May 2026 Market Data •Redfin City-Limits Figures
Data collected for May 2026 (the most recent full month of closings), with year-over-year comparisons to May 2025. These are city-limits-only figures pulled from Redfin, not metro-wide MLS totals. Competitiveness and “typical time to pending” reflect Redfin’s trailing three-month Compete Score. This update covers the city of San Clemente, CA.
The Market at a Glance — May 2026
| Metric | San Clemente — May 2026 |
| Median sale price | $1,886,371 (+1.1% YoY) |
| Sale-to-list ratio | 98.7% |
| Homes sold above list | 29.3% |
| Homes with price drops | 23.5% |
| Homes sold | 190 |
| Typical time to pending | ~33 days |
| Redfin Compete Score | Very Competitive |
“Competition” reflects Redfin’s Compete Score — a 0–100 rating of how hard buyers compete for homes over the trailing three months, based on how many offers homes receive, how often they sell above asking, how quickly they go pending, and the sale-to-list ratio. “Very competitive” means multiple offers are common and homes move quickly.
Prices and Pace
San Clemente is one of the most competitive markets on the coast, where steady family demand keeps things moving. The median sale price held essentially flat with a modest 1.1% gain to $1,886,371 — stability rather than the give-back seen in some pricier neighbors. The Spanish-village surf town’s blend of beach lifestyle, newer master-planned neighborhoods, and relative value (well below the Newport and Laguna tier) keeps a deep, motivated buyer pool engaged.
Speed is the headline. Homes went to pending in roughly 33 days — among the fastest on the coast — and the sale-to-list ratio was a strong 98.7%, meaning homes sold within about 1% of asking. With 190 closings, this is an active, liquid market.
Where the Leverage Sits
Buyers have limited slack here. Nearly 30% of homes sold above list — among the highest shares on the coast — while a moderate 23.5% of listings cut price. Combined with the quick 33-day pace and a “very competitive” rating, the message is clear: well-priced, desirable homes draw multiple offers and move fast, so buyers need to be ready. The opportunities are on listings that have sat or already reduced.
San Clemente runs from the surf-centric neighborhoods near the pier and Trestles to the hillside master-planned community of Talega and the established Rancho San Clemente, with meaningfully different price points and competition by area. Anchor any offer to recent comparable sales in the specific neighborhood.
What This Means for Buyers
San Clemente rewards readiness over patience. As one of the coast’s fastest and most competitive markets, sharply-priced, move-in-ready homes here can attract multiple offers and sell over ask. Buyers should have financing fully lined up, know their must-haves, and be prepared to act decisively. Leverage exists — target homes with some days on market or a recent reduction — but the deep discounts of the slower luxury markets are not the norm in this city.
What This Means for Sellers
San Clemente sellers are in an enviable position: a fast market, strong sale-to-list ratios, and a healthy share of above-asking sales. Correctly priced, well-presented homes can sell quickly and competitively. Even so, the roughly one-in-four price-drop rate is a reminder that overreaching still backfires — price to recent comparable sales in your neighborhood from day one, present the home well, and you are well-positioned to capture this city’s deep, motivated buyer demand.
Bottom Line
San Clemente heads into summer 2026 as one of coastal Orange County’s most competitive markets — stable prices, a quick pace, and frequent above-asking sales, driven by steady family demand for its surf-town lifestyle and relative value. It favors prepared buyers and well-priced sellers, and homes that hit the market right do not last long.