The six-city Sacramento-area housing market split into two camps over the three months ending in May, according to newly released Redfin data. Carmichael and Arden-Arcade posted year-over-year price gains, while Fair Oaks, Citrus Heights, Sacramento and Rancho Cordova all saw median sale prices fall from a year earlier. The widest swing came in Rancho Cordova, where the median sale price dropped 7.9% from $560,000 to $515,691 — even as the number of homes sold there rose 17.6% year over year. That combination, weaker prices alongside stronger sales volume, was the dominant pattern across the region this spring.

Prices: Arden-Arcade leads the gainers, Rancho Cordova leads the decliners

Fair Oaks remained the most expensive city in the comparison, with a median sale price of $699,581, though that figure was down 3.5% from $725,000 a year earlier. Citrus Heights stayed the most affordable, with a median of $479,463, down 3.9% from $499,000 in May 2025.

Among the cities that gained ground, Arden-Arcade posted the largest year-over-year price increase, rising 4.1% to $548,921 from $527,500. Carmichael followed with a 2.6% gain, moving from $560,000 to $574,656. Sacramento itself, the largest market in the group by far, saw its median dip 2.1% to $499,701 from $510,500.

For broader context, the S&P/Case-Shiller U.S. National Home Price Index was lower in March 2026 than a year earlier, so the price softness seen in four of the six local cities is broadly consistent with the national direction, though Arden-Arcade and Carmichael moved against it.

Sales activity: nearly every city is busier than last spring

Five of the six cities recorded more closed sales than a year ago. Arden-Arcade led with a 20.3% year-over-year increase, rising to 219 homes sold from 182. Rancho Cordova followed with a 17.6% gain (254 sales, up from 216), then Carmichael at 13.7% (207, up from 182), Fair Oaks at 13.4% (110, up from 97), and Citrus Heights at 10.6% (209, up from 189).

Sacramento was the lone exception, with sales essentially flat: 1,039 homes sold, down 0.9% from 1,048 a year earlier. Even so, Sacramento accounted for roughly half of all closed transactions in the six-city group, reflecting its size rather than any particular weakness.

The pickup in sales came against a national backdrop of slightly higher borrowing costs than a month earlier but lower costs than a year earlier. The 30-year fixed mortgage rate averaged 6.44% in May 2026, up from 6.33% in April but down from 6.82% in May 2025, according to Freddie Mac data published by the Federal Reserve. The 15-year fixed averaged 5.79% in May, compared with 5.68% in April and 5.95% a year earlier.

Days on market: Carmichael is the fastest, Rancho Cordova the slowest

Speed of sale varied widely across the region. Carmichael was the fastest market, with a median of 11 days on market — actually quicker than the 13 days recorded a year earlier. Fair Oaks also sped up, to 15 days from 18.

Every other city slowed, however. Citrus Heights homes took a median of 20 days to sell, up from 13 a year ago — the largest year-over-year slowdown in the group. Arden-Arcade rose to 18 days from 11, Sacramento to 18 from 15, and Rancho Cordova to 32 from 30. Rancho Cordova was the slowest market in the comparison by a clear margin.

The mismatch in Citrus Heights and Arden-Arcade is worth noting: both cities saw sales volume rise sharply year over year, yet typical listings are taking roughly a week longer to sell than they did last spring. That suggests more listings are clearing, but buyers are taking longer to commit on any given home.

Competition: still a seller-leaning market, with caveats

Sale-to-list ratios clustered tightly near 100% across all six cities, ranging from 99.6% in Rancho Cordova to 100.4% in Sacramento. Four cities — Sacramento, Citrus Heights, Carmichael and Arden-Arcade — saw typical homes sell at or above asking price.

The share of homes selling above list provides a sharper view of buyer competition. Fair Oaks led at 44.9%, followed closely by Carmichael at 43.6%, Sacramento at 41.3% and Citrus Heights at 41.2%. Arden-Arcade trailed at 33.2%, and Rancho Cordova was lowest at 30.7% — consistent with its slower pace of sale and weaker pricing.

Inventory levels reflect each city’s size. Sacramento had 2,167 active listings against 1,501 new listings in the period; Rancho Cordova had 495 active and 309 new; Carmichael had 423 active and 321 new; Arden-Arcade had 408 and 283; Citrus Heights had 386 and 266; and Fair Oaks had 196 active listings and 142 new ones.

Rents: Rancho Cordova tops the list, Carmichael sits at the bottom

Rental data from Zillow was available for five of the six cities (Arden-Arcade was not reported). Rancho Cordova had the highest median rent at $2,306 per month as of May 31, up 2.0% from $2,261 a year earlier — the largest year-over-year rent increase among the cities with data. Fair Oaks followed at $2,050 (up 1.5% from $2,020), then Sacramento at $2,041 (up 0.8% from $2,024), Citrus Heights at $1,861 (up 1.4% from $1,836), and Carmichael at the lowest level, $1,828 (up 1.7% from $1,798).

All rent increases were below 2.1%, a modest pace compared with the sales-price swings seen across the region. None of the cities posted a year-over-year rent decline.

The relationship between rents and sale prices varies meaningfully across the region:

  • Fair Oaks combines the region’s highest median sale price ($699,581) with a mid-range rent ($2,050). On a rent-to-price basis, it is the most tilted toward renting in the group.
  • Rancho Cordova pairs the highest rent ($2,306) with a mid-range sale price ($515,691) that has fallen 7.9% year over year. It has the most favorable rent-to-price ratio for owners — and the only city where rents rose by 2% or more while sale prices fell.
  • Carmichael has the lowest rent ($1,828) despite a median sale price of $574,656 that rose 2.6% year over year, leaving its rent-to-price ratio tilted toward buying compared with other cities in the group.
  • Citrus Heights offers the lowest entry sale price ($479,463) and the second-lowest rent ($1,861), making it the most affordable city on both fronts.
  • Sacramento sits near the middle on both metrics, with the smallest rent increase (0.8%) of any city reported.

Takeaways for buyers and renters

The data describe a regional market that is more active than it was a year ago but not uniformly stronger on price. Buyers focused on affordability have the widest selection in Citrus Heights, while those prioritizing speed of negotiation may find more room in Rancho Cordova, where homes are taking a median of 32 days to sell and fewer than a third are closing above asking price. Buyers competing in Carmichael face the fastest market in the region, at 11 days, with nearly 44% of homes selling over list.

For renters, Carmichael and Citrus Heights remain the lowest-cost options, while Rancho Cordova has both the highest rent and the largest year-over-year rent increase in the comparison.

All home sale figures are from Redfin; rental figures are from Zillow; and mortgage-rate and national price-index figures are from Freddie Mac and S&P/Case-Shiller, as published by the Federal Reserve.