Eiheiji, Fukui
Photo: Eiheiji, Fukui · mandylin / Unsplash

Sabae City Housing Market Report 2026

Data updated 2026-11-11 · Source: MLIT transaction price survey, 2005 Q3–2026 Q2 · Transactions in 2025: 136

In short

  1. 1
    The trend has turned down

    After rising earlier, house prices per m² have slipped by about 2.6% a year over the last five years.

  2. 2
    Outperforming Fukui

    Per m², houses here are 52% above the Fukui average.

  3. 3
    Station distance barely matters

    Houses 11–15 minutes from a station sell for similar or higher prices than those near one, which usually means buyers here drive or value quiet residential streets.

  4. 4
    What a typical purchase costs

    Half of all house sales last year were between ¥5.7M and ¥28.0M.

The answers, compared

What does a home cost?

¥15.0M

median house · ¥100k/m²

30% above the Fukui median

1 of 5 areas in Fukui, highest first

Are prices rising?

+16.7%

over 5 years

Slower than Fukui (+40.1%)

5 of 7 areas in Fukui, highest first

Can local earners afford it?

4.6× income

median price ÷ average taxable income

In line with Fukui (4.7×)

1 of 6 areas in Fukui, highest first

Rent or buy?

23years of rent

median price ÷ a year of median rent

Shorter than Fukui (28)

2 of 6 areas in Fukui, highest first

Are people moving in?

-1.6%

population, 2020–25

Shrinking slower than Fukui (-4.9%)

1 of 7 areas in Fukui, highest first

How risky is it?

1%

chance of strong shaking (6-lower+) in 30 years

Lower than Fukui (10%)

7 of 7 areas in Fukui, highest first

Rent in Sabae City

The average private rental costs ¥56k a month (2023), +6.9% since 2018. Fukui: ¥52k

Floor areaAverage rent / month
under 30 m²
studio / 1K
¥49k
vs 2018 +12.8% · Fukui: ¥41k
30–49 m²
1LDK / 2DK
¥54k
vs 2018 +8.1% · Fukui: ¥50k
50–69 m²
2LDK / 3DK
¥59k
vs 2018 -0.3% · Fukui: ¥59k
70–99 m²
3LDK / family
¥66k
vs 2018 +14.4% · Fukui: ¥63k
Rent per m²
¥1,239
median, per month · Fukui: ¥1,243

Source: Statistics Bureau of Japan, Housing and Land Survey 2023. Privately owned rentals (excluding rent-free homes), monthly rent without management fees. These averages include older homes, so they run below asking rents for newly listed units. 4,200 rented homes.

What the data says

The trend has turned down

After rising earlier, house prices per m² have slipped by about 2.6% a year over the last five years. That often reflects weaker local demand, so check vacancy and population trends before buying.

Outperforming Fukui

Per m², houses here are 52% above the Fukui average. The premium has grown from 35% ten years ago, so Sabae City has been outperforming its surroundings.

Station distance barely matters

Houses 11–15 minutes from a station sell for similar or higher prices than those near one, which usually means buyers here drive or value quiet residential streets.

What a typical purchase costs

Half of all house sales last year were between ¥5.7M and ¥28.0M. Listings outside that range are either unusual properties or worth a closer look.

A shrinking population

The population fell 1.6% between 2020 and 2025 (−4.9% for the wider area). Moves in and out roughly balanced in 2025. Households still grew 5.6% as people live in smaller households, which supports demand for smaller homes even as the population shrinks.

Typical vacancy

11.8% of homes were empty in 2023 (15.6% for the wider area), and 5.4% were empty without being for rent, for sale or used as second homes. The level of abandoned homes is around the national norm.

Lower earthquake risk

The government's seismic model gives a 1% chance of shaking of intensity 6-lower or stronger in the next 30 years (10% for the wider area). This is low by Japanese standards, although no part of Japan is free of earthquake risk.

Local incomes are close to average

Taxpayers here reported an average taxable income of ¥3.3m in 2023 (¥3.4m for the wider area). That is +21% since 2014. Averages are pulled up by a few very high earners, so a typical household earns less than this.

Official land prices are edging up

On the government's fixed benchmark sites, which are valued the same way every year, residential land prices changed +1% in the year to January 2026 and +3% over five years. Because these sites don't change, this is the cleanest measure of land value trends.

Significant flood risk

Of the official land-price benchmark sites here, which sit in typical neighbourhoods, 57% are inside the worst-case flood zone (29% with expected depths of 3 m or more). Most worst-case flood zones are shallow (under 0.5 m) at the edges, so depth matters as much as the share. Check the hazard map for any specific address before buying.

Living in Sabae City: people, homes and risks

Population 2025
67,223
-1.6% since 2020
Fukui: -4.9%
Net moves in 2025
+31
+0.46 per 1,000 residents
Fukui: -4.33
Vacant homes (2023)
11.8%
5.4% empty and not for rent or sale
Fukui: 15.6%
Median rent (2023)
¥54k
per month, all rented homes
Fukui: ¥48k
Strong earthquake risk
1.4%
chance of shaking of intensity 6-lower or more within 30 years
Fukui: 10.2%
Average income per taxpayer
¥3.3M
taxable income in 2023
Fukui: ¥3.4M
Daytime population
92
people here by day per 100 residents (2020 census)
Foreign residents
1.8%
1,192 registered residents in 2024
Fukui: 2.6%
Clinics
6.2
per 10,000 residents; 7 hospitals, 23 dental clinics (2020)
Fukui: 8.1
Official land price 2026
¥36k/m²
+0.7% in a year · +3.0% in 5 years
Fukui: ¥36k/m²
Flood exposure
57.1%
of 7 benchmark sites in a worst-case flood zone (28.6% 3 m or deeper)
Fukui: 75.6%
Landslide exposure
0.0%
of 7 benchmark sites in a landslide warning area
Fukui: 3.1%

Check flood, landslide and tsunami zones for a specific address on the government hazard map ↗

Sources: 2025 Census (preliminary), 2025 Internal Migration Report, 2023 Housing and Land Survey (Statistics Bureau of Japan); J-SHIS seismic hazard model (NIED, 2024); Land Price Publication (MLIT); recorded crime: Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department (Tokyo only); incomes: Ministry of Internal Affairs taxation survey via the Statistics Bureau's municipal indicators; foreign residents: Basic Resident Register; medical facilities and station passengers: MLIT National Land Numerical Information. Earthquake probability is measured at the municipal center.

Example sales in Sabae City

Real transactions from the last four quarters, picked near the lower (20th percentile), middle and upper (80th percentile) price points. Locations are shown at district level, as published by MLIT.

House

Lower-priced2026 Q1

¥4.2M

¥120k/m²

  • Yoshitanicho
  • Shimmei
  • Land 240 m² · floor 35 m²
  • Built 2000 (26 yrs) · Steel
Typical2026 Q2

¥12.0M

¥19k/m²

  • Shimonodacho
  • Sabae
  • Land 760 m² · floor 620 m²
  • Built 1998 (28 yrs) · Wood
Higher-priced2026 Q2

¥28.0M

¥42k/m²

  • Shimonodacho
  • Sabae
  • Land 650 m² · floor 660 m²
  • Built 1997 (29 yrs) · Steel
Median transaction price by year
¥0¥10.0M¥20.0M¥30.0M2007200920112013201520172019202120232025
Show data table
YearHouse
2007¥15.0M
2008¥13.0M
2009¥14.5M
2010¥13.0M
2011¥15.0M
2012¥9.9M
2013¥18.0M
2014¥18.0M
2015¥17.5M
2016¥22.0M
2017¥20.5M
2018¥17.0M
2019¥17.0M
2020¥19.5M
2021¥15.0M
2022¥9.1M
2023¥20.0M
2024¥20.0M
2025¥15.0M
2026 (partial)–
Median price per m² by year
¥0¥50k¥100k¥150k¥200k2007200920112013201520172019202120232025
Show data table
YearHouseLand
2007¥100k/m²¥36k/m²
2008¥97k/m²¥36k/m²
2009¥107k/m²¥30k/m²
2010¥94k/m²¥33k/m²
2011¥98k/m²¥30k/m²
2012¥71k/m²¥30k/m²
2013¥89k/m²¥30k/m²
2014¥118k/m²¥30k/m²
2015¥113k/m²¥27k/m²
2016¥139k/m²¥29k/m²
2017¥137k/m²¥25k/m²
2018¥125k/m²¥26k/m²
2019¥150k/m²¥27k/m²
2020¥136k/m²¥27k/m²
2021¥115k/m²¥25k/m²
2022¥72k/m²¥28k/m²
2023¥120k/m²¥27k/m²
2024¥151k/m²¥31k/m²
2025¥100k/m²¥32k/m²
2026 (partial)–¥29k/m²
Price per m² by building age (2021–2025 sales)
¥0¥100k¥200k¥300k05101520253035404550
Show data table
Building age (years)House
0¥225k/m²
1¥221k/m²
50¥24k/m²
House price per m² by construction period
¥0¥50k¥100k¥150k¥200k2008201020122014201620182020

Each line follows buildings from one construction period over time. 1981 is when Japan's current earthquake-resistance standard (shin-taishin) took effect.

Show data table
Year1981-20002011-2020
2008¥83k/m²–
2011¥89k/m²–
2019–¥191k/m²
2020–¥200k/m²

Prices near train stations in Sabae City

Sales from 2023–2025, grouped by nearest station.

StationMedian used condo priceCondo price per m²Median house price (land + building)Walk (min)SalesDaily passengers (2023)
Sabae (鯖江)––¥17.0M13683,708-20% vs 2019
Shimmei (神明)––¥15.5M946632+3% vs 2019
Mizuochi (水落)––¥23.0M1225136-23% vs 2019
Tobanaka (鳥羽中)––¥13.0M112285-9% vs 2019

How much does a house cost in Sabae City?

The median house sale, including the land, was ¥15.0M in 2025 across 60 sales.

Are property prices in Sabae City going up?

Over the five years to 2025, residential land prices changed +16.7%.

About this data

Figures are medians of real transactions reported to Japan's Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism (MLIT) through its quarterly price survey. House prices per m² divide the total price (land and building) by the floor area. Medians based on fewer than 20 sales are not shown. The latest quarters are preliminary and are revised as more survey responses arrive.

Information only, not investment advice.