Best Realtors in Benicia, CA (2026 Guide)

Benicia is a waterfront city of about 26,400 people on the Carquinez Strait with prices well above the Solano County median, so look for an agent who knows its historic downtown, its east and west sides, and how few homes come up for sale each month. The table below lists licensed agents whose profiles name Benicia, linked to their state license records.

In the three months to August 2026 Benicia’s median sale price was about $822,000, 10.0% higher than a year earlier, and 83 homes sold in August (Redfin).

Benicia market snapshot

Census QuickFacts, 2020-2024 estimates.

Benicia’s Census median owner-occupied value of $810,000 is nearly $200,000 above Solano County’s, and 69.5% of its homes are owner-occupied (Census). Median household income is $121,204 and the mean commute 28.7 minutes, both measured over 2020 to 2024.

The recent sales data point two ways. The median price rose 10.0%, but price per square foot fell 8.6% to $422, which usually means more of the homes that sold were larger. Homes went under contract fairly quickly, with a median of 35 days on market and a 99.3% sale-to-list ratio, and 37.1% sold above list. Yet 35.7% of listings took a price cut (Redfin), a higher share than in Vallejo (Redfin) or Fairfield (Redfin), and Redfin rates Benicia “somewhat competitive” at 65 out of 100.

A former state capital with two historic districts

Benicia served as California’s third seat of government from February 9, 1853, to February 25, 1854. The old capitol at 115 West G Street is now Benicia Capitol State Historic Park, open Friday through Sunday, with the Fischer-Hanlon House next door (California State Parks). The city has two historic districts, Downtown and the Arsenal, and local recognition began with a downtown preservation district in 1969. Its preservation page also points owners of older buildings to the California Historic Building Code (City of Benicia).

Redfin divides the city into the West Side, Southampton, Historic Downtown Benicia and the Eastside (Redfin). West of town, Benicia State Recreation Area protects marsh, grassy hillsides and rocky beaches along the narrowest stretch of the Carquinez Strait, with 2.5 miles of road and bike paths (California State Parks).

What’s changing in Benicia

Valero told the state in April 2025 that it planned to stop refining in Benicia (KRON4), and at the end of April 2026 Argus Media reported that the company had ceased operating the refinery’s fuel production units (Argus Media, April 30, 2026). What happens to the site next matters to the industrial area and the city budget, so check current city and local news before you set a price or write an offer.

What changes the math on a Benicia home

• Transfer tax: Benicia doesn’t appear with a city rate in the title company tables we checked, so a seller pays only the county’s $1.10 per $1,000, a quarter of the combined Vallejo rate (WFG National Title; Old Republic Title).
• Historic districts: before you plan exterior changes or an addition, confirm whether the parcel is in the Downtown or Arsenal district and what review the city requires (City of Benicia).
• Bridge toll: the Benicia-Martinez Bridge charges $8.50 northbound only, at the toll plaza on the south side of the bridge, so a commuter driving south pays on the way home (FasTrak).
• ADUs: the city’s housing pages include an accessory dwelling unit section and a pre-approved ADU program for designers, useful if you want a second unit on the lot (City of Benicia).
• Wildfire and flood: First Street data on Redfin estimates that 77% of Benicia properties carry some wildfire risk and 4% face severe flood risk over 30 years (Redfin). Check the specific address on the state’s fire hazard viewer (State Fire Marshal).
• Defensible space at sale: in High and Very High fire hazard zones, sellers provide AB 38 documentation to the buyer (State Fire Marshal).
• Insurance: get a homeowners quote during your inspection period; the state reports that growth in FAIR Plan policies slowed in early 2026 as more insurers expand coverage (California Department of Insurance).

Who serves Benicia: licensed agents on record

The list is alphabetical, and the last column shows the Benicia-area names each agent gives on their own profile. Fewer agents list Benicia than list Vallejo or Fairfield, so this table is shorter than those.

8 agents, in alphabetical order. All of them name Benicia on a public profile.

How to pick an agent for a Benicia sale or purchase

1. Ask which sales they’d use to set the price. When the median rises 10% while price per square foot falls 8.6%, size and location explain more than the headline figure, so look for comparables of similar size on the same side of town.
2. For an older or historic house, ask whether it’s in one of the two districts, what the Historic Building Code allows, and which inspections they’d order for the foundation, wiring and plumbing.
3. Sellers: ask about the first two weeks. More than a third of recent listings were reduced, so find out how the agent arrives at a list price and when they’d recommend changing it.
4. Ask what they know about the refinery and any city planning work in the industrial area.
5. Commuters: drive the route at rush hour and add the bridge toll to the monthly budget before you commit.
6. Check the license with the DRE link in the table, and interview at least two agents.

For more about the city, read our Benicia guide and the wider Solano County overview. Neighboring markets are covered in our agent lists for Vallejo and Fairfield and in the Solano County agents guide. Sellers can start with our selling process overview, and buyers eyeing an older house should read whether a fixer-upper is right for you.

Benicia questions answered

When was Benicia California’s capital?

From February 9, 1853, to February 25, 1854. The capitol building on West G Street is now a state historic park, open Friday through Sunday.

Is there a Benicia city transfer tax?

We found none listed. Sellers pay the Solano County rate of $1.10 per $1,000, compared with $4.40 per $1,000 in neighboring Vallejo.

How do Benicia prices compare with the rest of Solano County?

They’re higher. Benicia’s median sale price was about $822,000 in the three months to August 2026, against roughly $564,000 countywide in the three months to September.

Which direction is the toll on the Benicia-Martinez Bridge?

Northbound only. Drivers pay $8.50 heading toward Benicia and nothing heading south toward Martinez.

Sources & notes

• California DRE license lookup
• Census QuickFacts: Benicia
• Redfin: Benicia housing market (three months to August 2026; retrieved October 2026); Redfin for Vallejo and Fairfield; Census QuickFacts: Solano County
• California State Parks: Benicia Capitol State Historic Park; Benicia State Recreation Area; City of Benicia historic preservation; City of Benicia housing and ADU pages
• KRON4 (April 16, 2025) on the refinery notice
• Transfer tax: WFG National Title and Old Republic Title; FasTrak Benicia-Martinez Bridge; State Fire Marshal; State Fire Marshal; California Department of Insurance

Last reviewed October 2026 by Matthew Martinez.