Commercial Real Estate Market in Berkeley, CA
Updated monthly: sale, lease, property records, location trend, and more… · Last update: September 30
192 active listings and 3,506 off-market properties in Berkeley, CA. Commercial property asks $387/SF to buy and $29.69/SF/Yr to lease.
Market Trends
Berkeley, CA spans 16.9 square miles in Alameda County, California. Figures below refresh monthly; last updated 30 September 2026.
Office
Office space in Berkeley, CA asks $503/SF to buy. Vacancy runs 20.8% across the West region in 2025, up from 11% in 2019.
Average Sale Price $/SF
Listings
Vacancy Rate % in West region
Retail
Retail space in Berkeley, CA asks $322/SF to buy. Vacancy runs 5.8% across the West region in 2025, down from 7% in 2020.
Average Sale Price $/SF
Listings
Vacancy Rate % in West region
Industrial
Industrial vacancy in Berkeley, CA runs 7.9% across the West region in 2025, up from 3.7% in 2019. Nearly 3.2x the 2022 low of 2.5%.
Vacancy Rate % in West region
Multifamily
Multifamily space in Berkeley, CA asks $391/SF to buy. Vacancy runs 8.6% across the West region in 2025, up from 7% in 2022.
Average Sale Price $/SF
Listings
Vacancy Rate % in West region
Zoning & Land Use
Land Use Mix share of zoned land by category
- Residential 66.1%
- Commercial 13%
- Mixed use 8.8%
- Industrial 8.5%
- Civic 0.6%
Largest Zones share of zoned land by district
Residential Multi Unit 1 Hillside Overlay
Residential Multi Unit 2
Residential Multi Unit 2a
Residential Multi Unit 1
Unclassified
Berkeley, CA zones 4,954 acres across 41 districts. Commercial zoning covers 13% of zoned land, residential 66.1% and industrial 8.5%. The largest single district is Residential Multi Unit 1 Hillside Overlay at 24.9%. For commercial buyers the practical constraint is that only 21.5% of land carries a commercial or industrial designation.
Residential Multi Unit 1 Hillside Overlay (R-1H)
The purpose of the Single Family Residential (R-1) district is to recognize and protect the existing pattern of development in the low density, single family residential areas of the city consistent with the General Plan. The purpose of the Hillside (H) overlay zone is to implement General Plan policies for hillside development to protect the safety and heal…
Market overview
Demographics & Economy
Berkeley, CA has 152,304 residents in 63,340 households. Density runs 9,013 people per square mile. Median household income here is $123,743 and median gross rent $2,325 a month.
152,304
Population
63,340
Households
2.4
Avg Household Size
33
Median Age
75%
College-Educated
96%
High-School Grad
16.9 sq mi
ZIP Area
9,013
Density / Sq Mi
$123,743
Median Household Income
$62,069
Median Earnings
$2,325
Median Rent
$1,279,566
Median Home Value
Tools
Nearby Markets
| Market | Average Sale Price, $/SF | Average Lease Price, $/SF/Yr |
|---|---|---|
| Albany | $387 (county avg) | — |
| Emeryville | $387 (county avg) | — |
| Alameda | $387 (county avg) | — |
| Oakland | $387 (county avg) | $19.51 |
Commercial property in Berkeley, CA asks $387/SF. The 4 bordering markets run from $387/SF in Albany to $387/SF in Albany, and the city sits in line with their $387/SF median.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the average price per square foot for commercial property in Berkeley?
Commercial property in Berkeley, CA asks an average of $387 per square foot. The 5 most recent recorded sales traded at a median of $298/SF, so asking sits 30% above the achieved median. Office carries the highest asking price at $503/SF.
How much does it cost to lease commercial space in Berkeley?
Asking lease rates in Berkeley, CA average $29.69 per square foot per year.
How does Berkeley compare to nearby markets on price?
Berkeley, CA asks $387/SF against $387/SF in Albany, $387/SF in Emeryville, $387/SF in Alameda and $387/SF in Oakland.
What zoning applies to commercial property in Berkeley?
Berkeley, CA zones 4,954 acres across 41 districts, of which 13% is commercial and 8.5% industrial. The largest single district is Residential Multi Unit 1 Hillside Overlay at 24.9% of zoned land. The purpose of the Single Family Residential (R-1) district is to recognize and protect the existing pattern of development in the low density, single family residential areas of the city consistent with the General Plan. The purpose of the Hillside (H) overlay zone is to implement General Plan policies for hillside development to protect the safety and heal… Residential zoning covers 66.1% and open space 0%.
Where does Realmo's Berkeley market data come from?
Realmo compiles Berkeley, CA figures from 6 recent recorded sales, 127 active sale listings, 65 active lease listings, 3,506 tracked off-market properties, the current Berkeley zoning release. Sale and lease figures refresh monthly; vacancy annually. Last updated 30 September 2026.
Methodology & data sources
- Asking prices and averages
- Computed from 127 active for-sale and 65 active for-lease listings in Berkeley, CA. These are ASKING figures from live listings, not closed-transaction prices, and a segment carried by a handful of listings reads as indicative rather than an average.
- Price per square foot
- The county-level $/SF blends closed sales aggregated over the trailing months of available data, not a single day's snapshot — it can differ from any one month's own median.
- Vacancy rates
- Published per-sector market series, taken at the metro level where one exists and otherwise at the Census-region level — a chart reading "in <region> region" is a regional number, not this city's.
- Zoning and land use
- The current municipal zoning release: 4,954 zoned acres across 41 districts. Shares are of zoned land, so parcels the release leaves unclassified are excluded from the mix.
- Refresh
- The monthly aggregates close at the end of the previous month, so 30 September 2026 — not today — is the honest last update.
- Known limitations
- office vacancy is reported at West region level, retail vacancy is reported at West region level and industrial vacancy is reported at West region level.
- Coverage
- Metrics below the 10-observation threshold fall back one geographic level. The geography used is named on each figure.
Compiled by the Realmo Data team · reviewed 30 September 2026 · report a data issue
