El Cajon, CA housing market
Typical home value
$813K
■ 0.0% 1 yr
Typical rent
$2,259/mo
▲ 0.4% 1 yr
Gross rent yield
3.3%
U.S. 6.3%
5-year home value change
+18%
U.S. +20%
Key takeaways
- 1The typical home in El Cajon is worth $812,660, down 0.0% over the past year and up 18% over five years.
- 2Typical rent is $2,259 a month (+0.4% YoY), a gross rent yield of 3.3% (below the San Diego, CA metro's 3.8%).
- 3With 20% down at 7.32%, principal and interest on the typical home is about $4,466/mo, $2,207 more than typical rent.
- 4Zillow forecasts the San Diego, CA metro's home values to change +0.9% over the next 12 months.
Market temperature (San Diego, CA metro)
Neutral market
Buyer'sNeutralSeller's
Zillow Market Heat Index: 46/100, #192 hottest of 546 metros. Below 44 favors buyers; above 55 favors sellers.
Home values and rent
Source: Zillow Research (ZHVI, ZORI and market activity data).
How El Cajon compares
| Measure | El Cajon | San Diego, CA metro | United States |
|---|---|---|---|
| Typical home value | $812,660 | $926,961 | $366,157 |
| Home value, 1-yr change | −0.0% | +0.8% | +1.2% |
| Typical rent | $2,259 | $2,967 | $1,932 |
| Rent, 1-yr change | +0.4% | +2.2% | +2.7% |
| Gross rent yield | 3.3% | 3.8% | 6.3% |
| Price-to-rent ratio | 30.0 | 26.0 | 15.8 |
| Mortgage P&I, typical home | $4,466 | $5,094 | $2,012 |
Run the numbers
Rental property calculator
Cash flow on a typical El Cajon rental, pre-filled.
Rent vs buy in El Cajon
Which costs less over the years you'll stay.
Mortgage calculator
Monthly payment on a $813K home.
Landlord in California? See California deposit, late fee and notice rules.
Other cities in the San Diego, CA metro
San Diego, CA
$980K home$3,004 rent
▲ 0.1% 1 yr
Chula Vista, CA
$845K home$2,935 rent
▲ 1.3% 1 yr
Oceanside, CA
$865K home$2,910 rent
▲ 1.6% 1 yr
Escondido, CA
$839K home$2,590 rent
▲ 1.0% 1 yr
Carlsbad, CA
$1.56M home$3,531 rent
▼ 18.6% 1 yr
Vista, CA
$870K home$2,726 rent
▲ 1.3% 1 yr
San Marcos, CA
$954K home$3,311 rent
▲ 0.8% 1 yr
Spring Valley, CA
$771K home$2,454 rent
▲ 1.0% 1 yr
City figures are Zillow's typical home value (ZHVI) and observed rent (ZORI). Gross yield is before expenses. Data refreshed Oct 26, 2026.