The Local Lowdown: February 2026

Michelle Kim | March 2, 2026

The Local Lowdown

Quick Take:

Single-family home prices posted modest year-over-year gains across both counties, while the condo market continued to slide with double-digit declines in Contra Costa County.
Inventories remain significantly lower than last year, with both single-family homes and condos down nearly 20% on a year-over-year basis.
Single-family homes continue to move quickly in Alameda County, but condos are spending considerably more time on the market across the region.

Single-family homes kick off 2026 with positive momentum

The new year has started on a positive note for the single-family home market in the East Bay. In January, the median single-family home in Alameda County sold for $1,150,000, representing a 2.86% increase on a year-over-year basis. Contra Costa County saw similar gains, with the median single-family home selling for $800,000, a 2.04% year-over-year increase. This marks a welcome turnaround after several months of flat or declining prices. The condo market, however, continues to struggle. Alameda County condos declined by 6.36% year-over-year, with the median condo selling for $515,000. Contra Costa County condos fared even worse, dropping 14.39% to a median sale price of $455,000. The divergence between single-family homes and condos remains one of the defining features of the East Bay market.

Inventory levels remain well below last year

As we kicked off the new year, inventory levels remained considerably lower than they were at this time last year. Single-family home inventory stood at just 1,639 units, representing an 18.58% decline on a year-over-year basis. The condo market saw an even steeper drop, with inventory falling 20.03% year-over-year to just 627 units. This persistent lack of inventory continues to put upward pressure on single-family home prices while making it difficult for buyers to find suitable options. We typically see inventory begin to build throughout the spring months, so it will be interesting to see whether the market can absorb fresh listings as they come to market.

Condos are spending significantly more time on the market

The single-family home market continues to move at a brisk pace in Alameda County, where the average listing sold in just 19 days, unchanged from last year. However, Contra Costa County single-family homes are taking a bit longer to sell, with the average listing spending 30 days on the market, a 15.38% increase compared to last year. The condo market is a different story altogether. The average condo in Alameda County is spending 51 days on the market, while condos in Contra Costa County are sitting for an average of 52 days. The Contra Costa condo market saw a particularly dramatic increase, with days on market jumping 67.74% year-over-year. This extended time on market reflects the ongoing challenges in the condo segment, where buyers seem to have plenty of leverage.

The East Bay starts 2026 as a strong seller's market

When determining whether a market is a buyers' market or a sellers' market, we look to the Months of Supply Inventory (MSI) metric. The state of California has historically averaged around three months of MSI, so any area with at or around three months of MSI is considered a balanced market. Any market that has lower than three months of MSI is considered a seller's market, whereas markets with more than three months of MSI are considered buyers' markets.

The East Bay kicked off 2026 firmly in seller's market territory across the board. The single-family home market remains exceptionally tight, with just 1.1 months of inventory in Alameda County and 1.5 months in Contra Costa County. This represents year-over-year declines of 21.43% and 16.67%, respectively, signaling that buyers looking for single-family homes will face stiff competition. Even the condo market, which has struggled with pricing throughout 2025, has tightened considerably. Alameda County ended January with 2.7 months of condo inventory, while Contra Costa County had 2.9 months. Both figures put the condo market into seller's market territory as well, which could help stabilize prices in the months ahead.