SAN DIEGO RENTAL MARKET · CRESTMONT REALTY
Downtown San Diego rents in 2026: apartments, condos, and townhomes
Current downtown medians by unit type and bedroom count, the one-bedroom surge, and why pricing precision matters more here than anywhere else in the county.
Data as of July 2026 · updated monthly · current numbers always at rentalmarkets.crestmontrealty.com
01 · AN APARTMENT AND CONDO MARKET
Downtown rents by unit type
| Segment | Median rent | vs. last year |
|---|---|---|
| 1-bedroom apartments | $2,781 | +7.3% |
| 2-bedroom apartments | $3,575 | +2.3% |
| 3-bedroom apartments | $4,455 | +5.1% |
| 1-bedroom condos / townhomes | $2,715 | +1.9% |
| 2-bedroom condos / townhomes | $3,603 | +2.4% |
| 3-bedroom condos / townhomes | $3,898 | -10.8% |
TABLE 1 · DOWNTOWN SAN DIEGO MEDIAN ASKING RENTS AND YEAR-OVER-YEAR CHANGE, JULY 2026 · SOURCE: CRESTMONT REALTY RENTAL MARKET DATA
Downtown is an apartment and condo market. Active single-family listings downtown are effectively zero, so if you own here you own a unit, and the unit-type numbers above are the ones that price it. Inventory is deep on the apartment side, with 279 active 1-bedroom and 137 active 2-bedroom listings as of July 2026, which means pricing precision matters more downtown than in thin-inventory neighborhoods where a mispriced home still leases on scarcity.
02 · WHICH WAY IT IS MOVING
One-bedrooms are the story
1-bedroom apartments are up 7.3% year over year as of July 2026, the fastest-moving downtown segment and among the strongest in the county. Two- and three-bedroom apartments are up 2.3% and 5.1%. The clear exception is 3-bedroom condos and townhomes, down 10.8% to $3,898, a reminder that large-format condo product downtown competes with houses in surrounding neighborhoods at similar money.
Vacancy sits at 3.4% with homes leasing in about 25 days. The full downtown picture, every bedroom count and monthly trend, lives on our data site.
03 · QUICK ANSWERS
Quick answers
What is the average rent for an apartment in Downtown San Diego in 2026?
$2,781 for a 1-bedroom and $3,575 for a 2-bedroom as of July 2026. One-bedrooms are the fastest-moving downtown segment, up 7.3% year over year.
What is the average rent for a townhouse or condo in Downtown San Diego in 2026?
$3,603 for a 2-bedroom condo or townhome as of July 2026, up 2.4% year over year. Three-bedroom units are the exception, down 10.8% to $3,898.
Are Downtown San Diego rents going up in 2026?
Mostly yes. Every apartment bedroom count is up year over year as of July 2026, led by 1-bedrooms at +7.3%. The one clear decline is 3-bedroom condos and townhomes at -10.8%.
What your specific house would rent for, given its condition, layout, and street. Free, back the same business day.
Request a rental analysis →The full current data for your area, packaged: rents by bedroom and property type, vacancy, and trend. Free.
Request a submarket report →RENT DATA: CRESTMONT REALTY SAN DIEGO RENTAL MARKET DATA · JULY 2026 · UPDATED MONTHLY.