Cortez Hill 2025 Condo Market Report

The Cortez Hill condo market remained an active and relatively affordable segment of Downtown San Diego real estate during 2025. Known for its quieter residential atmosphere, elevated location, and convenient access to Little Italy, Balboa Park, the waterfront, and the rest of Downtown, Cortez Hill continues to appeal to buyers looking for a more residential setting without giving up the benefits of urban living.

The neighborhood offers an unusually diverse collection of properties, ranging from studios and one-bedroom condos to larger loft-style residences and modern high-rise homes. Sales during 2025 included properties at Aloft, Aria, Discovery, El Cortez, Solara Lofts, The Mills, Park View, Beech Tower, Cortez Blu, Symphony Terrace, and several smaller communities.

During 2025, 53 Cortez Hill condos closed, representing approximately $32.75 million in total sales volume. The average selling price was approximately $617,838, while the median sale price was $615,000.

On a price-per-square-foot basis, condos sold for an average of approximately $617 per square foot, with a median of $622 per square foot.

2025 Cortez Hill Condo Market Statistics

Cortez Hill continued to provide buyers with a broad range of price points during 2025, from smaller residences in the low-$300,000s to larger properties exceeding $1 million.

Key 2025 market figures:

• Total condo sales: 53
• Total sales volume: $32,745,400
• Average selling price: $617,838
• Median selling price: $615,000
• Average price per square foot: $617
• Median price per square foot: $622
• Lowest selling price: $315,000
• Highest selling price: $1,300,000
• Price-per-square-foot range: $472–$752

The average and median selling prices were particularly close in 2025, indicating that the majority of Cortez Hill transactions remained concentrated around the neighborhood’s middle price range rather than being heavily influenced by a few luxury sales.

Aloft Remained One of Cortez Hill’s More Active Buildings

Aloft recorded a healthy number of transactions during 2025 across studio, one-bedroom, and two-bedroom floor plans.

Smaller residences generally sold between approximately $390,000 and $500,000, while two-bedroom condos ranged from approximately $600,000 to $639,000.

One of the strongest price-per-square-foot transactions in Cortez Hill occurred at Aloft #447, which sold for $460,000, or approximately $752 per square foot. Despite its relatively modest overall selling price, its smaller 612-square-foot floor plan resulted in the highest price per square foot among the 2025 sales.

Larger Aloft residences generally sold in the low-to-mid $600s per square foot, illustrating how smaller floor plans often command higher price-per-square-foot valuations.

Aria Continued to Command a Premium

Aria remained one of Cortez Hill’s more desirable modern high-rise options during 2025.

A one-bedroom residence sold for approximately $547,500, while the building’s larger two- and three-bedroom homes generally traded between $750,000 and $869,000.

Aria #905 sold for $869,000, or approximately $694 per square foot, while #1104 closed for $860,000.

The range of values within Aria continues to demonstrate the importance of floor level, orientation, views, and individual floor plan when determining value in a Downtown San Diego high-rise.

Discovery Remained an Important Neighborhood Benchmark

Discovery continued to be one of the more active buildings in the Cortez Hill condo market during 2025.

Most two-bedroom residences sold between approximately $640,000 and $895,000, depending on floor level, size, orientation, and condition.

Discovery #1001 sold for $895,000, or approximately $696 per square foot, while #1403 closed for $786,000 at approximately $694 per square foot.

Lower-floor residences generally traded at lower valuations, while higher floors and more desirable orientations continued to command premiums.

El Cortez Continued to Offer Historic Character and Value

Historic El Cortez remained one of Cortez Hill’s most distinctive residential communities.

One-bedroom residences sold between approximately $355,000 and $500,000, while two-bedroom residences closed around $600,000 to $630,000.

Price-per-square-foot values generally ranged from the upper-$500s to low-$700s, depending heavily on residence size and layout.

Because El Cortez offers historic architecture and floor plans that differ considerably from newer condominium towers, direct price-per-square-foot comparisons with buildings such as Aria or Discovery should be made carefully.

The Mills Provided Some of the Neighborhood’s More Affordable Options

The Mills remained another relatively accessible option for buyers searching for Cortez Hill condos for sale.

A studio residence sold for $315,000, representing the lowest selling price in Cortez Hill during 2025.

One-bedroom residences generally sold between approximately $435,000 and $510,000, while larger two-bedroom condos traded between approximately $615,000 and $635,000.

The building’s combination of smaller residences and larger two-bedroom floor plans gives buyers several options at comparatively moderate Downtown San Diego price points.

Solara Lofts Continued to Offer Larger Floor Plans

Solara Lofts once again demonstrated how larger residences can produce lower price-per-square-foot figures while still achieving substantial overall selling prices.

Unit #805, measuring 1,429 square feet, sold for $675,000, or approximately $472 per square foot, the lowest price-per-square-foot transaction among the 2025 Cortez Hill sales.

At the upper end, unit #603 offered approximately 1,640 square feet and sold for $875,000, while #808 closed for $850,000.

For buyers prioritizing interior space, Solara Lofts continued to offer considerably more square footage per dollar than many newer Downtown San Diego towers.

Larger Residences Reached Above $1 Million

While the majority of Cortez Hill sales remained below $900,000 during 2025, a small number of larger residences crossed the $1 million mark.

A three-bedroom residence at City Mark sold for $1.23 million, while the highest-priced sale of the year closed at $1.3 million.

These transactions illustrate that Cortez Hill can support significantly higher total values for larger and more unique residences, even though the neighborhood as a whole remains considerably more affordable than many of Downtown San Diego’s waterfront-oriented districts.

What the 2025 Cortez Hill Condo Sales Tell Us

Overall, 2025 was another steady year for the Cortez Hill condo market in Downtown San Diego, with 53 closed sales totaling approximately $32.75 million.

The median selling price of $615,000 and median value of $622 per square foot provide useful benchmarks for understanding the neighborhood during the year.

At the same time, the range from $472 to $752 per square foot reinforces how differently individual Cortez Hill properties can trade depending on building, residence size, floor plan, floor level, condition, views, and amenities.

Cortez Hill remains one of Downtown San Diego’s more diverse residential neighborhoods, offering everything from relatively affordable studios and one-bedroom condos to larger lofts and high-rise residences approaching or exceeding $1 million.

For buyers and sellers evaluating Cortez Hill condos for sale in San Diego, the most useful comparison continues to be recent sales within the same building and, whenever possible, residences with similar floor plans, elevations, views, and interior condition.

cortez Hill 2025 Sold CONDOS