The median El Cerrito home sold for $1,242,678 in August 2026. That’s down 11.2% from a year earlier, but homes still sold in a median of 15 days, and 87.2% closed above their list price (Redfin, El Cerrito housing market page, August 2026, checked September 24, 2026).
So the median slipped, and the bidding didn’t. Here’s how to read both at once.
What are the El Cerrito numbers for August 2026?
Here’s everything Redfin reports for the month, in one place. All figures are from Redfin’s El Cerrito housing market page for August 2026, checked September 24, 2026.
| Measure | August 2026 |
|---|---|
| Median sale price | $1,242,678 |
| Change from a year earlier | down 11.2% |
| Homes sold | 55 |
| Median days on market | 15 |
| Average sale-to-list price | 122.2% |
| Homes sold above list price | 87.2% |
| Median price per square foot | $812 |
| Homes with a price drop | 12.7% |
Why are prices down if homes still sell over asking?
Because a median and a bidding war measure different things. The median is the middle sale of the 55 homes that happened to close in August. If more smaller homes or condos sold this August than last August, the median falls even if a given house is worth about the same.
Over-asking tells you something else: how list prices get set. A 122.2% average sale-to-list ratio means a home listed at $1,000,000 closed, on average, around $1,222,000. That’s the list price acting as an opening number.
Neither figure tells you what one specific house is worth. Recent sales of similar homes on nearby streets do.
What does this mean if I’m buying?
Plan for the price after bidding, not the one on the listing. With 87.2% of August sales closing over list, get fully pre-approved with room above the asking price, and decide your ceiling before you tour.
Use $812 a square foot as a gut check, not a rule. A 1,500 square foot house at that citywide median lands near $1.2 million, but hill lots, views, condition and distance to BART all pull a single home off the average. Redfin’s August figures are citywide, so they don’t separate the hills from the flats.
What does this mean if I’m selling?
Price it right and prepare it well. Only 12.7% of El Cerrito listings had a price drop, and the median home sold in 15 days (Redfin, August 2026). That’s a market that moves quickly when the price and the condition line up. It’s also one where a listing that sits for weeks stands out.
Look at the last three months of sales on your street before you pick a list price. The 11.2% drop in the median is a citywide number, not a verdict on your house.
One El Cerrito cost to keep in mind on either side of the deal: the city adds its own transfer tax of $12.00 per $1,000 of the sale price on top of the county’s (Contra Costa County Clerk-Recorder, City of El Cerrito page, checked September 24, 2026). With the county’s $1.10 per $1,000, that’s $13.10 per $1,000 combined. At the August median, the city piece is about $14,916. Who pays it is negotiable and gets written into the purchase contract. Your escrow officer figures the exact amount, and a tax professional or real estate attorney can answer questions about your own situation.
Is 55 sales enough to trust the median?
It’s enough to see the direction, not to price one home. With a few dozen sales in a month, a handful of large or small homes can swing the median by tens of thousands. Look at several months in a row, and at sales near the exact house.
Questions people also ask
What is the median home price in El Cerrito?
It was $1,242,678 in August 2026, per Redfin’s El Cerrito housing market page checked September 24, 2026. That’s 11.2% lower than August 2025. The same month showed 55 sales, a median of 15 days on market and a median of $812 per square foot. Monthly medians move with the mix of homes that sell.
Do El Cerrito homes sell over asking price?
Most do right now. In August 2026, 87.2% of El Cerrito homes sold above list price and the average sale closed at 122.2% of list, per Redfin, checked September 24, 2026. Treat the list price as a starting point and set your own limit before you make an offer.
How fast do houses sell in El Cerrito?
Fast. The median El Cerrito home spent 15 days on the market in August 2026, per Redfin’s El Cerrito housing market page, checked September 24, 2026. Only 12.7% of homes had a price drop in the same month.
Your next step
Send us the address you’re watching or the one you own. We’ll pull the last few sales of similar homes nearby and show you where the real number sits. Talk to an El Cerrito agent on our team or call (510) 949-5525.
More on El Cerrito: Is El Cerrito a good place to live? · Are El Cerrito home prices going up or down? · What’s my home worth?
By Bill Davis, DRE #01880656, The Davis Team at eXp Realty, El Cerrito, CA. Updated September 24, 2026.
Sources
- Redfin, El Cerrito housing market page, August 2026: redfin.com/city/5618/CA/El-Cerrito/housing-market (checked September 24, 2026)
- Contra Costa County Clerk-Recorder, Documentary Transfer Tax, City of El Cerrito: contracostavote.gov (checked September 24, 2026)