← Market Briefs · Choice of America

San Bernardino County

San Bernardino County: Southern California's lowest asking price meets a 7.40% mortgage rate

By Dr. Hamid Rowshan, Choice of America

San Bernardino County still has the lowest asking prices in Southern California, but higher mortgage rates are raising the monthly payment, while the market is giving buyers time to shop and negotiate.

San Bernardino County is still the least expensive place to start a home search among the five Southern California counties Choice of America serves. Realtor.com's September 2026 data show a median listing price of $531,944 in the county (FRED MEDLISPRI6071). That compares with $629,000 in Riverside County, $888,450 in San Diego County, $950,000 in Los Angeles County, and $1,287,500 in Orange County. The San Bernardino County median is almost unchanged from $532,500 in September 2025 and down slightly from $538,500 in June.

The price has held steady; the cost of borrowing has not. The average 30-year fixed mortgage rate was 7.40% in the week of October 8, 2026, according to Freddie Mac's weekly survey on FRED (MORTGAGE30US). That is the highest weekly average since November 2023, up from 6.71% at the start of September, 6.30% in the same week a year ago, and this year's low of 5.98% in late February.

What that does to a monthly payment: as an illustration, a buyer who puts 20% down on a home at the county's median asking price would borrow about $425,555. At 7.40%, principal and interest on a 30-year loan comes to about $2,946 a month. At last year's 6.30% it would have been about $2,634, and at February's 5.98% about $2,546. That is roughly $310 to $400 more every month for the same house, before property taxes, homeowners insurance, HOA dues, and any Mello-Roos assessments.

Set against local incomes, that is a stretch for many households. The U.S. Census Bureau's QuickFacts puts San Bernardino County's median household income at $85,478 (2020-2024 American Community Survey, in 2024 dollars), or about $7,123 a month before taxes. Principal and interest alone on the example loan would take about 41% of that. QuickFacts also reports that the median homeowner with a mortgage in the county pays $2,368 a month in total owner costs, which include the mortgage, taxes, insurance, and utilities. A new buyer's principal and interest alone at today's rate would be close to $580 more than that. The median gross rent is $1,801 a month, and 62.1% of occupied homes in the county are owner-occupied.

The market itself is giving buyers time. The median San Bernardino County listing spent 65 days on the market in September (FRED MEDDAYONMAR6071), the longest of the five Southern California counties (Riverside 62, Los Angeles 56, Orange 53, San Diego 46), though still faster than the 71 days of September 2025. There were 6,141 active listings (FRED ACTLISCOU6071) and 1,952 pending listings (FRED PENLISCOU6071), or about 32 homes in escrow for every 100 for sale, the lowest pending ratio of the five counties in Realtor.com's data. Realtor.com reports that 18.1% of county listings had a price reduction in September, down from 18.7% in August but up from 16.9% a year earlier, while 1.0% had a price increase.

Size and value per square foot are steady. The median listing had 1,662 square feet (FRED MEDSQUFEE6071), and the median asking price per square foot was $331 (FRED MEDLISPRIPERSQUFEE6071), down from $335 a year earlier and just above this year's low of $329 in February. Only Riverside County, at $329, was lower among the five counties.

What this means day to day: from Ontario, Rancho Cucamonga, Chino, Chino Hills, Upland, and Montclair to Fontana, Rialto, Colton, San Bernardino, Highland, Redlands, and Yucaipa, and up to Victorville, Hesperia, Apple Valley, Barstow, Big Bear, Lake Arrowhead, Yucca Valley, and Twentynine Palms, the entry price is the lowest in the region, but the monthly payment is what decides whether a home works. Buyers should get a fresh rate quote and pre-approval rather than relying on one from the summer, and should budget for the full monthly cost, including property taxes, insurance, HOA dues, and Mello-Roos, which are common in newer tracts. With homes taking more than two months to sell and almost one in five listings showing a price cut, a seller credit toward a rate buydown or closing costs can lower the payment more than a similar cut to the price. Commutes matter here too: the county's mean travel time to work is 32.6 minutes, so drive the route at rush hour before you commit. Sellers should price close to recent comparable sales from the first day, since buyers have plenty of choice and their payments are rising.

At Choice of America, we help buyers and sellers across San Bernardino County compare payments, neighborhoods, and trade-offs city by city. Visit our San Bernardino County page for local guidance, or call or text us to talk through your plans.

Choice of America · San Bernardino County real estate

Dr. Hamid Rowshan, DRE #02004794, company DRE #02240008. Choice of America, serving Orange, Los Angeles, Riverside, San Bernardino, and San Diego counties. Call or text 833-THIS-BROKER, (833) 842-7465.

Payment figures are an illustration based on the median asking price, a 20% down payment, and Freddie Mac's average rates; they are not a loan quote. Census income, owner-cost, and rent figures are 2020-2024 five-year averages and are not directly comparable to current listing data; the comparison is for context only.

Sources:

Talk strategy with Choice of America

Dr. Hamid Rowshan · DRE #02004794 · Company DRE #02240008 · Orange, LA, Riverside, San Bernardino & San Diego counties.

833-THIS-BROKER Request a call Choice of America All Market Briefs