Blog > Atherton vs. Hillsborough: Home Prices, Sizes and the City Line (2026)
Atherton and Hillsborough sit about 13 miles apart, center to center, both in San Mateo County. Here’s how they compare on what houses, condos and townhomes sold for in the 12 months to October 27, 2026, and on the things that change at the city line: trains, electricity and transfer tax.
The short answer
- Houses: the median sale was $10.7M in Atherton and $6.41M in Hillsborough, so a typical Atherton house cost 67% more than one in Hillsborough.
- Per square foot: $2,199 in Atherton and $1,592 in Hillsborough; the median house was 4,275 sq ft in Atherton and 4,235 sq ft in Hillsborough, on a 0.99-acre lot versus a 0.55-acre lot.
- Competition: 48% of Atherton houses sold over asking, against 47% in Hillsborough.
- Condos and townhomes: Atherton and Hillsborough had fewer than 10 sales each, so this comparison is about houses.
- At the city line: they differ on transfer tax ($2,200 versus $2,800 on a $2 million sale).
See it live
- Open Atherton vs. Hillsborough in the City Match-Up: homes for sale now and the last 90 days of sales, side by side.
- Talk to a Property Nerd about the streets that fit in either city.
Houses, side by side
Houses (MLS property type “single family home”) sold in the 12 months to October 27, 2026. The last three rows count listings whose description says so, so they undercount.
| Atherton | Hillsborough | |
|---|---|---|
| Sales | 75 | 124 |
| Median price | $10.7M | $6.41M |
| Median per sq ft | $2,199 | $1,592 |
| Median size | 4,275 sq ft | 4,235 sq ft |
| Median lot | 0.99 acre | 0.55 acre |
| Median bedrooms | 5 | 5 |
| Sold over asking | 48% | 47% |
| Median sale vs. asking | at asking | at asking |
| Sold for $2 million or less | 1% | 0% |
| Listing says single-story | 17% | 15% |
| Listing mentions a pool | 60% | 52% |
| Listing mentions an ADU or in-law unit | 31% | 17% |
At the city line
Some costs and services follow the city, not the mailing address.
| Atherton | Hillsborough | |
|---|---|---|
| County | San Mateo County | San Mateo County |
| Caltrain | none | none |
| BART | none | none |
| VTA light rail | no | no |
| Electricity | WestLight Energy, delivered by PG&E | WestLight Energy, delivered by PG&E |
| Transfer tax on a $2 million sale | $2,200 | $2,800 |
| Eichler tracts | 1 tract on our Eichler index | none on our index |
Electricity is the default provider for most homes; some addresses differ. Transfer tax is the county tax plus any city tax, by the rates on our calculators page; who pays it is set in the contract. School district lines don’t follow city lines, so check the district’s own boundary lookup for any address.
How we counted
Closed sales reported to the MLS and read through the IDX feeds that power our home search, with repeat records removed (same MLS number and sale date). A sale is placed by the city in its MLS address, so a few homes in unincorporated pockets count under the nearby city. Medians follow the mix of homes, and cities are averages: blocks within each can differ a lot. Past sales aren’t a forecast or the value of any one home.
Go deeper
- Atherton: Atherton city guide, Atherton neighborhoods compared and Atherton home types by the numbers.
- Hillsborough: Hillsborough guide page, Hillsborough neighborhoods compared, Hillsborough home types by the numbers and the Hillsborough housing market by the numbers.
- More comparisons: Menlo Park vs. Atherton, Burlingame vs. Hillsborough, Palo Alto vs. Atherton and Woodside vs. Atherton.
Weighing the two?
We’ll compare the homes and streets you’re actually considering, on both sides of the line, and set up a search that catches new listings the day they hit. Call (408) 373-1660 or (650) 383-8606, or book a strategy call. Commissions are negotiable, and we offer bundled services, so ask us what’s included.