Sold Oct 21
$990,000
Arvinels Avenue
3 bd · 1 ba · 1,144 sq ft
99% of list price
Listing courtesy of Realty Source
San Diego Neighborhood Guide
Clairemont is a large mid-century community in the central part of the City of San Diego, spread across mesas and canyons between Interstate 5, Interstate 805 and State Route 52, just inland from Mission Bay. Begun in 1950 and nicknamed “The Village within a City,” it is known for winding streets of postwar ranch homes, canyon parks such as Tecolote Canyon and Marian Bear, everyday shopping centers, and quick access to the beaches, UC San Diego and downtown. It includes Clairemont Mesa, North Clairemont, Bay Ho and Bay Park.
Quick Facts
| Area | About 13.3 square miles (Clairemont Mesa community planning area) |
|---|---|
| Planning area | Clairemont Mesa (City of San Diego, Council District 2) |
| ZIP codes | 92110, 92117 |
| Boundaries | Roughly Interstate 5 on the west, Interstate 805 on the east, State Route 52 and San Clemente Canyon on the north, and Linda Vista on the south; neighborhoods include Bay Park, Bay Ho, West Clairemont, North Clairemont and Clairemont Mesa East. |
| Founded | 1950 (development begun by Carlos Tavares and Lou Burgener) |
| Home types | Mostly single-family homes, plus duplexes, apartments, condominiums and a growing number of accessory dwelling units |
| Signature style | Postwar ranch and mid-century tract homes on curving streets, many with view windows and fireplaces |
| Price tier | Mid |
| Best for | buyers who want a central location, mid-century single-family homes, canyon trails and easy freeway and trolley access |
Jeff’s Take
I’ve sold and leased a lot of homes in Clairemont, and it’s where I take buyers who want room and land in the middle of the city. Postwar ranch homes on real lots, canyon parks and quick freeway access are a hard combination to find this close to the coast.
Tecolote Canyon and Marian Bear parks are right there, and Mission Bay and the beaches are a short drive.
Who it’s not for: Clairemont is mostly single-family and car-oriented. If you want to walk to restaurants and shops, look at North Park or Normal Heights.
Clairemont vs. University City: Clairemont offers older mid-century homes and canyon parks. University City to the north has more newer condos and sits next to UC San Diego.
What buying in Clairemont often looks like
Say you find a 1950s ranch on a large lot and want to add an ADU. Before we write, I check the Clairemont height overlay and the updated community plan, confirm the fire-zone rules if the lot backs onto a canyon, and look at sewer and permit history.
Market Snapshot
| Measure | Oct 2026 | Oct 2025 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median sale price | $1,132,500 | $1,120,000 | +1% |
| Avg. price per sq. ft. | $824 | $811 | +2% |
| Homes sold | 26 | 43 | −40% |
| New listings | 41 | 52 | −21% |
| Median days on market | 13 | 12 | +8% |
| % of list price received | 99% | 100% | −1% |
| Months of inventory | 1.6 | 1.7 | −6% |
Single-family homes, ZIP 92117 (Clairemont), as of October 2026. Source: San Diego Multiple Listing Service (SDMLS) closed sales, compiled by Jeff Brick. Part of Clairemont, including Bay Park, is in ZIP 92110.
| Measure | Current listings |
|---|---|
| Median asking price | $1,199,000 |
| Median asking price per sq. ft. | $819 |
| Homes for sale | 72 |
| Median days on market (current listings) | 40 |
| Months of supply | 3.4 |
| HouseCanary 1-year price forecast | 1.1% |
Single-family homes, ZIP 92117, 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): 26 homes sold in October at a median of $1,132,500, about flat from a year ago. With 1.6 months of inventory, sellers have the edge, so come in with your financing ready.
A Few Recent Sales
Not every sale, just a few recent closings I picked to show what buyers are actually paying in Clairemont right now. Updated monthly · November 2026.
$990,000
Arvinels Avenue
3 bd · 1 ba · 1,144 sq ft
99% of list price
Listing courtesy of Realty Source
$1,165,000
Carib Court
3 bd · 2 ba · 1,409 sq ft
93.2% of list price
Listing courtesy of eXp Realty of California
$1,100,000
Jamestown Road
3 bd · 2 ba · 1,006 sq ft
100.1% of list price
Listing courtesy of The GreenHouse Group Inc.
$1,249,000
Merrimac Avenue
4 bd · 2 ba · 1,857 sq ft
100% of list price
Listing courtesy of Simply the Best Real Estate Company
$902,000
Moccasin Avenue
3 bd · 2 ba · 999 sq ft
102.5% of list price
Listing courtesy of Bowes Home Team
$1,030,000
Cole Street
3 bd · 2 ba · 1,170 sq ft
94.5% of list price
Listing courtesy of AHP Realty
$1,235,000
Millwood Road
4 bd · 3 ba · 2,102 sq ft
98.8% of list price
Listing courtesy of Coldwell Banker West
$1,215,000
Mt Royal Place
3 bd · 2 ba · 1,406 sq ft
102.2% of list price
Listing courtesy of Real Broker
$1,135,000
Chateau Drive
3 bd · 2 ba · 1,112 sq ft
103.5% of list price
Listing courtesy of LPT Realty
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 Kumeyaay lived on these coastal mesas long before Spanish arrival. In the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries the land, then called Morena Mesa, was used mostly for farming and grazing; Judge Hyde began farming in Tecolote Canyon in 1872, and cattle grazed there as late as 1953. The western slope above Mission Bay, known as Morena and later Bay Park, saw land sales as early as the 1880s. The modern community began in 1950, when local developers Lou Burgener and Carlos Tavares started a tract-home development aimed at San Diego’s severe postwar housing shortage and named it after Tavares’ wife, Claire. Instead of a grid, they used winding streets and view lots along the canyons and bluffs overlooking Mission Bay, and planned shopping, schools and libraries into the community because it sat well outside the city center. The San Diego History Center calls it the city’s largest and most innovative postwar subdivision. Several thousand homes followed within a few years, and growth continued through the 1950s and 1960s. Tecolote Canyon was dedicated as a natural park in 1978, the Blue Line trolley arrived in 2021, and the City adopted a new Clairemont community plan in December 2025, its first comprehensive update in more than 30 years.
Clairemont was developed by Lou Burgener and Carlos Tavares, two San Diegans with engineering and construction backgrounds, beginning about 1950. They hired engineers to lay out curving streets and view lots, and local architects Harold Abrams, Benson Eschenbach and Richard George Wheeler designed 20 floor plans for the first development of 500 homes in South Clairemont. Within a few years several thousand single-family homes, duplexes and apartments had been built. Other postwar builders followed across the mesa, including the American Housing Guild, which worked with architect Henry Hester. Today much new construction comes from homeowners adding accessory dwelling units.
Architecture
Clairemont is one of San Diego’s best collections of postwar suburban housing. The earliest homes, built in the early 1950s, offered what were then modern features: spacious open floor plans, large view windows, fireplaces, tiled bathrooms, wood paneling and built-in kitchens. Many houses are single-story ranch-style designs arranged along curving streets that follow the mesa tops and canyon rims. Building continued through the 1960s, and mid-century work by architects such as Henry Hester, who designed homes for the American Housing Guild, appears among the tract houses. Homes on the western edge, in Bay Park and Bay Ho, are often oriented to views of Mission Bay and the ocean. A typical Clairemont street today mixes original ranch homes, remodeled mid-century houses and some newer two-story rebuilds, increasingly with a backyard accessory dwelling unit.
There is no City-designated historic district in Clairemont. Its historic value lies in its role as one of the first and largest postwar suburban developments in the City of San Diego, which the San Diego History Center says helped start the city-to-suburb migration pattern. As the mid-century tract homes age, individual properties can be evaluated through the City’s historical resources process. Owners of designated historical resources may apply for a Mills Act contract, which can lower property taxes in exchange for maintaining and restoring the property’s historic features.
Living Here
Clairemont is mostly single-family homes built in the 1950s and 1960s, many on standard suburban lots with yards, along with duplexes, garden apartments and condominiums near commercial centers. City planners counted about 33,000 existing homes in 2025. The updated community plan approved in December 2025 adds capacity for about 14,000 new homes, mainly in village areas near trolley stations and in mixed-use centers such as Clairemont Town Square. Accessory dwelling units have become common on single-family lots.
Clairemont is an everyday, convenient place to live, with shopping centers at Clairemont Drive and Clairemont Mesa Boulevard, at Balboa and Genesee avenues, and along Morena Boulevard. Clairemont Town Square includes a movie theater, groceries and restaurants, and the community is known for its wide range of casual places to eat. Canyon open space is a defining feature: Tecolote Canyon Natural Park has about 6.5 miles of trails and a nature center, while Marian Bear Memorial Park and Rose Canyon run along the northern edge. Mission Bay and the beaches are a short drive west.
Getting Around
Walk Score: Varies by area: Clairemont Mesa East 59, North Clairemont 54, Bay Park 51, Bay Ho 40, West Clairemont 39 (Somewhat Walkable to Car-Dependent). Source: https://www.walkscore.com/CA/San_Diego · Transit Score: Clairemont Mesa East 37, North Clairemont 36, Bay Park 41, Bay Ho 34, West Clairemont 35 · Bike Score: Clairemont Mesa East 49, North Clairemont 43, Bay Park 37, Bay Ho 41, West Clairemont 29
Clairemont is served by San Diego Unified School District. Public high schools within the community include Clairemont High School at 4150 Ute Drive and Madison High School at 4833 Doliva Drive, and elementary schools include Bay Park Elementary on Denver Street among roughly a dozen neighborhood elementary schools. Because Clairemont is large and spans more than one school cluster, buyers should confirm the assigned schools for a specific address with the district.
Tecolote Canyon Natural Park and Nature Center, Marian Bear Memorial Park (San Clemente Canyon), Rose Canyon Open Space Park, and several neighborhood parks and recreation centers, with Mission Bay Park just west across Interstate 5.
Explore Clairemont
Public and charter schools closest to the heart of Clairemont.
SBC - High Tech High
SBC - High Tech High
SBC - High Tech High
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 Clairemont.
Park data © OpenStreetMap contributors. Distances are approximate, measured from the center of Clairemont.
Clairemont covers the mesas north of Linda Vista and Mission Valley, in the central part of the City of San Diego. Mission Bay and Pacific Beach lie to the west across Interstate 5, University City and UC San Diego lie to the north across State Route 52, and Kearny Mesa lies to the east across Interstate 805. Western neighborhoods have views of Mission Bay and the Pacific.
Local Favorites
Sandwich shop (since 1974)
3054 1/2 Clairemont Dr, San Diego, CA 92117
Directions →Asian fusion and vegetarian restaurant
5501 Clairemont Mesa Blvd, San Diego, CA 92117
Directions →Japanese yakitori restaurant
5185 Clairemont Mesa Blvd, San Diego, CA 92117
Directions →Butcher, cheese shop and deli
4705 Clairemont Dr, Suite C, San Diego, CA 92117
Directions →International grocery and deli
5905 Balboa Ave, San Diego, CA 92111
Directions →Comic book and collectibles shop
5517 Clairemont Mesa Blvd, Suite A, San Diego, CA 92117
Directions →Photos, ratings and links from Google Maps
FAQ
It depends on the neighborhood. Clairemont Mesa East and North Clairemont have Walk Scores in the mid-to-high 50s, while West Clairemont and Bay Ho are closer to 40, so most residents use a car for daily errands.
Clairemont is a central, practical place with mid-century homes, neighborhood shopping centers and many casual restaurants. Canyon trails run through the community, and Mission Bay and the beaches are a short drive away.
Clairemont is in San Diego Unified School District, with Clairemont High and Madison High in the community plus about a dozen elementary schools. School assignments depend on the address, so confirm with the district.
Downtown San Diego is usually about 15 to 20 minutes away by car without traffic. Mission Bay is just west across Interstate 5, and Pacific Beach is about a 10 minute drive from western Clairemont.
Developers Lou Burgener and Carlos Tavares began Clairemont in 1950 and named it after Tavares’ wife, Claire. It became San Diego’s largest postwar subdivision.
Clairemont’s homes are mostly 1950s and 1960s postwar tract and mid-century houses, and the community itself is a landmark of San Diego’s suburban history. No designated historic district was identified, but individual homes can be evaluated for designation.
Bay Park is the older, hillier western part of Clairemont with more bay views and trolley stops on Morena Boulevard. The rest of Clairemont is flatter mesa land with larger shopping centers and more classic postwar tracts.
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: Mission Valley · University City / UTC · Tierrasanta · Allied Gardens / Del Cerro · San Carlos
Header photo: SDarchitect (CC BY-SA 4.0), via Wikimedia Commons.
Sources
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