Diamond Heights is a hilltop pocket of central San Francisco where the price you should expect depends almost entirely on whether you are buying a condo or a house. As of Q3 2026, condos closed at a median near $685,000 over the trailing six months while single-family homes closed near $3.43M (MLS). Those are two different markets sharing one ZIP.
Unless noted otherwise, every market figure in this guide comes from MLS data current to September 2026.
The neighborhood sits on three hills. Per Wikipedia, Diamond Heights is built on Red Rock Heights to the northwest, Gold Mine Hill in the center, and Fairmount Heights to the southeast, bordered by Diamond Heights Boulevard and Noe Valley to the north and east and Glen Canyon Park to the south and west. The gem theme runs straight through the street grid: Topaz Way, Turquoise Way, Cameo Way, Amber Drive, Gold Mine Drive. It is one of the few genuinely mid-century corners of the city, a planned redevelopment where the typical home dates to the early 1970s (the Census puts the median year built at 1973). After running comp sets across Diamond Heights closings this year, the pattern I keep seeing is a wide, honest spread: sub-$500K studios in the condo complexes and $4M-plus houses on the same hill, sometimes two blocks apart. One more thing the postcard version leaves out: this is a comparatively clear-sky neighborhood. National Weather Service readings show clear conditions here about 31% of the time against roughly 13% citywide, and fog about 4% of the time versus 10% across the city. It is not a warmer neighborhood (temperatures track the citywide average almost exactly), just a less foggy one.
Diamond Heights by the numbers
Read those days-on-market figures together and you see the split. The six-month median of 28 days is respectable, but the last-30-day median stretched to 61 days, and the average sat higher still because a handful of condos lingered past 90 days before closing. Against a citywide median of 12 days, Diamond Heights is a slower, more deliberate market. That is not weakness so much as thin volume: only 43 homes changed hands here in the last year, so one drawn-out condo sale moves the whole average.
The month-to-month line above bounces hard, from roughly $1.08M in March to $3.03M in May and back under $700K by August. Do not read a trend into it. With only a few sales a month, the blended median simply tracks whether more houses or more condos happened to close that month. The per-type medians in the cards are the numbers to trust.
What trades at each price point
The closed sales sort cleanly into tiers, and each tier is a different kind of buyer. Over the trailing 12 months, the largest segment by far was under $1M: 24 closings, about 56% of the market, every one of them a condo. That group split into roughly a dozen one-bedrooms (median around $636K) and six two-bedrooms (median around $833K), alongside six studios (median around $435K). These are the units in the mid-rise complexes along Red Rock Way and Diamond Heights Boulevard. A renovated one-bedroom at 15 Red Rock Way #202N closed at $785,000 in March 2026 with skyline views, near the top of the one-bedroom range, while a vacant one-bedroom at 255 Red Rock Way #202H closed at $643,000 in June. Condition and view drive most of the spread inside a single line.
The $1M to $2M tier is thin, seven closings, mostly larger condos with a single-family house mixed in. A three-bedroom condo at 12 Amber Drive #24 closed at $1.12M in April 2026, roughly the ceiling for condos here. Above that, the market flips to houses. The $2M to $3M tier held six closings, five of them single-family homes plus one two-unit building: 36-38 Cameo Way, a 5-bedroom two-unit, closed at $2.9M in July 2026. The $2M range is where a mid-sized detached home on a good block trades, often needing some work.
The top tier, $3M to $5M, was another six closings, all single-family, almost all four-bedrooms. This is the renovated-house segment on the view blocks. A four-bedroom at 1027 Duncan Street closed at $3.8M in March 2026, and 16 Crags Court, a larger four-bedroom, matched it at $3.8M in May after just three days on the market. The neighborhood high was 49 Turquoise Way, a renovated four-bed, four-bath at $4.35M in August 2026. Nothing closed above $5M in the last year, so treat $4.35M as the practical ceiling for a single house in Diamond Heights right now.
Where homes actually trade
Turnover concentrates on a short list of blocks, and each tells you something. The busiest were the low blocks of Ora Way (four closings, median $512,500) and the 200 block of Red Rock Way (four closings, median $734,000), both condo-complex addresses. The low blocks of Red Rock Way added three more at a $520,000 median, and the 5300 block of Diamond Heights Boulevard turned over at a $580,000 median. If you are shopping condos, these four blocks are effectively the market: bright, mostly one- and two-bedroom units, priced from the mid-$400s into the $700s depending on floor level and view.
The house blocks are a separate universe. Turquoise Way saw three closings at a $3.05M median and a striking $1,253 per square foot, and Cameo Way turned over at a $2.4M median and $1,441 per square foot, the highest per-foot pricing in the neighborhood. The 200 block of Gold Mine Drive traded at a $2.393M median. These are the detached, often-renovated homes on the crest of the hills, where light and outlook carry a real premium.
Walkability tracks that geography. The neighborhood centroid earns a 68 Walk Score and a 67 Transit Score, but it varies block by block: the lower stretch of Red Rock Way rates a 78, "Very Walkable" per Walk Score, while the 200 block higher up drops to a 58. The 900 block of Duncan Street, closer to Noe Valley, turned over twice at a $702,500 median and sits near the Duncan Street stops that carry the 52 Excelsior.
How the homes break down
Diamond Heights is condo-first. Over the last 12 months, condominiums were about 70% of closings, single-family homes about 28%, with a lone duplex making up the rest (MLS). That mix reflects the neighborhood's mid-century, planned character: the hillsides were built out as a blend of mid-rise condo complexes and detached and attached houses rather than the Victorian and Edwardian rows you find in older parts of the city. The Census puts the median year a structure was built here at 1973, which lines up with what you see on the ground: clean-lined, mid-century buildings rather than pre-war flats.
For a buyer, the practical takeaway is that inventory is bimodal. The attached homes cluster in a handful of complexes and rarely break $1.2M; the detached homes sit on the view blocks and rarely fall below $2.5M. There is very little in between, which is why the blended neighborhood median (about $840K over 12 months) describes almost no actual home. The Census also pegs the block-group median household income near $131,000 and owner-occupancy at roughly three in four occupied units, a stable, mostly owner-held neighborhood where listings come to market a few at a time.
What to consider before buying here
This is the part most neighborhood write-ups skip. Diamond Heights is a good fit for a lot of buyers, but it carries real tradeoffs, and you should price them in before you write an offer.
The "median" will mislead you
If you glance at a single Diamond Heights median and anchor on it, you will misjudge every home you tour. A blended $840K figure sits above what most condos trade for and far below what any house costs. Shop the per-type numbers instead: condos in the $435K to $1.1M range, houses from about $2.7M to $4.35M. Use the segment that matches the property, not the neighborhood average.
Homes here take longer to sell
I don't sugarcoat this part: liquidity is thinner than in the city's hottest corridors. The average days on market ran about 75 over the last year, up roughly 13 days from the year before, and the last 30 days pushed the median to 61. Several condos sat 89 to 104 days before closing. For a buyer that means less bidding pressure and room to negotiate. For anyone thinking one move ahead to resale, it means a Diamond Heights condo may not resell on your preferred timeline, so plan for a longer marketing window.
It is a hill, and it leans on the bus
The transit is genuinely good for a hilltop (a 67 Transit Score), but "good" here means buses, not rail. The 52 Excelsior and the 44 O'Shaughnessy run closest, within about a quarter mile of the Duncan Street stops, with the 35 Eureka and 36 Teresita a longer walk out. There is no Muni Metro or BART stop in the neighborhood, the grades are steep, and the higher house blocks score lower for walkability precisely because groceries and cafes sit downhill. If you rely on a one-seat rail commute, test the actual bus ride before you commit.
The condo complexes are older, so read the HOA
Most of the sub-$1M inventory sits in 1970s-era complexes. That vintage can mean higher or rising HOA dues, deferred-maintenance assessments, and lender scrutiny of the association's reserves and any disclosed litigation, all of which affect both financing and price. Confirm the association's current budget, reserve study, and warrantability status with your lender before you write on a condo here. It is routine, but it is not optional.
Buyer and seller playbook for 2026
If you are buying a condo in Diamond Heights this year, comp discipline is straightforward: anchor to the last 90 days of sales in the same complex and, ideally, the same floor plan or line, then adjust for view and condition. The one-bedroom units at Red Rock Way and Diamond Heights Boulevard have been clustering between about $629K and $785K, and the gap inside that range is almost entirely finish and outlook. With median days on market north of 60 in the last 30 days, you usually have time to inspect, review the HOA package, and write a considered offer rather than a panic bid.
Houses are the opposite game. The detached homes on Turquoise Way and Gold Mine Drive sold fast when they were turnkey: 16 Crags Court closed in three days, 49 Turquoise Way in six. Here is what I'd tell you to do: line up financing before you tour, because on a renovated four-bedroom you are likely competing, and the levers that win are a clean, well-supported offer and flexibility on close, with a realistic read on condition. A cash or fully-underwritten offer can beat a higher financed one when the seller wants certainty. For a lighter budget with appetite for work, the $2M to $3M tier is where the negotiable, needs-updating houses live.
Sellers, the mirror image applies. A turnkey house priced to the recent Turquoise Way and Gold Mine Drive comps can move in under two weeks; a dated one should expect to sit and should be priced to the $2M tier honestly. Presentation earns its keep here given how much of the spread is condition, so it is worth understanding what home staging costs in San Francisco before you list. Condo sellers should lead with a clean HOA disclosure package, because a buyer's lender will ask. For a sense of how the adjacent hills price differently, the Glen Park buyer's guide and the Corona Heights hilltop market are useful comparisons among the city's other hills.
How much does a home in Diamond Heights cost in 2026?
As of Q3 2026, it depends on type: condos closed at a median near $685,000 over the trailing six months and single-family homes near $3.43M (MLS). The blended 12-month median of about $840,000 is misleading because the market is roughly 70% condos and 28% houses with little in between. Studios run near $435K, one-bedroom condos near $636K, and renovated four-bedroom houses reach up to $4.35M.
Are Diamond Heights home prices going up or down?
They are roughly flat year over year in 2026: the trailing-12-month median slipped about 1% (from $849K to $840K), while average price per square foot rose about 7.5% (from $866 to $931). The mixed signal reflects the shifting type-mix rather than a clear direction. Homes also took longer to sell, with average days on market up about 13 days from the prior year, pointing to a steadier, less competitive market than the city's fastest neighborhoods.
What kinds of homes are in Diamond Heights?
In 2026, condominiums dominate at about 70% of closings, with single-family homes near 28% and the occasional two-unit building (MLS). This reflects the neighborhood's mid-century, planned character: the Census puts the median year built at 1973, so expect clean-lined 1970s-era buildings, mid-rise condo complexes along Red Rock Way and Diamond Heights Boulevard, and detached houses on the hill crests, rather than older Victorian or Edwardian flats.
How long do homes in Diamond Heights take to sell?
In the last 30 days of Q3 2026, the median was 61 days on market, with the trailing six-month median a faster 28 days (MLS). Both are slower than the citywide median of 12 days. Turnkey houses are the exception and often close in under two weeks, while some older condos sat 90 days or more. The thin volume, only 43 sales in a year, makes the averages swing.
Is Diamond Heights foggy or sunny?
Diamond Heights is one of the city's clearer neighborhoods: National Weather Service readings in 2026 show clear skies about 31% of the time versus roughly 13% citywide, and fog only about 4% of the time against 10% across San Francisco. It is not warmer than the citywide average (temperatures track within a fraction of a degree), but it sees noticeably less fog than the western neighborhoods, a real quality-of-life difference on a hilltop.
Is Diamond Heights a good place to buy a condo?
For 2026 condo buyers, it offers value and time: median condo prices near $685,000 over the last six months, a deep sub-$1M segment (about 56% of all sales), and days on market long enough to inspect carefully (MLS). The tradeoffs are older 1970s-era complexes with HOA and warrantability questions to verify, thinner resale liquidity, and bus-based transit. For a buyer who does the HOA homework, the pricing and pace are buyer-friendly.
Talk to me about Diamond Heights
I'm Chris Chour, founder and broker of EON Real Estate. Most of my work is single-family and condo transactions in San Francisco's luxury neighborhoods, and Diamond Heights is one I track block by block because the condo and house markets move so differently. If you are weighing a specific building or a house on one of the view blocks, I can pull the exact comp set, walk you through the HOA package or the condition adjustments, and tell you honestly where the number should land. When you are ready, reach out and let's look at it together.
