West Sacramento’s housing market drew a notably larger crowd of buyers this summer. In the three months ending August, 115 homes changed hands, up 36.9% from the 84 sold in the same stretch of 2025, according to newly released data from Redfin. That increase stands out across the broader Sacramento region, where sales activity has been more subdued, and it came even as home prices slipped modestly.

Sales climb as prices ease

The jump in transactions is the standout figure in this month’s data. Sales rose to 115 from 84 a year earlier, and momentum carried into the most recent stretch as well, with sales up 6.5% from the three months ending July. For context, roughly 111 homes sold in the comparable period of 2024, meaning volume has now moved back above where it stood two years ago.

Prices, meanwhile, moved in the opposite direction. The median sale price was $530,149, down 1.9% from $540,500 a year earlier. On a per-square-foot basis, prices fell a similar 1.6%, to $317 from $322, suggesting the decline reflects broader softening rather than a shift toward smaller homes. Prices have barely moved from the prior three-month period, edging down 0.1%. Over a longer horizon, prices remain up 9.0% from five years ago, when the median stood at $486,450.

A tight market favoring sellers

Despite easing prices, the balance of the market continues to lean toward sellers. Active inventory fell 16.5% year over year, to 208 listings from 249, leaving buyers with fewer options. At the current sales pace, that works out to just 1.8 months of supply — well below the four-to-six months typically associated with a balanced market and a level that signals a tight sellers’ market.

Homes also sold at a brisk pace. The median time on the market was 26 days, essentially unchanged from 27 days a year earlier. That figure did tick up from 23 days in the prior three-month period, a 13% increase that is consistent with the usual late-summer slowdown as the spring buying rush fades. About 26.8% of homes sold above their asking price, roughly in line with the 27.4% share a year earlier, and the typical home sold for 98.5% of its list price.

New listings came in at 127, down from 150 a year earlier, meaning fewer homes are being added to an already limited pool of options — one factor keeping the market competitive even as prices soften.

Affordability and borrowing costs

For buyers, monthly costs held roughly steady over the past year. A median-priced home financed with 20% down at the prevailing rate carries a monthly principal-and-interest payment of about $2,728, which is $31 less per month than a year ago. That reflects the modest price decline offsetting a slightly higher mortgage rate. The 30-year fixed mortgage rate averaged 6.67% in August, up from 6.54% in July and 6.59% a year earlier, according to Freddie Mac.

Affordability remains stretched nonetheless. At current prices, a median-priced home costs about 5.7 times the median household income of $93,188, a ratio the U.S. Census Bureau’s figures place well above the threshold generally considered affordable. The estimated monthly payment consumes roughly 35% of median monthly household income.

West Sacramento, home to about 55,900 residents, saw its population grow 0.9% over the past year, adding a modest source of ongoing housing demand.

Nationally, home prices continued to rise year over year, according to the S&P/Case-Shiller U.S. National Home Price Index — a contrast to West Sacramento’s slight price dip over the same span.