How Competitive Is the Sonoma Real Estate Market Right Now?
By Matthew Martinez, Founder, CEO & Managing Broker, Diamond Real Estate Group. California DRE #01869679.
The City of Sonoma is “somewhat competitive” right now: Redfin gives it a Compete Score of 57 out of 100, the average home sells for about 2% below list price, the median home spent 40 days on the market, and nearly 30% of sellers have cut their price. Well-priced homes still move faster and can draw more than one offer.
The wider county is tighter, with more than a third of homes selling above list. Here are the numbers as of the three months ending September 2026, what they mean for buyers and sellers, and how to read them for a specific home.
The numbers
| Measure (three months ending September 2026) | City of Sonoma | Sonoma County |
|---|---|---|
| Median sale price | $1,024,512 (down 21.2%) | $808,191 (up 6.6%) |
| Median days on market | 40 (76 a year earlier) | 45 (57 a year earlier) |
| Sale-to-list price ratio | 98.3% | 100.3% |
| Homes sold above list price | 19.5% | 38.3% |
| Homes with price drops | 29.8% | 19.2% |
| Homes sold in September | 42 (47 a year earlier) | 386 (409 a year earlier) |
Sources: Redfin: Sonoma and Redfin: Sonoma County. Redfin also notes that hot homes in the city sell for around list price and go pending in about 22 days, compared with about 53 days for the average home.
The California Association of Realtors, which measures existing single-family homes, reported a September 2026 county median of $875,000, up 10.1% from a year earlier, with sales down 3.4% (C.A.R.). Different methods and home types explain why the figures don’t match.
What the numbers say
Homes are selling faster than a year ago
Days on market fell sharply in both the city and the county. Buyers who sat out last year are back, even with rates above 7%.
But the city is less heated than the county
In the City of Sonoma, about one in five homes sold over list, compared with more than one in three countywide, and price cuts are more common. Higher price points draw fewer buyers, and many city listings are priced well above the county median.
The city’s median price swing is mostly about mix
With only about 40 to 50 sales a month, a few large or small homes change the city median a lot. Redfin’s median price per square foot in the city rose 15.7% over the same period even as the median price fell, which tells you smaller homes made up more of the sales. Don’t read the 21% drop as a 21% fall in what your home is worth.
Where competition is strongest
- Move-in-ready homes near the Plaza at realistic prices, because supply is limited and buyers want walkability.
- Homes below the $897,000 conforming loan limit, where more buyers can use standard conforming or FHA financing.
- Homes with low insurance risk: those outside the highest fire zones or with documented fire-hardening are easier to finance and insure.
Competition is weaker for homes that need major work, large rural estates, and homes with well, septic or insurance questions that buyers can’t answer quickly.
What to do as a buyer
- Get fully preapproved, and know your payment at today’s rate. Freddie Mac’s average 30-year rate was 7.32% on October 22, 2026 (Freddie Mac).
- Get an insurance quote before you write an offer on anything in a higher fire zone.
- Read the disclosures first. Sellers who provide inspections up front often expect cleaner offers.
- Price by recent comparable sales, not list price. On homes that have sat, there’s often room; on fresh, well-priced listings there may not be.
- Negotiate terms, not just price: credits toward a rate buydown can help your payment more than a small price cut.
If this is your first purchase, start with our first-time homebuyer’s guide to Sonoma, and see our mortgages and affordability guide.
What to do as a seller
- Price to the current market. In the city, nearly 30% of listings have needed a price cut. Pricing right at the start usually nets more than chasing the market down.
- Do the inspections and the defensible-space inspection before listing. In High and Very High fire zones, sellers must provide a recent defensible-space inspection or agree that the buyer will bring the property into compliance within a year (State Fire Marshal).
- Fix what buyers will price in: roof, safety items, obvious deferred maintenance.
- Help buyers with insurance by documenting your roof, vents and clearing.
Our guide to selling a home in Sonoma covers preparation in detail. For a price based on recent sales near you, request a home valuation.
How Sonoma compares with Napa
In the City of Napa, Redfin reported a median of 54 days on market, a 98.4% sale-to-list ratio and 27.4% of homes selling above list for September 2026 (Redfin: Napa). The two towns are similar in pace, though Sonoma’s prices run higher. Our Sonoma vs Napa comparison goes further.
Where to follow the market
We update the numbers regularly in our Sonoma market update and the Sonoma County market report. For the longer view, read trends to watch in Sonoma real estate. Ready to talk about a specific home? Browse our Sonoma real estate guide or contact us.
Questions people ask
Is Sonoma a buyer’s or seller’s market?
Neither, overall. It depends on price, condition and location. Move-in-ready homes at fair prices still sell quickly; others take longer and negotiate.
How many offers should I expect?
Redfin says some homes get multiple offers. For a specific listing, ask the listing agent whether they’re expecting offers and on what date.
Should I wait for prices to drop?
No one can time the market reliably. If you find the right home and can carry the payment, waiting for a lower price risks facing more buyers later, especially if rates fall.
How often do these numbers change?
Monthly. With so few sales in the city, one month can swing the averages, so look at the trend over several months.
Sources & notes
- Redfin for Sonoma, Sonoma County and Napa (retrieved October 22, 2026)
- C.A.R. September 2026 report; Freddie Mac PMMS; OSFM AB 38 bulletin
Market figures change monthly. Last reviewed October 2026 by Matthew Martinez.
