California · San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA metro area

Buying a home in Daly City, California

In Daly City, the median value of owner-occupied homes is $1,115,000, San Mateo County's effective property tax rate is 0.61%, and a purchase mortgage carried a median $8,058 in total loan costs in 2025.

Data as of : Census ACS 2020-2024, Census Vintage 2024, HMDA 2025, HUD FY 2027. Sources

Daly City home costs, fact by fact

About Daly City

Daly City, home to 101,418 residents, is part of the San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA metro area, the 13th largest in the country. Of all homes, 60.2% are owner-occupied, and median gross rent is $2,551 per month. HUD's Fair Market Rent for a two-bedroom in San Mateo County is $3,697.

Reading the Daly City figures

A useful way to read Daly City is through its tax bill, because San Mateo County stands out. The median property tax there is $9,519 a year, at an effective rate of 0.61%, applied to a median valuation of $1,559,600. The rate is the lowest among the counties in this batch, yet the dollar bill is the largest, which shows how much value drives the amount. The county's median value is also well above Daly City's own estimate of $1,115,000, so a home priced near the city median would not be taxed at the county's dollar figure.

On value, Daly City sits within a tight cluster around $1,100,000. Costa Mesa shows $1,115,100, whereas Glendale shows $1,102,300, while Huntington Beach is right at $1,100,000; Pasadena follows at $1,093,300, Burbank close to $1,089,100, while Torrance is $1,074,700. Higher up, Irvine is estimated at $1,191,500, while San Jose at $1,233,200, and Carlsbad is at $1,257,000; San Francisco and Fremont reach $1,394,500 and $1,403,800. Lower, Los Angeles reads $921,200. All of them are above the California-wide $770,700, which shows how far the coastal metros sit from the rest of the state.

Ownership in Daly City is 60.2%. That is close to Fremont (60.8%), while Carlsbad (62.9%), and ahead of San Jose, at 55.8%, while Torrance, at 55%, and a little above Huntington Beach at 55.4%. San Francisco, at 38.2%, while Glendale, at 35.2%, lean much more toward renters. So Daly City behaves like a suburb in tenure terms even though it falls within the San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont metro area, which holds 13th place in the country with 4,648,486 people.

The rent comparison is worth reading carefully. The median is $2,551, higher than San Francisco ($2,476), while Costa Mesa ($2,446), but below both Irvine ($2,997), while Fremont ($2,933). San Jose runs to $2,669. The San Francisco HUD area carries a benchmark of $4,832 for larger homes, falling to $3,697 for smaller ones. HUD's Fair Market Rent is only a reference level, so the gap with the observed rent does not mean the observed number is wrong. It does mean a newly advertised unit could cost noticeably more than the median suggests.

On loan costs, San Mateo County had 3,480 HMDA loans in 2025, amounting to a typical total of $8,058. The central loans cost between $6,698 and $10,512, a narrow band compared with the larger Southern California counties. The city itself counts 101,418 residents, and a buyer comparing it with Costa Mesa or Glendale will find similar home values but different ownership patterns, with Daly City tilting toward owners. Values are owners' estimates, not recorded sale prices, and the county data cover well beyond the city limits.

Calculate for California

If you buy

California state transfer tax

California has no state transfer tax; counties and cities may charge one.

Price$770,700
State transfer taxnot computed
Who paysSet by the purchase contract

Default price: the California median value of owner-occupied homes, $770,700 (Census ACS 2025). Not computed: No state tax. The tax is set by county and city, so it cannot be computed from the state alone. Who pays: Neither the state statute nor the City of Los Angeles FAQ assigns the tax; the purchase contract and escrow instructions decide. Not included: county and city transfer taxes, recording fees, title insurance and lender charges. California transfer tax guide · all 50 states.

If you sell

Capital gain and the federal tax on it

Same federal rule in every state: Section 121 of the Internal Revenue Code excludes up to $250,000 of gain on a main home ($500,000 for a married couple filing jointly).

Capital gain$350,000
Section 121 exclusion$250,000 (limit $250,000)
Taxable gain$100,000
Type of gainLong-term (owned over 1 year), 15% chosen
Federal tax on the gain$15,000

Section 121 excludes $250,000; the rest is taxable.

Gain = sale price minus your adjusted basis (purchase price, buying costs and improvements); selling expenses reduce it (IRS Publication 523). Long-term rates for sales in 2026, by taxable income including the gain (IRS Rev. Proc. 2025-32, section 4.03): 0% up to $49,450 single or $98,900 married filing jointly, 15% up to $545,500 single or $613,700 jointly, 20% above. Not included: California state income tax on the gain (not computed), the net investment income tax, depreciation recapture on a rental or home office, and the reduced exclusion for an early sale. Agent commissions are negotiated and never set by law. Capital gains on a home sale.

Questions about buying a home in Daly City

How much is property tax in Daly City?

Homeowners in San Mateo County pay a median $9,519 a year in property tax, 0.61% of the county median home value of $1,559,600 (Census ACS 2020-2024). Your bill depends on your assessed value and local rates.

What are closing costs on a mortgage in Daly City?

Home-purchase mortgages in San Mateo County carried median total loan costs of $8,058 in 2025; half of the 3,480 loans fell between $6,698 and $10,512 (HMDA). Total loan costs are the lender and settlement-service charges of the Closing Disclosure; transfer taxes and prepaid items come on top.

Is there a transfer tax when you buy a home in Daly City?

California has no state transfer tax. Counties may charge $0.55 per $500 of value under the Documentary Transfer Tax Act, and cities such as Los Angeles add their own, with Measure ULA adding 4% or 5.5% on very high-priced sales.

Is it cheaper to rent or buy in Daly City?

It depends on your mortgage rate, down payment and how long you stay. As a benchmark, the median value of owner-occupied homes in Daly City ($1,115,000) equals 36.4 years of the median gross rent ($2,551 a month), both from Census ACS 2020-2024.

What natural hazards affect home insurance in Daly City?

Across California, the main hazards for home insurance are earthquake, wildfire, flood and landslide, and the insurer of last resort is California FAIR Plan. A standard California homeowners policy does not cover earthquake damage; insurers must offer earthquake coverage (Insurance Code 10081), and the FAIR Plan sells limited fire coverage up to $3 million for residential policyholders.

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California rules that apply in Daly City

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Sources

California · All states · Federal guides