SAN FRANCISCO, Calif. — New data reveals that Sacramento is currently the most searched-for relocation destination among homebuyers nationwide, while San Francisco is among the top cities people want to leave. The findings come from a recent analysis by real estate brokerage Redfin, highlighting shifting migration and housing market trends.
Migration Trends Show California as Top State People Are Leaving
Redfin analyzed searches from February to April 2025 across more than 100 major U.S. metro areas. The study examined roughly 2 million users who viewed at least 10 homes over three months.
The analysis found that California is the state with the most homebuyers searching to leave, while the most popular states to relocate to include Florida, Arizona, and North Carolina.
Bay Area Home Price Changes: Mixed Picture
The Bay Area saw a mix of price increases and declines year-over-year across its counties:
- Price Declines:
- Alameda County saw the biggest drop of 4.3%, with a median home price of $1,167,500.
- Contra Costa County declined 4.2%, with a median price of $829,000.
- Solano (-1.6%), Napa (-1.1%), San Mateo (-0.89%), and Marin (-0.4%) counties also experienced declines. Median prices ranged from $575,500 in Solano to $1,665,000 in San Mateo.
- Price Increases:
- San Francisco led with a 3.9% increase, reaching a median of $1,455,000.
- Santa Clara County followed with a 3.6% increase, and it holds the highest median price in the Bay Area at $1,750,000.
- Sonoma County had the lowest median at $828,353 but saw a 1.4% price rise.
Cities with Fastest Price Growth in California
- Sunnyvale recorded the fastest growth, with home prices up nearly 30% year-over-year, and a median price of $2.3 million last month.
- Berkeley experienced the fourth-fastest growth at almost 20%, with a median of nearly $1.6 million.
- Danville also made the top 10 list, with a 15% spike in median sale price to $2.3 million despite a nearly 15% drop in the number of homes sold.
Bay Area’s Most Competitive Housing Markets
Redfin identified the Bay Area as home to all of California’s top 10 “most competitive” cities, based on the number of homes receiving multiple offers and waived contingencies. Scores range from 90 to 100 on their competitiveness scale.
Top 10 Most Competitive Cities in California:
- Santa Clara
- Sunnyvale
- Alameda
- Daly City
- Livermore
- Mountain View
- Berkeley
- Danville
- Castro Valley
- San Ramon
Source Attribution
Data and analysis courtesy of:
- Redfin: redfin.com
- Local Bay Area real estate reports
