The story of this market
The typical home in Berkeley, California sells for about $1,500,000, or $972 per square foot.
Homes take about 27 days to sell, which is fast. HUD's fair market rent for a two-bedroom is $2,897 a month.
Monthly price momentum
Home values since 2015
+0.5%
CA · past 12 months
Freddie Mac House Price Index, single-family homes, monthly through 2026-08. Each line starts at 100 in January 2015, so a reading of 180 means prices are up 80% since then.
Berkeley, California
The Berkeley housing market remains defined by extremely limited inventory and high competition, keeping prices elevated despite broader economic headwinds. While year-over-year price growth has stabilized, the city's status as a renter-majority market with significant regulatory constraints continues to limit liquidity for traditional buyers. Data gaps exist regarding specific tax rates and current month-over-month supply metrics, reflecting the complexity of this highly localized market.
No ARED county foreclosure postings attributed to Berkeley yet — the verified ledger covers every county the foreclosure ingest has read, attributed by published city area. Key-figure check: median price corroborated by the published ten-year series (2025) (within 12.5%).
Deterministic aggregate of 3 researched ZIP reports — sales_count-weighted (population fallback); per point, children lacking the value or its weight are excluded. Tax rates, sentiment and context notes are tier-native and never roll.
Median prices moved down 2.7% year over year.
Homes spend a median of 20 days on market with 2.8 months of supply — a fast-moving market.
26% of listings have cut prices · homes sell at 101.55% of asking — demand is running ahead of supply.
no recorded foreclosure-ledger notices (0.0 per 10,000 residents) · poverty 4.5% — a stable, low-distress profile.
- Six Flags Discovery Kingdom4.118.6 mi
- Six Flags Hurricane Harbor Concord3.714 mi
- Children's Fairyland4.54.4 mi
- Urban Air Trampoline and Adventure Park4.414.5 mi
- Dave & Buster's Daly City4.117.6 mi
- Chase Center4.79.5 mi
- Oracle Park4.79.1 mi
- Palace of Fine Arts4.810.7 mi
- Moscone Center4.59.2 mi
- Six Flags Discovery Kingdom4.118.6 mi
- PIER 394.68.6 mi
- Oracle Park4.79.1 mi
- Golden Gate Bridge4.811.8 mi
- The Painted Ladies4.410.9 mi
- Fisherman's Wharf4.68.9 mi
- PIER 394.68.6 mi
- Ferry Building4.68.4 mi
- Golden Gate Bridge4.811.8 mi
- The Painted Ladies4.410.9 mi
- California Academy of Sciences4.612.7 mi
- Golden Gate Park4.813.5 mi
- Mission Dolores Park4.711.4 mi
- Oakland Zoo4.611 mi
- Twin Peaks4.712.6 mi
- Union Square4.49.3 mi
- PIER 394.68.6 mi
- Jack London Square4.55.4 mi
- Pier 404.58.8 mi
- Richmond Yacht Club4.86.6 mi
- Encinal Yacht Club4.76.2 mi
- Presidio Golf Course4.511.6 mi
- Corica Park Golf Course4.29.4 mi
- TPC Harding Park4.315.7 mi
- Monarch Bay Golf Club4.112.9 mi
- Tilden Park Golf Course4.12.1 mi
- PIER 394.68.6 mi
- Ferry Building4.68.4 mi
- Stonestown Galleria4.314.9 mi
- Berkeley Bowl West4.71.6 mi
- H Mart San Francisco4.515.4 mi
- San Francisco International Airport4.318.4 mi
- Oakland San Francisco Bay Airport4.210.9 mi
- Elevation LVK4.327.6 mi
- Seaplane Adventures4.813.1 mi
Theme parks, venues, golf, airports, museums, water and shopping across the area ranked by popularity within the radius shown.
The amenity base that shapes daily life and property demand in this city — what residents actually live with, and what the pipeline is adding.
A premier outdoor shopping and dining destination known for its upscale boutiques, artisanal shops, and high-end restaurants. It serves as a major economic anchor and social hub for the city.
A large waterfront park featuring a lagoon, walking paths, and wildlife habitats. It provides essential recreational space and contributes to the city's environmental and aesthetic appeal.
A regional network of walking and cycling paths along the shoreline. It offers significant connectivity for commuters and recreational users, enhancing the city's transit and lifestyle profile.
A historic terraced garden offering panoramic views of the San Francisco Bay. It is a landmark attraction that draws visitors and enhances the desirability of the surrounding residential neighborhoods.
A world-renowned culinary district centered around Shattuck Avenue, famous for pioneering the farm-to-table movement. It remains a major cultural and economic draw for the city.
Berkeley is best suited for academic professionals, commuters to the broader Bay Area, and long-term investors who can navigate a highly regulated, rent-controlled environment. It is less ideal for first-time buyers seeking affordability, as the market is consistently ranked among the most competitive and expensive in the nation.
Berkeley is highly connected via the BART system, providing direct transit access to Oakland and San Francisco. The city is also served by major highway corridors including I-80 and I-580, though local traffic congestion remains a significant factor for commuters.
Berkeley is a renter-majority city with over 55% of households in rental units, driven by a large student population and high demand. This tenure structure supports a robust rent-control environment and sustained pressure on vacancy rates, making it a challenging market for tenants but a stable, albeit highly regulated, environment for long-term investors.
The economy is anchored by the University of California, Berkeley, which serves as the primary driver of employment, research, and innovation. The city maintains a strong mix of academic, biotech, and service-sector industries, benefiting from its proximity to the broader Silicon Valley and San Francisco job markets.
Development is heavily focused on transit-oriented projects and increasing housing density near BART stations and the university. The city's planning pipeline is characterized by complex regulatory processes and a strong emphasis on affordable housing mandates.
Parcels in Berkeley are subject to various special assessments, including those for the Berkeley Unified School District, local library services, and regional transit and flood control districts.
Composed from the ARED governance burden registry — tier-native tax structure (state + county + city + special districts), never averaged. State (California) — Mello-Roos Community Facilities Act Special Parcel Tax Assessment: Levies an annual direct, non-ad valorem special tax directly on the parcel's secured property tax bill to fund designated community infrastructure (e.g., roads, sewer facilities, school facilities, emergency services) and repay municipal debt bonds. State (California) — California Homeowners' Property Tax Exemption: Reduces the taxable assessed value of the qualifying owner-occupied principal residence by $7,000 against the county assessment roll, generating a direct tax savings of approximately $70 annually (computed as $7,000 × 1% base rate). State (California) — California Proposition 13 Ad Valorem Real Property Tax: Establishes a base ad valorem tax rate capped at 1.0% of assessed value plus voter-approved local indebtedness and direct assessments (typically resulting in an effective tax rate of 1.1% to 1.25%).
Data retrieved from Census Reporter and US Census Bureau QuickFacts.
No public schools report a street address in this area. Source: NCES EDGE public school locations 2023-24.
applies when — Parcels located within specific geographic boundaries defined by voter-approved debt or special district formation.
Additional ad valorem levies or fixed charges added to the property tax bill to fund local school bonds, city services, or special district infrastructure.
Rates vary by TRA and are published annually in the County Tax Rate Book.
Imposes regulatory constraints on land use, building standards, nuisance abatement, and environmental health requirements across the county, including unincorporated areas.
Codified ordinances maintained by the Alameda County Clerk of the Board of Supervisors.
The tax is calculated by applying a composite tax rate to the assessed value of the property. The base rate is 1% of the assessed value as mandated by California Proposition 13, plus additional voter-approved debt service rates and special assessments specific to the parcel's Tax Rate Area (TRA). Exemptions include the Homeowners' Exemption ($7,000 reduction in assessed value for primary residences).
Governed by California Constitution Article XIIIA and Alameda County Auditor-Controller tax rate books updated annually.
Governance registry — every jurisdiction re-researches on a rolling 90-day cycle. Property reports compose these inherited burdens into a per-parcel ledger with conditional determinations. Informational only — not legal advice.