Sold Oct 27
$1,239,000
Community Lane
3 bd · 3 ba · 1,886 sq ft
96.1% of list price
Listing courtesy of Compass
San Diego Neighborhood Guide
Mission Valley is the broad San Diego River valley at the center of the City of San Diego, running east from Interstate 5 toward Interstate 15. Once sand and gravel pits and dairy farms, it is now the city’s main regional shopping and hotel district and one of its fastest-growing residential areas, with condominiums, apartment communities and townhomes clustered around Green Line trolley stations. It is home to Fashion Valley, Hotel Circle, the Civita master-planned community and SDSU Mission Valley, with Snapdragon Stadium and a 34-acre river park.
Quick Facts
| Area | About 2,418 net acres (Mission Valley Community Plan area) |
|---|---|
| Planning area | Mission Valley (City of San Diego) |
| ZIP code | 92108 |
| Boundaries | Friars Road and the northern valley slopes on the north, the southern valley slopes on the south, Interstate 5 on the west, and the eastern banks of the San Diego River on the east; State Route 163 divides Mission Valley West from Mission Valley East. |
| Founded | The name Mission Valley was in use by the 1860s; modern urban development began in the late 1950s |
| Home types | Mostly condominiums, apartment communities and townhomes, from older garden-style complexes to newer mid-rise and mixed-use buildings, with some detached homes in Civita |
| Signature style | Contemporary mid-rise and podium apartment and condo buildings, plus mid-century hotels along Hotel Circle |
| Price tier | Mid |
| Best for | Buyers who want condo or apartment-style living, trolley access, freeway connections in every direction, regional shopping and river trails in a central location |
Jeff’s Take
I’ve sold and leased a lot of homes in Mission Valley, and it’s where I send first-time buyers who want a newer condo or townhome right in the middle of the city.
Fashion Valley, the river park, trolley stations and fast freeway access to everywhere make daily life easy, and the community keeps adding new homes.
Who it’s not for: Mission Valley is mostly condos and apartments, with ongoing construction. If you want a detached house with a yard, we’ll look up the hill in the neighborhoods above it.
Mission Valley vs. Hillcrest: Mission Valley trades a historic, walkable main street for newer condos, trolley stations, easy freeway access and regional shopping.
What buying in Mission Valley often looks like
Say you’re buying your first condo near a trolley station. Before we write, I check the flood zone and insurance requirements, review the HOA’s budget, reserves and rental rules, and look at what’s planned on nearby lots.
Market Snapshot
| Measure | Oct 2026 | Oct 2025 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median sale price | $440,000 | $580,000 | −24% |
| Avg. price per sq. ft. | $582 | $587 | −1% |
| Homes sold | 18 | 13 | +38% |
| New listings | 29 | 54 | −46% |
| Median days on market | 29 | 25 | +16% |
| % of list price received | 98% | 98% | 0% |
| Months of inventory | 4.6 | 6.5 | −29% |
Condos and townhomes, ZIP 92108 (Mission Valley), as of October 2026. Source: San Diego Multiple Listing Service (SDMLS) closed sales, compiled by Jeff Brick.
| Measure | Current listings |
|---|---|
| Median asking price | $514,950 |
| Median asking price per sq. ft. | $574 |
| Homes for sale | 136 |
| Median days on market (current listings) | 78 |
| Months of supply | 6.2 |
Condos and townhomes, ZIP 92108, listings on the market as of November 3, 2026. Source: HouseCanary Market Insights. Asking prices are what sellers are listing for, not final sale prices.
Jeff’s note (Q4 2026): 18 homes sold in October at a median of $440,000, down 24% from a year ago. The median and the price per square foot moved differently, which points to a different mix of homes selling rather than a change in values. With 4.6 months of inventory, buyers have room to negotiate.
A Few Recent Sales
Not every sale, just a few recent closings I picked to show what buyers are actually paying in Mission Valley right now. Updated monthly · November 2026.
$1,239,000
Community Lane
3 bd · 3 ba · 1,886 sq ft
96.1% of list price
Listing courtesy of Compass
$365,000
Mission Center Court
1 bd · 1 ba · 726 sq ft
92.6% of list price
Listing courtesy of Fathom Realty Group
$410,000
Gill Village Way
1 bd · 1 ba · 704 sq ft
84.5% of list price
Listing courtesy of VO Properties & Investments
$565,000
Friars Road
2 bd · 2 ba · 1,060 sq ft
100% of list price
Listing courtesy of Compass
$1,225,000
Aspect Drive
3 bd · 3 ba · 1,630 sq ft
98.1% of list price
Listing courtesy of Compass
$570,000
Licensed in 50 states.
2 bd · 2 ba · 1,176 sq ft
99.1% of list price
$425,000
Friars Road
1 bd · 2 ba · 854 sq ft
94.7% of list price
Listing courtesy of Compass
$820,000
Friars Road
3 bd · 2 ba · 1,834 sq ft
91.6% of list price
Listing courtesy of Milestone Properties
$480,000
Friars Road
1 bd · 2 ba · 854 sq ft
101.1% of list price
Listing courtesy of eXp Realty of California
Sold information from the San Diego MLS (SDMLS®), deemed reliable but not guaranteed. These homes may have been listed and sold by other brokerages; they are shown to illustrate the local market, not as Jeff Brick’s own sales. Want the full list of recent sales or a value estimate for your home? Ask Jeff.
History
The San Diego River valley was home to Kumeyaay communities long before Spanish settlement in 1769, and its river was a key source of fresh water. Spanish settlers called it La Canada de San Diego, and the name Mission Valley took hold by the 1860s. For decades the valley floor was farmland and dairies, and sand and gravel mining began around 1913, expanding sharply in the 1920s. Change came quickly after the 1950s: the first Hotel Circle hotel opened in 1953, Westgate Park ballpark opened in 1958, the same year the City rezoned 90 acres for San Diego’s first regional shopping center. U.S. 80, now Interstate 8, was built through the valley around the same time. Mission Valley Center opened in 1961, the last dairies closed in the early 1960s, San Diego Stadium opened in 1967, and Fashion Valley replaced Westgate Park in 1969. The trolley arrived in the following decades, and the Green Line’s Mission Valley East extension opened in 2005. A former quarry on the north side became the Civita community, and the City adopted an updated community plan in 2019. Snapdragon Stadium opened in 2022 on the former stadium site as part of SDSU Mission Valley.
Mission Valley grew through large commercial and mixed-use projects rather than single-family tracts. Key pieces include Mission Valley Center, which opened in 1961 as San Diego’s first regional mall and now operates as The Valley San Diego; Fashion Valley on the former Westgate Park site; Hazard Center; and the hotels of Hotel Circle. Civita is a mixed-use master-planned community built on the site of a quarry that closed around 2000. SDSU Mission Valley, approved by the City in 2020 on the 135-acre former stadium site, includes Snapdragon Stadium, a planned innovation district, about 4,600 homes and a 34-acre river park that SDSU agreed to build for the City.
Architecture
Mission Valley’s look is modern and largely postwar. Hotel Circle reflects the motor-hotel boom that began with the valley’s first hotel in 1953, and the shopping centers that followed from 1961 set a pattern of large, car-oriented sites. The valley’s earlier housing arrived mainly as garden-style condominium and apartment complexes on the valley floor and slopes. Since the 2000s, new housing has taken the form of mid-rise podium buildings wrapped around parking garages, mixed-use projects near trolley stations, and the Civita community’s mix of attached and detached homes around a large central park. A typical Mission Valley home is a condo or apartment-style unit with shared amenities such as a pool, fitness room and secured parking.
Mission Valley has no designated residential historic district, and most of its buildings date from the late 1950s onward. The valley’s history is told mostly through place names and landscape: Hotel Circle reflects the 1950s motor-hotel boom, Fashion Valley and Mission Valley Center reflect the rise of regional shopping, and the San Diego River corridor is being restored as parkland. Buyers of condos here will rarely encounter historic review or Mills Act contracts.
Living Here
Housing in Mission Valley is predominantly attached: condominiums, apartment communities and townhomes, with some detached homes in Civita. Buildings range from older garden-style complexes to new mid-rise projects, and nearly all ownership housing comes with a homeowners association, so dues, reserves and building rules are an important part of any purchase. The 2019 community plan allows about 28,000 additional homes, focused on former big-box and parking-lot sites near trolley stations, and SDSU Mission Valley plans about 4,600 more. Expect ongoing new construction across the valley.
Daily life in Mission Valley revolves around convenience. Fashion Valley, The Valley San Diego and Hazard Center provide shopping, dining and movie theaters within a short drive or trolley ride, and the Green Line links the valley to downtown and SDSU. On game days and concert nights, Snapdragon Stadium draws crowds for SDSU football, San Diego Wave FC and San Diego FC. For the outdoors, residents use the San Diego River trail segments, Civita Park and the SDSU Mission Valley River Park. Restaurants are mostly in shopping centers and along Hotel Circle and Camino del Rio.
Getting Around
Walk Score: Walk Score splits the area: Mission Valley East 53 (Somewhat Walkable); Mission Valley West 41 (Car-Dependent). Sources: https://www.walkscore.com/CA/San_Diego/Mission_Valley and https://www.walkscore.com/CA/San_Diego/Mission_Valley_West · Transit Score: Mission Valley East 44; Mission Valley West 54 · Bike Score: Mission Valley East 50; Mission Valley West 52
Mission Valley is served by San Diego Unified School District, and school assignments differ across the valley’s residential pockets, so buyers should confirm the schools for a specific address with the district. San Diego State University is building out its SDSU Mission Valley campus extension next to Snapdragon Stadium, and SDSU’s main campus is a short trolley ride east.
SDSU Mission Valley River Park (34 acres along the San Diego River), Civita Park, Grant Park (17 acres along the river) and segments of the San Diego River trail.
Explore Mission Valley
Public and charter schools closest to the heart of Mission Valley.
San Diego Unified
San Diego Unified
San Diego Unified
San Diego Unified
San Diego Unified
San Diego Unified
San Diego Unified
San Diego Unified
School assignment depends on the exact address, so confirm the schools for any home with the school district. Source: California Department of Education, 2024–25 school sites. Report cards link to the official California School Dashboard.
Green space, trails and play areas in and around Mission Valley.
Park data © OpenStreetMap contributors. Distances are approximate, measured from the center of Mission Valley.
Mission Valley is the long river valley running east to west through the middle of San Diego. Linda Vista, Serra Mesa and Grantville sit on the mesas to the north, while Mission Hills, Hillcrest, Normal Heights, Kensington and the College Area overlook it from the south. Old Town lies at its western end near Interstate 5, and downtown is a short drive or trolley ride southwest.
Local Favorites
Open-air regional shopping center with trolley station
7007 Friars Rd, San Diego, CA 92108
Directions →Open-air regional shopping center
1640 Camino Del Rio N, San Diego, CA 92108
Directions →Shopping and dining center
7610 Hazard Center Dr, San Diego, CA 92108
Directions →Hotel Circle resort with restaurants and event venue
500 Hotel Cir N, San Diego, CA 92108
Directions →Breakfast and lunch restaurant at a Hotel Circle hotel
1333 Hotel Cir S, San Diego, CA 92108
Directions →Photos, ratings and links from Google Maps
FAQ
Partly. Mission Valley East scores 53 on Walk Score and Mission Valley West scores 41, so walking works best near trolley stations, shopping centers and Civita, while much of the valley is built around cars and freeways.
Most residents live in condos, apartments or townhomes with shared amenities, close to large shopping centers and the trolley. It is busy and central, with stadium events and river trails nearby, but it has less of a small-neighborhood feel than older communities on the surrounding mesas.
Yes. The Green Line runs the length of the valley with several stations, including Fashion Valley, Hazard Center, Mission Valley Center, Rio Vista, Fenton Parkway and Stadium, connecting to downtown, Old Town and SDSU.
It is San Diego State University’s development on the 135-acre former stadium site, including Snapdragon Stadium, which opened in 2022, a 34-acre river park, a planned innovation district and about 4,600 homes.
Mission Valley is in San Diego Unified School District, and assignments vary by residential pocket. Confirm schools for a specific address with the district.
Downtown and the airport are each about 10 to 15 minutes away by car without traffic, and the trolley reaches downtown directly. Mission Bay and Ocean Beach are roughly 15 minutes west via Interstate 8.
Hillcrest, on the mesa above, offers older homes and a walkable main street with nightlife. Mission Valley offers newer condos and apartments, more parking, trolley stations and big shopping centers, with a more suburban, car-oriented layout.
Work With Jeff
Jeff Brick, San Diego REALTOR® at Compass, DRE# 02156850. Million Dollar Service at All Price Points. Call or text 858-324-4448.
Nearby neighborhood guides: Clairemont · University City / UTC · Tierrasanta · Allied Gardens / Del Cerro · San Carlos
Header photo: Roman Eugeniusz (CC BY-SA 3.0), via Wikimedia Commons.
Sources
Real numbers for your neighborhood from the San Diego MLS, a short note from Jeff, and the homes worth seeing. One email a month. Unsubscribe any time.
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