property nerds · seasonsfrom the mlsclosed sales 2012–2025by the boyenga team at compass

The best month to sell, city by city

Fourteen years of closed sales, sorted by the month they closed. In Silicon Valley, April closings sold over asking most often (70.9%) and January closings the least (51.6%). Here is the calendar for every city we cover.

Share of Silicon Valley sales that closed over asking, by closing month, averaged over 2012–2025. Bars start at zero.

strongest closing monthApril70.9% sold over asking; on the market in March or earlier
weakest closing monthJanuary51.6% sold over asking
busiest monthMay and June10.1% of the year’s sales close in each, against 4.8% in January

your city

Every city’s calendar

Pick a city to see its year: how often homes sold over asking, the median sale-to-list ratio, price per square foot against that year’s median, and the share of the year’s sales that close each month.

city or region

Silicon Valley: strongest closing month April (70.9% over asking), weakest January (51.6%).

Closing usually comes about a month after the accepted offer, so an April closing means a home on the market in March or earlier. Averaged year by year over 2012–2025.

Sold over askingshare of sales, %

Sale-to-listmedian, % of list (bar scaled to this city’s range)

101.1

103.4

104.6

105.0

104.5

103.5

102.5

102.1

101.8

101.9

101.5

101.2

Price per sq ftvs that year’s median

−10.5%

−5.4%

−0.1%

+1.6%

+3.4%

+2.7%

+0.7%

−0.1%

−0.4%

+1.0%

+0.6%

−1.5%

Share of the year’s sales%

4.8

5.6

8.3

9.4

10.1

9.5

9.2

8.6

9.1

8.0

7.2

JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec

248,990 closed sales counted. Sale-to-list bars are scaled to this city’s own range so small differences show; read the labels for the values.

the calendar

The over-asking calendar, every city

The share of sales closing over asking, by city and closing month, averaged over 2012–2025. Darker is more competitive; the outlined cell is each city’s strongest month.

area	jan	feb	mar	apr	may	jun	jul	aug	sep	oct	nov	dec
Silicon Valley	52	63	69	71	70	68	64	61	60	60	57	53
Santa Clara County	52	64	69	71	70	68	63	61	60	59	56	53
San Mateo County	50	62	67	69	70	68	65	62	62	63	59	54
Atherton *	32	26	31	36	39	34	27	23	21	35	36	22
Belmont	67	72	74	80	79	78	73	71	71	68	70	58
Burlingame	45	58	63	69	66	66	64	58	58	59	52	51
Campbell	51	67	74	74	71	73	63	61	63	64	54	59
Cupertino	61	71	81	77	74	76	72	70	68	62	63	64
Daly City	64	69	76	81	83	79	80	75	75	74	70	59
East Palo Alto *	46	52	65	73	70	70	65	58	58	54	51	48
Foster City	60	70	72	73	77	72	65	69	70	68	64	55
Gilroy	40	43	49	53	55	52	54	48	47	48	42	35
Hillsborough *	17	27	36	33	39	43	31	31	28	37	37	31
Los Altos	46	65	71	73	68	67	61	54	58	64	57	55
Los Altos Hills *	26	39	41	53	41	36	40	45	35	38	44	28
Los Gatos	31	44	51	53	52	47	45	42	43	39	40	33
Menlo Park	40	52	60	61	64	62	54	48	54	55	51	45
Millbrae *	58	63	67	72	79	73	70	70	70	68	67	60
Milpitas	60	68	73	76	73	74	71	65	61	63	61	57
Monte Sereno *	34	37	53	44	46	46	47	42	33	39	30	33
Morgan Hill	34	45	54	55	53	52	45	42	42	39	39	36
Mountain View	61	75	74	79	76	73	72	70	65	70	67	61
Palo Alto	40	64	73	66	70	64	58	63	63	65	60	53
Portola Valley *	36	27	55	59	52	46	37	40	39	42	38	30
Redwood City	48	60	67	71	68	67	63	61	58	62	60	50
San Bruno	54	66	71	76	76	74	71	72	68	71	68	64
San Carlos	46	71	73	74	73	71	67	65	68	66	60	57
San Francisco *	40	54	58	60	62	61	53	50	52	57	51	40
San Jose	55	66	70	73	72	70	64	62	61	60	56	54
San Mateo	52	65	68	71	73	68	70	65	63	66	60	56
Santa Clara	58	70	77	79	79	74	70	70	68	67	65	62
Saratoga	39	54	65	64	63	61	58	53	59	50	52	51
South San Francisco	60	74	75	79	83	80	78	72	72	67	69	67
Sunnyvale	64	75	79	83	83	79	77	70	69	73	70	68
Woodside *	10	29	32	33	39	34	27	25	21	33	28	22

Percent of sales closing above list price, by closing month. * = pooled (all 2012–2025 sales in the month combined; San Francisco 2022–2025) because some months have too few sales to average year by year.

the price side

Spring pays more per square foot

Price per square foot by closing month, compared with the same year’s median and averaged over 2012–2025. Positive means homes sold for more per square foot than that year’s typical sale.

area	spring (mar–jun)	winter (nov–feb)	spring over winter	top month
Los Gatos	+2.0%	−4.8%	6.8 pts	Aug +3.9%
Santa Clara County	+2.0%	−4.3%	6.3 pts	May +3.4%
Silicon Valley	+1.9%	−4.2%	6.1 pts	May +3.4%
San Mateo County	+1.8%	−4.2%	6.0 pts	May +3.7%
Menlo Park	+1.7%	−4.2%	5.9 pts	Jun +3.4%
Sunnyvale	+1.6%	−3.8%	5.5 pts	May +4.1%
San Mateo	+1.1%	−4.0%	5.1 pts	May +3.5%
San Jose	+1.4%	−3.5%	4.8 pts	May +2.4%
Palo Alto	+0.9%	−3.2%	4.1 pts	Apr +3.1%
Los Altos	+1.3%	−2.8%	4.1 pts	Apr +2.9%
Foster City	+1.1%	−2.7%	3.8 pts	Oct +4.1%
Redwood City	+0.8%	−2.8%	3.6 pts	Jul +1.8%
Daly City	+1.1%	−2.3%	3.4 pts	May +3.9%
Santa Clara	+1.3%	−2.0%	3.3 pts	May +3.0%
San Carlos	+1.0%	−2.0%	3.0 pts	Jun +2.3%
Saratoga	+0.6%	−2.4%	2.9 pts	Sep +2.1%
Belmont	+1.4%	−1.4%	2.8 pts	Sep +3.9%
Campbell	+0.4%	−2.4%	2.8 pts	Oct +2.7%
Milpitas	+0.1%	−2.3%	2.4 pts	Aug +2.0%
Morgan Hill	+0.6%	−1.6%	2.2 pts	Jun +2.4%
Gilroy	+0.2%	−1.9%	2.1 pts	Jun +3.6%
Cupertino	+0.6%	−1.5%	2.1 pts	Dec +2.4%
Mountain View	+0.6%	−1.2%	1.8 pts	Dec +3.2%
South San Francisco	+1.3%	−0.5%	1.8 pts	Jul +4.1%
San Bruno	−0.1%	−1.1%	1.0 pts	May +3.5%
Burlingame	−0.2%	−1.1%	0.9 pts	May +4.4%

Median price per sq ft in each closing month ÷ the same year’s median, averaged over 2012–2025; spring and winter are averages of those months. Part of the gap is the mix of homes that sell in each season. Pooled cities are left out.

for buyers

Is there a best month to buy?

The flip side of the spring wave. Winter closings sold over asking least often and at the lowest price per square foot against the year, with fewer homes to choose from.

least competitionJanuary

51.6% of Silicon Valley January closings went over asking, against 70.9% in April.

lowest price per sq ft vs the yearJanuary

January closings averaged −10.5% per sq ft against that year’s median.

the trade-off4.8%

of the year’s sales close in January, so there are fewer homes to choose from.

the method

How the calendar is built

How the calendar is built, so you can check it.

Data: Closed sales reported to the MLS in the cities we cover, January 2012 to December 2025 (San Francisco 2022–2025): houses, condos and townhomes, with repeat records removed and sales under 50% or over 200% of list left out.
Closing month: Sales are grouped by the month they closed. Closing usually comes about a month after the accepted offer, and the home was on the market before that, so the listing decision comes earlier still.
Averaging: For each city and month, the share over asking and the median sale-to-list are worked out year by year and then averaged, so a hot year like 2021 or a cool one like 2023 counts once.
Price per square foot: Each month’s median price per square foot is compared with the same year’s median, then averaged across years. That takes out the long-run rise in prices and leaves the seasonal pattern.
Sales share: The share of each year’s sales that closed in that month, averaged across years with 60 or more sales.
Small towns: A month needs at least 8 sales in a year to count. Where a city has fewer than 10 usable years for some months, the page pools all 2012–2025 sales for each month instead and marks the city “pooled”; its price-per-foot pattern isn’t shown.
What it isn’t: A pattern across many years, not a forecast. Your home’s best month also depends on its condition, its price and what else is for sale when you list.

the data

Download the calendar

Download the whole calendar: every city, every month.

Boyenga Team. “The Best Month to Sell in Silicon Valley, City by City,” from closed MLS sales 2012–2025, October 2026. https://www.boyengateam.com/best-month-to-sell

Download every city and month (CSV)Prices by city and year

What each column means

area: Silicon Valley, a county region, San Francisco or a city.
month: Calendar month of closing.
share_over_asking: Share of sales closing above list price (0–1).
median_sale_to_list: Median sale price ÷ final list price (1.000 = 100%).
psf_vs_year: Median price per sq ft that month ÷ the same year’s median, minus 1, averaged across years (blank for pooled cities).
share_of_year_sales: Share of the year’s closed sales that closed in that month.
years_used: Years with at least 8 sales that month.
method: yearly = averaged year by year; pooled = all 2012–2025 sales that month combined.
sales: Closed sales in that calendar month, 2012–2025 combined.

questions

Questions we hear

What is the best month to sell a house in Silicon Valley?

By closing month, April: on average 70.9% of Silicon Valley sales that closed in April went over asking, against 51.6% in January. Closing usually comes about a month after the accepted offer, so homes that closed in April were typically listed a month or more earlier.

Is spring really the best time to sell?

In most cities, yes. April was the strongest closing month in 13 of the 23 cities with enough sales, and May in 7. Spring also brings the most sales (May and June each average 10.1% of the year’s closings, January 4.8%), so sellers face more competition as well as more buyers.

Do homes sell for more per square foot in spring?

On average, yes. In Silicon Valley, May closings sold at +3.4% per square foot against that year’s median, and January closings at −10.5%. Part of that is the mix of homes that sell in each season, not only demand.

What is the best month to buy?

Winter. January closings went over asking least often and at the lowest price per square foot against the year, though there are fewer homes to choose from.

Why closing month and not listing month?

The closing date and final price are on every sale record. The offer and the listing come earlier, so read the calendar a month or more ahead.

Does the pattern hold every year?

Not exactly. In a hot year most months beat the average and in a cool year most fall short; the calendar is the average shape across 14 years, worked out year by year so no single year dominates.

Should I wait for spring to list?

Not automatically. If your home is ready and little else is for sale nearby, other months can work well. The calendar is one input next to condition, price and current supply.

Why are some small towns marked “pooled”?

They have too few sales in some months to average year by year, so all 2012–2025 sales in each month are combined. Their numbers swing more, and their price-per-foot pattern isn’t shown.

Where does the data come from?

From 248,990 closed Silicon Valley sales reported to the MLS from 2012 through 2025, plus San Francisco from 2022, read through the IDX feeds that power our home search, with repeat records removed.

Can I download the data?

Yes. The data section has a CSV of every city and month, with a dictionary for each column.

more to learn

Go deeper

Home Price HistoryEvery city’s median price and price per sq ft since 2012.
Property Nerds IndexThis week’s 0–100 reading of market heat.
Bidding Wars by PriceHow often homes at each price sold over asking, from under $1M to $5M+, every year since 2012.
How Much Over AskingHow many dollars over list homes sold for, by city and price, every month since 2012.
Homes Selling Under AskingHow often homes sold under asking, the typical discount and the best months for buyers.
Launch LabPlan the launch: photos, timing and the first weekend.
Prep LabWhat to fix, clean and stage before you list.
Seller PlaybookSelling a home, step by step.
Leverage LabWho has the upper hand at your price right now.
Data LibraryEvery dataset in one catalog, with methods, downloads and citations.

Based on closed sales reported to the MLS through our IDX feeds, read in October 2026. Shown as reported and not guaranteed; repeat records are removed. Averages describe past years, not any single home or a forecast.

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