Short answer: Point Richmond has slowed down while the rest of Richmond has not. Homes there took a median of 40 days to sell in the three months ending June 2026, up from 16 days a year earlier, with under 40% selling above list, per Redfin. Citywide Richmond sold in 17 days with 64.0% above list. That divergence is the story.
What Point Richmond actually is
Point Richmond was Richmond's original downtown. It began as the railroad's "East Yards" and served as the commercial center from the late 1800s into the early 1900s, until business migrated east. Leaving early is why it survived intact. The Point Richmond Historic District has been on the National Register of Historic Places since 1978, and the housing stock is predominantly Victorian-era, much of it with bay views.
The village sits on a ridge, split by locals into a "bay side" facing the water and a "town side" facing back toward Richmond. Which side a house sits on changes the light, the wind, the view and the price.
The geography is unusually good for a neighborhood this small. Miller/Knox Regional Shoreline and Nicholl Knob sit at the village edge, Keller Beach is a pocket swimming beach, and The Plunge, a historic natatorium, reopened in 2010 after a seismic retrofit. The Ferry Point tunnel, Brickyard Cove and the SS Red Oak Victory, berthed at Rosie the Riveter/WWII Home Front National Historical Park, anchor the waterfront.
The market: a village that decoupled from its city
Richmond as a whole is one of the East Bay's steadier markets. The Point has not.
Measure (Redfin, 3 months ending June 2026) | Point Richmond | Richmond citywide |
|---|---|---|
Median days on market | 40 | 17 |
Median days on market, year earlier | 16 | Not cited |
Share of homes sold above list | Under 40% | 64.0% |
Median sale price | Withheld (thin sample) | $649,646 |
Year-over-year median change | Withheld | +4.5% |
Price per square foot | Withheld | $499 |
Homes sold in the period | 10 | 207 |
About what is missing there. Point Richmond's median and price per square foot are both published, and I am not going to quote them. Where a two-bedroom cottage and a four-bedroom bay-view house sit on the same block, ten sales produce a median that describes nothing. Days on market and share above list hold up better, because they measure how buyers behaved rather than which houses traded.
Those two figures say something clear. A year ago, Point Richmond listings moved in about two weeks. By the three months ending June 2026 they were taking closer to six, and most no longer cleared asking. Richmond citywide did not follow. Pricing a Point Richmond house off citywide statistics is how listings sit.
If you are buying
Slower is not worse for a buyer. It is leverage. When the median listing takes 40 days and most homes are not clearing list, there is room to keep an inspection contingency, negotiate repairs, and skip the preemptive overbid. Compare El Cerrito, where 90.4% of homes sold above list in the same period.
If you are selling
Preparation and pricing carry more weight here than almost anywhere else in the East Bay. In a 17-day market a mediocre listing still sells. In a 40-day market it accumulates days on market, and that is what buyers use to justify a lower offer. On Victorian-era housing, a pre-listing pest, roof, sewer lateral and foundation package usually pays for itself.
Getting to San Francisco
The ferry is why many people end up here. San Francisco Bay Ferry runs Richmond to the Downtown San Francisco Ferry Terminal in about 35 minutes, with 14 westbound weekday sailings between roughly 6:30 AM and 8:40 PM and seven trips on weekend days, on schedules effective March 9, 2026. Fares effective July 1, 2026 are $5.20 adult one-way, $2.60 discounted, free under five. The terminal is not in the village, so reaching it means a short drive.
Schools: the honest version
Point Richmond is served by West Contra Costa Unified, a district of 63 schools and 29,284 students. GreatSchools notes that a larger number of schools in this district are rated below average. Buyers should hear that from their agent rather than find it later.
District ratings are averages, and averages hide a wide spread. Look at the schools your address feeds, and confirm assignments with the district, because boundaries change.
What it costs to sell here
Richmond is the one East Bay city that applies its transfer tax rate to the full sale value rather than marginally. The city charges $7.00 per $1,000 under $1 million, $12.50 from $1 million to $3 million, $25.00 from $3 million to $10 million and $30.00 above that, applied to the full sale value rather than to the amount over each threshold. Contra Costa County's $0.55 per $500, rounded up to the nearest $500, is charged on top.
The effect is a cliff at $1 million: a $999,999 sale owes about $7,000 in city transfer tax, and a $1,000,001 sale owes $12,500. That is $5,500 of tax triggered by two dollars of price. Most Point Richmond sales land below the line, but bay-view properties cross it, and if yours is near $1 million the number belongs in your pricing conversation. I walk through the full structure, and every other East Bay city, in Seller Transfer Taxes Across the East Bay. Confirm current rates with a title officer.
If you like the Point for its historic housing and its water, the closest equivalent across the bay is Alameda's Gold Coast. For the same county with far more transit, El Cerrito is the comparison most of my clients run. More on the county is on our Contra Costa page.
Frequently asked questions
Is Point Richmond a good place to buy in 2026?
It is a better place to buy than to sell right now. In the three months ending June 2026, homes took a median of 40 days to sell, up from 16 a year earlier, and under 40% sold above list, per Redfin. That is negotiating room most of the East Bay does not offer, against a historic housing stock that needs careful inspection.
Why are Point Richmond homes taking longer to sell than the rest of Richmond?
Point Richmond has decoupled from citywide Richmond. In the three months ending June 2026, Redfin recorded a median of 40 days on market in the Point against 17 citywide, and under 40% above list against 64.0%. The Point's housing is older, more varied and more expensive per home, so it draws a smaller and slower buyer pool.
How long is the ferry from Richmond to San Francisco?
About 35 minutes to the Downtown San Francisco Ferry Terminal. San Francisco Bay Ferry runs 14 westbound weekday sailings between roughly 6:30 AM and 8:40 PM, plus seven trips on weekend days, on schedules effective March 9, 2026. Fares effective July 1, 2026 are $5.20 adult one-way and $2.60 discounted, with children under five free.
What are the schools like in Point Richmond?
Point Richmond is in West Contra Costa Unified, which has 63 schools and 29,284 students. GreatSchools notes that a larger number of schools in this district are rated below average. Individual schools vary widely, so look at the ones your address feeds rather than the district average, and confirm attendance boundaries with the district.
What transfer tax will I pay selling a home in Point Richmond?
Richmond charges $7.00 per $1,000 under $1 million and $12.50 per $1,000 from $1 million to $3 million, applied to the full sale value, plus Contra Costa County's $0.55 per $500. Because the city rate applies to the whole price, a $999,999 sale owes about $7,000 while a $1,000,001 sale owes $12,500. Confirm current rates with a title officer.
Sources
- Redfin, market data, 3 months ending June 2026 — link
- San Francisco Bay Ferry, schedules and fares, 2026 — link
- GreatSchools, West Contra Costa Unified summary, 2026 — link
- National Park Service, Rosie the Riveter/WWII Home Front NHP — link
- Contra Costa County Clerk-Recorder, transfer tax, 2026 — link
Mark Lederer leads The Lederer Team at Red Oak Realty. In 25 years and 1,000-plus closed transactions, he has found the neighborhoods worth knowing are the ones citywide statistics describe worst. Point Richmond is one of them. Start with a home valuation or reach out for a consultation. 510-774-4231 · [email protected]
