Daly City Housing Market and Home Prices: What Official Data Shows
- No repairs or cleanup
- No fees or commissions
- Close on your timeline
Daly City home values, housing costs and what they mean if you sell
This guide uses Census Bureau data, the city housing element and county recorder rules to explain the Daly City housing market, what homeowners should know before selling and how a cash sale compares.
Last updated November 13, 2026. Reviewed by the Cash Home Buyers CA team.
Daly City housing market at a glance
| Population (July 1, 2025 estimate) | 101,261, down 3.5% from the April 2020 estimates base of 104,905 |
| Households (2020-2024) | 32,262, with 3.13 persons per household |
| Owner-occupied housing unit rate (2020-2024) | 60.2% |
| Median value of owner-occupied homes (2020-2024) | $1,115,000 |
| Median monthly owner costs with a mortgage | $3,614 |
| Median monthly owner costs without a mortgage | $871 |
| Median gross rent | $2,551 |
| Median household income (2024 dollars) | $123,547 |
| Lived in the same house one year earlier | 91.0% of residents age one and older |
These figures are from the U.S. Census Bureau’s QuickFacts page for Daly City. The home value is the median of what owners estimate their homes are worth in the American Community Survey, averaged over 2020 to 2024.
It is not a list price, a sale price or today’s market value, and the QuickFacts page does not show a current sale-price median for the city. We do not quote listing-site price figures here because they change monthly and come from private data sets.
What the official numbers say about the market
Divide the median home value by the median household income and you get about 9.0, using only the two Census figures above. Put another way, the typical owner’s estimate of the home is about nine years of the typical household’s income.
That ratio is a rough affordability yardstick, not a Census statistic, and it is one reason buyers in this market lean on large down payments, family money or cash.
Owners with a mortgage report median monthly costs of $3,614, which is about $43,368 a year before any home improvement spending. Owners with no mortgage report $871 a month, a gap that mostly reflects the mortgage payment. Renters report a median gross rent of $2,551.
The spread between those numbers matters to a seller: a buyer who plans to live in the house is comparing a payment of that size against rent, so a house that needs a new roof or a kitchen can lose buyers who were counting on moving in without spending more.
Who lives in the housing stock
Daly City has 3.13 persons per household, higher than Livermore’s 2.74 and Marin County’s 2.44 in the same Census table series, which points to larger or multigenerational households. About 60.2% of occupied homes are owner-occupied, so close to four in ten households rent.
About 91.0% of residents lived in the same house a year earlier, which means turnover is low.
Low turnover can mean fewer comparable sales for an appraiser to use, so the homes that do sell get a lot of attention, and one that needs repairs can sit while the market waits for a perfect listing.
Population has also slipped since 2020, from 104,905 to 101,261 in the Census estimates, so demand cannot be assumed to rise just because the city is crowded.
New housing the city must plan for
The state assigned Daly City a Regional Housing Needs Allocation of 4,838 units for the 2023-2031 planning period, including 1,336 for very low-income households and 769 for low-income households, according to the city’s housing element materials.
The City’s adopted 2023-2031 Housing Element is listed on its General Plan page with an adoption date of November 12, 2024. The allocation is a planning target, not a count of homes that will be built, and we did not find an official statement of how many are under construction.
Still, it signals that the city will be zoning for more housing, and our Daly City zoning and ADU guide explains what a lot owner can add today.
How a sale changes your property tax
Under Proposition 13, a property’s assessed value can grow no more than 2% a year, so a long-time owner often pays tax on a value far below market.
When the home sells, the county assessor reassesses it to current fair market value as of the change in ownership, and the buyer can receive a supplemental tax bill in addition to the regular bill.
That is why buyers in this price range ask about the tax bill before they make an offer. Our San Mateo County property tax guide explains the bills in more detail.
San Mateo County’s Assessor-County Clerk-Recorder says the documentary transfer tax is collected at recording and is levied at 55 cents per $500 of price or value. That is $1.10 per $1,000, so a $1,000,000 sale works out to $1,100 at the county rate. We did not find a separate Daly City transfer tax in the sources we read, so confirm with your title company or escrow officer.
Selling when the house needs work
In a market where the value is this high, the repair question is a money question. A seller who lists needs to pay for repairs, permits and holding costs before the sale, and a financed buyer’s inspection and appraisal can still send the deal back.
Check the city’s permit record first. Our Daly City building permits guide shows how to find permit history, and the code enforcement guide covers open cases that follow the property to a buyer.
A cash buyer can purchase the house as it is, including unpermitted work or deferred maintenance, and price that risk instead of asking you to fix it.
A pre-listing checklist for Daly City owners
- Pull the permit history and note anything that was not finaled.
- Ask the assessor how a change of ownership will affect the tax bill your buyer sees.
- Compare what you would net by listing, after repairs, commission and months of carrying costs, with an as-is cash sale.
- If the house is rented, read our tenant-occupied sale page first.
- If it was inherited, read the inherited house page before you sign any listing agreement.
Common mistakes
The most common error is anchoring on a neighbor’s price or a website’s estimate. The Census figure above is a median across all owner-occupied homes, which includes condos and long-held homes, so it will not match your street.
A second mistake is spending on cosmetic updates before learning what a buyer’s lender will require. A third is forgetting that the buyer’s property tax will reset, which can change what a buyer can afford to offer.
What we could not confirm
We did not find an official current median sale price for Daly City, the number of homes sold this year, days on market or the share of cash purchases, so we state none of them. We also did not confirm a Daly City transfer tax separate from the county’s. Do not rely on a figure from an agent or website without asking for its source and date.
How to sell a house in Daly City
- Pull the permit history and note any work that was not finaled.
- Ask your title company about the transfer tax and what the buyer’s tax bill will look like.
- Compare the likely net proceeds of listing with a cash sale, including repairs, commissions and carrying time.
- Request a no-obligation cash offer and ask for the closing date you want.
- Choose a closing date, sign, and get paid at closing.
More local pages: We Buy Houses in Daly City, selling as-is, selling fast, selling an inherited house, selling a tenant-occupied house, and the San Mateo County hub.
Thinking of selling a Daly City house that needs work? Get a cash offer and compare it with listing.
Get My Cash OfferFrequently asked questions
What is the median home value in Daly City?
The Census Bureau reports a median value of owner-occupied homes of $1,115,000 for 2020-2024. That is an owner estimate averaged over five years, not a current sale price.
Is Daly City’s population growing?
The Census Bureau’s July 1, 2025 estimate is 101,261, which is 3.5% below the April 2020 estimates base of 104,905.
Do I pay a transfer tax when I sell in Daly City?
San Mateo County says documentary transfer tax is collected at recording at 55 cents per $500. We did not find a separate city rate, so confirm with escrow.
Will the buyer’s property tax change?
Yes. California reassesses property to market value after a change in ownership, and the buyer can also receive a supplemental bill.
Can I sell a Daly City house as-is for cash?
Yes. A cash buyer can purchase a house with repair needs or permit gaps. Request an offer to compare it with the net from listing.
How many homes must Daly City plan for?
The state allocation for 2023-2031 is 4,838 housing units, which is a planning target, not a count of homes built.
More guides
- We Buy Houses in Daly City
- We Buy Houses in San Mateo County
- San Mateo County Property Tax Guide
- Daly City Building Permits Guide
- Daly City Code Enforcement Guide
- Daly City Zoning and ADU Guide
- Daly City Cash Offer Process
- California Housing Market and Home Prices Guide
- California Home Value Guide
- All California Guides
Sources
- U.S. Census Bureau: QuickFacts, Daly City city, California
- City of Daly City: 2023-2031 Housing Element materials (RHNA allocation)
- City of Daly City: General Plan and 2023-2031 Housing Element
- San Mateo County ACRE: Documentary Transfer Tax
- California State Board of Equalization: Supplemental Assessment
- California State Board of Equalization: Change in Ownership FAQ
- California State Board of Equalization: California Property Tax, An Overview (PDF)
This guide is general information from public sources, not legal advice. Confirm current rules, fees and hours with the city.