Five San Diego County ZIP codes made PropertyShark’s annual list of the 100 most expensive areas. It was down from six last year, when Carmel Valley narrowly made it in at No. 92 (It was just $50,000 off from the list this year).
All local ZIP codes on the list had median sale prices of more than $2.4 million. As usual, Rancho Santa Fe (92067) was the belle of the ball at No. 10, featuring a median sales price of $4.99 million. However, that is down from No. 9 last year.
Brett Dickinson, a luxury real estate agent with some of the biggest sales in the past five years, said San Diego County attracts well-heeled buyers from Los Angeles and Orange counties because it is more private.
“Wealthy people can fly under the radar,” he said. “They can walk around in town and nobody is concerned about who they are.”
Dickinson said foreign buyers also increasingly see San Diego County as a safe place to put money. He said the biggest groups of international buyers in the past year have been from Mexico, primarily Mexico City; China, largely from Shanghai and Beijing; and Hong Kong.
California dominated the PropertyShark list, making up 61% of the 100 most expensive ZIPs. Atherton in San Mateo County, a hub of Silicon Valley wealth, was the highest in the Golden State at No.2 with a median sales price of $8.3 million. It fell off the top spot after eight years as Miami Beach nabbed the No. 1 ranking with a median of $9.5 million.
San Diego County’s five ZIP codes probably aren’t enough for it to wow the champagne crowd. Los Angeles County had 17 ZIPs on the list, Santa Clara County had 15, Orange County had 12 and New York’s Suffolk County had 10.
PropertyShark used transactions from Jan. 1 to Sept. 30 to compile its list. Luxury studies sometimes use listing prices, often much higher than what homes sell for, so this list is more closely watched because it waits to collect closed sale prices. Here’s a look at San Diego County ZIP codes on the list:
Rancho Santa Fe (92067)
Penny Wahler brushes her horse named Pony before taking a walk around the neighborhood in Rancho Santa Fe in August. (Ana Ramirez / The San Diego Union-Tribune)
Rancho Santa Fe fell to No.10 with its median of $4.9 million, down from No. 9 in 2024. There’s no need to cry into caviar over the diminished ranking because it has momentum on its side, and was actually the first local ZIP to crack PropertyShark’s top 20. It was No. 26 in 2016, No. 32 in 2017, No. 29 in 2018 and 2019, No. 23 in 2020, No.18 in 2021 and No. 10 in 2022 and 2023.
Del Mar (92014)
Coconut, a golden retriever, in September competes in the 20th Annual Helen Woodward Animal Center Surf Dog Surf-A-Thon in Del Mar. (K.C. Alfred / The San Diego Union-Tribune)
Del Mar was No.47 with a median sales price of $2.7 million, down from No. 40 last year. In July, a newly built mansion at 2920 Camino Del Mar slashed its asking price by $15.5 million to $59.5 million. It has now been on the market for more than 330 days and made The San Diego Union-Tribune’s list of luxury homes taking the longest to sell.
La Jolla (92037)
Swimmers are tightly packed together just after the start of the 3-mile La Jolla Cove Swim in September. (Hayne Palmour IV / For The San Diego Union-Tribune)
La Jolla was No.60 with a median sales price of $2.5 million, up from No.74 last year, the second-largest rise of any San Diego County ZIP code. There has been a movement in the San Diego neighborhood in the past few years to turn it into its own city. Supporters say an independent La Jolla could better control its own housing policies.
Cardiff (92007)
Cardiff Dog Days of Summer festival at the Encinitas Community Park in July 2024. (Hayne Palmour IV / For The San Diego Union-Tribune)
Cardiff was No. 67 with a median of $2.45 million, up from No. 82 last year. The beach community had the biggest rise of any local ZIP code this year. The Encinitas hamlet has been largely unaffected by a recent push to build more housing. Demand was so high for new Encinitas development Fox Point Farms that 2,500 people were on an interest list at the start of the year for just 10 townhouses.
Coronado (92118)
At the Shore House in Coronado, bartender Charlie Scalzo makes beverages. (Nancee Lewis / UT file)
Coronado ranked No. 68 with a median of $2.4 million, falling from No. 57 last year. It was the biggest drop of any ZIP code this year. One of the most high-profile sales in the ZIP code was in the Coronado Cays. A newly built mansion at 3 The Point went for $24.1 million at a Hong Kong auction in late September after years of struggling to find a buyer. It originally went for sale for $43 million in November 2023.