Propty Research · 2026
Average HOA Fees by California City (2026)
A Metro-Level Benchmark for California Homeowners & Boards
California’s median HOA fee is the 9th-highest of any state — roughly double the national median. This benchmark pulls together what California homeowners and boards actually pay, from Census-authoritative statewide figures down to city/metro estimates, with the vintage and source shown on every single number.
Last reviewed 2026-07-02. Scope: California owner-occupied homes and condominiums subject to HOA / condo fees.
A note on data resolution
The U.S. Census only publishes an authoritative HOA/condo-fee median at the national and state level (2024 ACS). True city/metro medians come from two lower-tier-but-citable sources with different vintages and methods: a Census 2019 ACS PUMS analysis (mortgage-holders only) and 2024 listing-based medians from Zillow/Redfin. We show the vintage and method on each row and label every non-Census figure a metro estimate. The two metro tiers are kept in separate tables — they must not be read as one time series.
The California HOA-fee picture
California median monthly HOA fee
U.S. Census 2024 ACS — 9th-highest of any state, ≈106% above the $135 national median
U.S. homeowners paying a condo / HOA fee
U.S. Census 2024 ACS — 21.6M of 86.6M owned households; national median $135/mo (first ACS to ask an explicit HOA-fee question)
Bay Area HOA-dues rise, 2019→2024
Redfin analysis reported by the East Bay Times / Bay Area News Group — outpacing ~22% inflation over the same span
California owner-occupied homes paying an HOA / condo fee
U.S. Census 2024 ACS (via iPropertyManagement)
California community associations
Foundation for Community Association Research (2025) — more than any other state; ~14.5M residents
Average monthly HOA fees, by geography
Each figure carries its method, vintage, and source. Census-derived metro medians (2019 PUMS) and recent listing-based medians (2024) are shown in separate tables because they differ in year, population, and method — presenting them as one series would imply a trend the data cannot support.
Census-authoritative medians (national & state)
Direct medians from the U.S. Census Bureau 2024 American Community Survey — the highest-confidence figures here. National and California statewide only; the Census does not publish an authoritative city/metro median.
| Geography | Median monthly fee | Method / vintage | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| United States (national) | $135 | ACS direct median, all owners paying an HOA/condo fee2024 ACS | U.S. Census Bureau |
| California (statewide) | $278 | ACS state median — 9th-highest of any state, ≈2× the national median2024 ACS | iPropertyManagement |
Recent listing-based metro medians (2024)
2024 listing-based medians from Zillow and Redfin as reported by Axios and the Bay Area News Group. They reflect homes listed for sale, so they skew toward newer / condo stock and run higher than owner-occupied ACS medians — metro estimates.
| Geography | Median monthly fee | Method / vintage | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bay Area (San Francisco metro) | $502Estimate | Listing-based median (Zillow)2024 | Axios San Diego |
| Los Angeles metro | $429Estimate | Listing-based median (Zillow)2024 | Axios San Diego |
| San Diego metro | $367Estimate | Listing-based median (Zillow) — up from ≈$3402024 | Axios San Diego |
Census-derived metro medians (2019 PUMS)
Metro-level medians from an Inspection Support Network analysis of Census 2019 ACS Public Use Microdata (mortgage-holding owners only). Census-derived but older — treat as metro estimates.
| Geography | Median monthly fee | Method / vintage | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| San Francisco–Oakland–Berkeley metro | $400Estimate | Census PUMS median, mortgage-holders only2019 PUMS | Inspection Support Network |
| San Jose–Sunnyvale–Santa Clara metro | $370Estimate | Census PUMS median, mortgage-holders only2019 PUMS | Inspection Support Network |
| Los Angeles–Long Beach–Anaheim metro | $340Estimate | Census PUMS median, mortgage-holders only2019 PUMS | Inspection Support Network |
| San Diego–Chula Vista–Carlsbad metro | $330Estimate | Census PUMS median, mortgage-holders only2019 PUMS | Inspection Support Network |
Figures labeled “Estimate” are metro-level and either Census-derived from 2019 microdata (mortgage-holders only) or listing-based from 2024 Zillow/Redfin data (homes listed for sale). Only the national and California statewide medians are Census-authoritative.
Why California fees keep rising
Some of the increase is statute-driven. Two Davis-Stirling Act obligations push condo and HOA dues up directly, each linked to its California Civil Code section. Post-wildfire insurance premium spikes (some associations up ~40% in a year) compound both.
| Cost driver | Civil Code | Effect on dues |
|---|---|---|
| Reserve study with on-site visual inspection at least every 3 years | Civil Code §5550 | Underfunded reserves force special assessments and regular-dues hikes to close the gap. |
| SB 326 exterior elevated element (balcony/deck/stair) inspection — first due Jan 1, 2025, then at least every 9 years | Civil Code §5551 | A direct new recurring inspection cost that flows straight into condo dues. |
Insurance premiums are a market effect, not a statutory line item, and are cited for context only.
Methodology
National & state medians (highest confidence). The $135 U.S. and $278 California medians come directly from the U.S. Census Bureau's 2024 American Community Survey — the first ACS to ask an explicit homeowners-association-fee question — and are the highest-confidence figures on this page.
Metro medians labeled “2019 PUMS”. These are from an Inspection Support Network analysis of Census 2019 ACS Public Use Microdata (mortgage-holding owners only). They are Census-derived but older, so we label every one an estimate.
Metro medians labeled “2024”. These are listing-based medians from Zillow and Redfin as reported by Axios and the Bay Area News Group. They reflect homes listed for sale, so they skew toward newer / condo stock and run higher than owner-occupied ACS medians. Zillow and Redfin are the underlying datasets; Axios and the Bay Area News Group are the citable reporting.
Why the tiers are kept separate. Because these tiers differ in year, population, and method, we present them in separate tables and label every non-Census figure as an estimate — blending them would imply a trend the data cannot support. Two weak single-source rows (an SF-city ≈$759 blog figure and a Sacramento ≈$335 aggregator figure) were dropped for lack of a firm primary source.
Association counts & statutory drivers. Community-association counts are from the Foundation for Community Association Research (2025). Statutory cost drivers cite the California Civil Code (Davis-Stirling Act). This is an educational benchmark, not legal or financial advice — confirm any compliance decision with a qualified California HOA attorney.
Cite this as
Propty (datasamy, Inc.). (2026). Average HOA Fees by California City (2026): A Metro-Level Benchmark for California Homeowners & Boards. Retrieved from https://www.propty.io/en/research/california-hoa-fees-2026
Data may be reused with attribution to Propty under CC BY 4.0. A link to this page is appreciated.
Sources
- Nearly a Quarter of Homeowners Paid Condo or HOA Fees in 2024 (2024 ACS 1-year) — national median $135/mo; ≈25% of owners pay a fee — U.S. Census Bureau (2025).
- The Cost of Homeownership Continues to Rise (2024 ACS 1-year estimates press release) — U.S. Census Bureau (2025).
- HOA Statistics — California median $278/mo (9th-highest state); ≈23.7% of CA owner-occupied homes pay a fee (compiling U.S. Census ACS) — iPropertyManagement (2026).
- Cities With the Worst HOA Fees (Census 2019 ACS PUMS): SF–Oakland $400, San Jose $370, LA $340, San Diego $330 — Inspection Support Network (2019).
- More San Diego homes for sale have HOA fees, and monthly dues keep rising (citing Zillow): Bay Area $502, LA metro $429, San Diego $367 (2024) — Axios San Diego (2026).
- Bay Area HOA dues rose ~30% from 2019 to 2024 (Redfin data), with post-wildfire insurance premiums a compounding driver — East Bay Times / Bay Area News Group (2025).
- Community Association Fact Book 2025 — California has 51,700 associations and ~14.5M residents, the most of any state — Foundation for Community Association Research (2025).
- California Civil Code, Division 4, Part 5 (Davis-Stirling Common Interest Development Act) — §5550 reserve study, §5551 SB-326 balcony inspection cost drivers — California Legislative Information (leginfo.legislature.ca.gov) (2026).
Educational benchmark only — not legal or financial advice. Metro figures are estimates of differing vintage and method; confirm any fee, budget, or compliance decision with current data and a qualified California HOA professional.