Napa, California Housing Market

What stands out in Napa?

• 18 homes are under contract for every 100 still for sale: among the fewest homes under contract per listing of 584 tracked cities. Demand is light. Your offer may be the only one.
• Population is down 4.7% over five years: among the steepest population decline of 765 tracked cities. A shrinking population thins demand over time.
• The median asking price is $1,188,713: one of the priciest of 765 tracked cities. Entry costs are high, so cash flow is harder. Price growth has to do more of the work.

How much more is for sale in Napa than before the pandemic?

There are 354 homes for sale in Napa, 44% more than in 2017–2019 at this time of year. That count is down 5% on last year, with 108 new listings this month. More choice means you can walk away from any home priced for the market of three years ago.

What does a shrinking population mean for Napa landlords?

The population in Napa's ZIP codes fell 4.7% over five years. 10.2% of homes are vacant, higher than 75% of tracked cities. Households still grew 3.0% while the housing stock grew 1.9%. Fewer people living in more households means rental demand has held up better than the population suggests. Check vacancy by ZIP before you buy.

How much can you negotiate in Napa?

For every 100 homes still for sale, 18 are under contract. In 2017–2019 at this time of year it was 31. The rest are still waiting for a buyer. About 1 in 5 sellers has already dropped their price. Each one has learned their first price was too high. Start your offer below their new price.

The typical Napa listing has been on the market 72 days. That is 18% shorter than a year ago. There are 354 homes for sale in Napa. That is 5.0 times the tightest month on record, but below the peak of 374. Supply is shrinking against last year.

What to do about it

• Search Napa homes listed 90+ days ago that have already cut their price.
• Offer below the reduced price.
• Keep your inspection and financing contingencies.
• Ask the seller to pay closing costs.
• You can lose a few offers here and still win.

How does Napa compare with other California markets?

Ranked among the 141 California markets we track:

• Asking price: 29th priciest of 141. Napa is at $1,188,713. Closest: Mission Viejo and Lake Forest.
• Buyer competition: 4th least competitive of 138. Napa is at 0.18 buyers per home. Closest: La Quinta and Rancho Mirage.
• Time on market: 9th longest time on market of 141. Napa is at a median of 72 days on market. Closest: Hemet and Rancho Mirage.
• Price cuts: 68th fewest price cuts of 141. Napa is at 19% of sellers cutting. Closest: Huntington Beach and Carlsbad.

What is the fair market rent in Napa?

HUD sets one fair market rent for Napa County. For fiscal year 2026:

• 1 bedroom: $2,113 a month. Down 1% on last year, up 85% since FY2016.
• 2 bedrooms: $2,773 a month. Down 1% on last year, up 85% since FY2016.
• 3 bedrooms: $3,532 a month. Down 3% on last year, up 62% since FY2016.
• 4 bedrooms: $4,134 a month. Down 0% on last year, up 75% since FY2016.

The figures include tenant-paid utilities and apply to all of Napa County, so one home's rent can sit well above or below them. See fair market rent by city.

Is now a good time to buy in Napa?

The median asking price is 22.3% below its May 2023 peak. You are not buying at the top. Prices stopped falling about a year ago. They are flat now. Waiting will not get you a cheaper house. It might still get you a more motivated seller. Napa prices rose in only 69 of the last 111 months. This market goes up and down. Timing matters here. Growth will not rescue a bad price.

The discount is already here. It is not getting bigger. Buy now while sellers are still weak. Waiting for a lower price stopped working a year ago.

What numbers should you underwrite a Napa deal with?

• Price growth to assume — +0.2%/yr. Napa grew 4.0% a year over the decade. Ignore that rate. Most of it landed in the 2020 and 2021 boom. Without the boom, Napa prices are flat. Assume no growth. Prices rose 1.7% over the last year. Use it for timing. The five-year rate is the better guide.
• Months of carrying cost — 3. Budget at least 72 days of holding costs, the current median listing age, when you exit or refinance.
• Competition when you exit — -5%. Homes for sale in Napa are down 5% on last year, so your resale faces less competition than today's comps did.

Read what days on market tells you about leverage and how we read these numbers, then run the numbers on a deal.

What is the median home price in Napa?

The median asking price in Napa is about $1,189,000 as of Sep 2026, down 3.3% from a year ago. Asking price per square foot is up 1.7%, so read the median with care: it moves with which homes happen to be listed. This is the asking price on homes listed for sale. Sites that report sold prices or estimated home values will show a different number. Our Napa figures cover the 3 ZIP codes with a Napa mailing address, which can reach past city limits.

Is Napa a buyer's or seller's market in 2026?

Buyers have more room in Napa than usual. We compare Napa with 2017–2019 at this time of year: there are 18 pending sales per 100 listings, against 31 then; there are 44% more homes for sale; the typical listing has been up 36% more days.

Are Napa home prices going up or down?

The median asking price is 22.3% below its May 2023 peak. You are not buying at the top. Prices stopped falling about a year ago. They are flat now. Waiting will not get you a cheaper house. It might still get you a more motivated seller.

What is the best month to buy a house in Napa?

Across 9 full years, Napa asking prices ran lowest in January, about 4.6% below the year's average. They peaked in May. The most homes for sale show up in October, about 21% above the yearly average.

What is the fair market rent in Napa?

HUD's fiscal year 2026 fair market rent for Napa County is $2,773 a month for 2 bedrooms and $3,532 for 3 bedrooms. The figures include tenant-paid utilities and cover the whole county.