities.

July 4 - Streetsblog USA