Sounds like a contradiction in terms, doesn’t it? “Affordable” and “San Diego” don’t seem to go together these days. However, there are areas of the county that by most standards are affordable.  No, you won’t find these homes near the coast. That said, the Imperial Beach area south of downtown has surprisingly good buys. In North County most of the affordable homes and condos are in Escondido, San Marcos, Vista and Oceanside. In East County the nod goes to Chula Vista, El Cajon, Santee and Lakeside, as well as in the mountain community of Julian and in the desert community of Borrego Springs.

As of this article (August 15, 2019) there are 153 active listings of detached single family homes in the entire county under $400,000.  The vast majority are in Borrego Springs (36), Julian (19), and in Campo (12).  To see a list of all single family homes in San Diego under $400,000, click here:

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(all data current as of 4/25/2024)

Listing information deemed reliable but not guaranteed. Read full disclaimer.

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Not sure what you can afford? Contact your favorite mortgage lender or contact me for a no-obligation consultation to see what and where your best “fits” might be!