HOA fees keep rising in San Diego
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More San Diego homes for sale last year came with homeowners association fees, and those dues continued to climb, Realtor.com data shows.
Why it matters: Rising HOA fees add to the already high cost of homeownership here that makes renting cheaper than owning.
By the numbers: About 57% of San Diego County homes listed for sale on Realtor.com last year had HOA dues, up from 55% in 2024.
- The median monthly fee rose to $367 from $340 in 2024. Dues can stretch beyond $1,000 at downtown condos.
- The median listing price for homes with HOAs here is $769,900.
Between the lines: Thousands of local residents are facing higher insurance premiums on properties because of extreme weather threats like wildfires and floods, which is pushing HOA fees up.
Zoom in: Residents pay HOA dues to fund maintenance and amenities like pools and gyms.
- Associations also often enforce strict rules on everything from holiday decor to lawn care, with fines for residents who fail to comply.
Reality check: We don't have it quite as bad as others in California when it comes to HOAs.
- The media monthly HOA fee in the Bay Area was $502 last year and $429 in the Los Angeles metro.
The big picture: Nationally, roughly 44% of homes listed for sale last year had HOA dues, and median monthly fees were $135 — both up from 2024.
- HOA fees are more common in the West and South, where condos, townhouses and newly built homes represent a larger share of listings, according to the real estate site.
The intrigue: "The condo's traditional affordability advantage over single-family homes is eroding — and in many markets, it has reversed entirely," housing economist Aziz Sunderji writes in his newsletter, Home Economics.