Selling a house in California? Explore your options.

Recorded home market data for California

Across the 201 California cities we cover, the median of the typical home values was $805,034 in July 2026. The spread inside the state is wide: the typical home in Oroville was $310,232 and in Newport Beach it was $3,724,083, which is why the page for your own city is the one worth reading.

Of the 185 California cities with data, 38 saw homes go under contract in 15 days or fewer and 13 took 31 days or more, in July 2026. These historical medians exclude the time from contract to closing and do not establish your sale's timetable.

Values are mostly rising: 120 of the 201 California cities with a year-over-year figure went up, 79 went down. This historical index comparison does not determine which selling option suits your property.

Figures come from Zillow's public research data and describe whole cities, not individual houses.

Fastest-moving California cities

Historical median days for a home to go under contract, July 2026. This does not measure demand for your particular property.

Highest-value California cities

Typical home value, July 2026. A city-wide figure, not a valuation of any one house.

Where to start: closing in California

A customary closing role does not establish whether an attorney is required for your sale. Confirm who may handle settlement and which tasks need legal advice with a licensed local professional. The practical points to discuss:

• California closes through independent escrow companies; a title company insures and an escrow holder settles.
• Counties levy a documentary transfer tax, and a number of cities add their own on top, so the amount depends on where the house is.
• The Transfer Disclosure Statement and Natural Hazard Disclosure have separate statutory exceptions. Ask your licensed real estate or legal professional which forms your transfer requires. Other disclosure duties may still apply even when a transfer is exempt from one of these forms.
• California residents and nonresidents can both be subject to real estate withholding. It is a prepayment of income tax, not an additional transfer tax. Ask your escrow or tax professional to check Form 593 and any applicable exemption before closing.
• California is a community property state, so a spouse who is not on title is normally asked to sign.

Official disclosure sources: California Civil Code 1102.2: transfer disclosure exceptions; California Civil Code 1103.1: natural hazard disclosure exceptions.

Official withholding source: California FTB real estate withholding guidelines.

General information about practice in California, not legal or tax advice. The closing agent on your sale will give you the exact figures for your county.

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