Quick Summary
If you are moving from San Diego to Reston VA with a $900,000 budget, the same money does a different job in each market. In San Diego County, $900,000 sat just below the $910,000 median sale price for all home types in September 2026, and well below the $1,079,000 detached median, so it usually buys an attached home or a smaller detached home farther inland. In Reston, it sits about $240,000 above the townhouse median, so it buys a top tier townhouse or an entry level detached home.
What does $900K buy in San Diego?
Quick Summary: San Diego County closed September 2026 with a $910,000 median for all home types, a $1,079,000 detached median, and a $670,000 attached median. Reston closed August 2026 with a $647,571 all types median, a $660,044 townhouse median, and a $1,058,730 single family median. Year one property taxes on $900,000 are surprisingly close. State income tax is where Virginia pulls ahead.
What does $900K buy in Reston?
Question 1: What does $900K buy in San Diego? Less house than the budget suggests. The detached median was $1,079,000 in September 2026, so $900,000 is about $179,000 short of the typical detached sale. Most buyers at this number land in one of two places: a top tier attached home, since the attached median was $670,000, or a smaller, older detached home inland, where medians run lower. What $900,000 rarely buys is a renovated detached home in a coastal neighborhood. That gap is why many San Diego sellers start looking east.
How do property taxes compare on a $900K home?
Question 2: What does $900K buy in Reston? A stronger version of almost every product type. Against the $660,044 townhouse median, $900,000 buys the top of the townhouse market in Reston: a larger end unit with a garage and updated kitchen and baths, in a prime cluster. Against the $1,058,730 single family median, the same budget buys an entry level detached home, usually older or smaller, where part of the budget should stay reserved for updates. Against the $375,386 condo median, $900,000 is luxury territory near the Metro stations. The math is similar in Herndon and Fairfax, where the county median was $749,750 in September 2026.
How does state income tax change?
Question 3: How do property taxes compare on a $900K home? In year one, they are close, and that surprises most movers. Fairfax County charges a base rate of $1.12 per $100 of assessed value for tax year 2026, or $10,080 on $900,000. With the Reston Community Center and stormwater levies added, a typical Reston rate is near $1.2005 per $100, a bill near $10,805. San Diego starts from the Proposition 13 base of 1 percent of the purchase price, or $9,000, and bonds and assessments usually lift the effective rate to about 1.1 percent to 1.25 percent, or about $9,900 to $11,250. The difference shows up later: California caps assessed value growth at 2 percent a year, while Fairfax County reassesses at full market value annually.
What changes day to day?
Question 4: How does state income tax change? This is where the move pays. California taxes income at rates from 1 percent to 12.3 percent, plus an extra 1 percent on taxable income above $1 million. Virginia tops out at 5.75 percent, on taxable income above $17,000. Illustrative comparison estimates for a single filer put the saving near $1,750 a year at $150,000 of income and near $3,525 a year at $200,000. One offset belongs in the same budget: Fairfax County charges an annual personal property tax on vehicles, $4.57 per $100 of assessed value, which California does not have.
Question 5: What changes day to day? You trade the coast and mild year round weather for four real seasons, and gain a planned community built around lakes, trails, and two Metro stations. Wiehle-Reston East opened in July 2014 and Reston Town Center on November 15, 2022. The ride from Wiehle-Reston East to Metro Center takes about 37 minutes, and the same Silver Line runs one seat toward Dulles International Airport. The Reston Association assessment was $890 per lot for 2026, with $900 approved for 2027, funding 15 pools, 55 miles of pathways, four lakes, and more than 1,300 acres of open space. Most homes add a cluster or condo fee on top, so check the resale packet first.
What this means for your search: In our Cornerstone work with buyers relocating from California, the $900,000 decision in Reston is really a product decision, not a price decision. Analysis: a top tier townhouse near the lakes or Reston Town Center usually beats an entry level detached home on condition, location, and monthly cost at this budget, unless a yard matters more than updates. Tour one of each, compare the full monthly picture, and tour Vienna for a second Silver Line option.
Moving from San Diego to Reston and want the $900,000 short list built before you fly in? Search current Reston homes with Cornerstone Realty Group, then text (571) 441-1031 for a five minute call. We will line up the top townhouses and entry level detached options, with the tax and association math for each address.
Sources: San Diego MLS, September 2026 statistics reported through the Greater San Diego Association of REALTORS (all properties median sale price $910,000, up 1.7 percent year over year; detached median $1,079,000, up 5.8 percent; attached median $670,000; 1,737 closed sales); Redfin, Reston, Virginia, August 2026 (all types median sale price $647,571, up 7.9 percent year over year; townhouse median $660,044; condo median $375,386; single family median $1,058,730); Northern Virginia Association of REALTORS, September 2026 statistics, Bright MLS data as of October 12, 2026, published October 16, 2026 (Fairfax County median sold price $749,750); Fairfax County Department of Tax Administration, real estate tax rates, tax year 2026 (base rate $1.12 per $100 of assessed value; Reston Community Center $0.047; Reston Service District $0.021; stormwater $0.0325; personal property $4.57 per $100); California Proposition 13 (base rate 1 percent of assessed value set at purchase price, annual assessed value increases capped at 2 percent; effective San Diego County rates commonly about 1.1 percent to 1.25 percent once voter approved bonds and assessments are added); California Franchise Tax Board, 2025 tax rate schedules (rates from 1 percent to 12.3 percent, plus 1 percent on taxable income above $1 million); Virginia Department of Taxation (income tax rates 2 percent to 5.75 percent, top rate on taxable income above $17,000); Reston Association (annual assessment $890 per lot for 2026; $900 for 2027 approved October 22, 2026; 15 pools, 55 miles of pathways, four lakes, more than 1,300 acres of open space); WMATA Silver Line (Wiehle-Reston East opened July 26, 2014; Reston Town Center opened November 15, 2022; Wiehle-Reston East to Metro Center about 37 minutes per Rome2Rio). Income tax figures are illustrative estimates for a single filer from state tax comparison calculators and are not tax advice. Verify current association fees in the resale packet for any home before making an offer.
FAQ
Is $900,000 enough for a single family home in Reston?
Yes, at the entry level. The Reston single family median was $1,058,730 in August 2026, so $900,000 buys a smaller or older detached home, and you should keep part of the budget for updates. The townhouse market is wide open at this number, since its median was $660,044.
Are property taxes lower in Reston than in San Diego?
Not in year one on the same price. A typical Reston bill on a $900,000 assessment runs near $10,805 for tax year 2026, while a new San Diego purchase at an effective 1.1 percent to 1.25 percent runs about $9,900 to $11,250. Over time they diverge, since California caps assessment growth at 2 percent a year and Fairfax County reassesses annually.
How much state income tax do you save by moving to Virginia?
It depends on income, and the saving grows as income rises. California rates run from 1 percent to 12.3 percent, plus 1 percent above $1 million of taxable income, while Virginia tops out at 5.75 percent. Illustrative single filer estimates suggest roughly $1,750 a year saved at $150,000 of income and $3,525 at $200,000. Confirm your numbers with a tax professional.
What extra fees should a San Diego buyer expect in Reston?
Three. The Reston Association assessment, $890 per lot for 2026 and $900 for 2027. A cluster or condo fee on most townhomes and condos, which varies by community. And the Fairfax County personal property tax on vehicles, $4.57 per $100 of assessed value. The resale packet lists each home's exact fees.