Blog > Burlingame vs. Hillsborough: Home Prices, Sizes and the City Line (2026)
Burlingame vs. Hillsborough: Home Prices, Sizes and the City Line (2026)
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Burlingame and Hillsborough sit about a mile 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 $3.21M in Burlingame and $6.41M in Hillsborough, so a typical Hillsborough house cost about twice as much as one in Burlingame.
- Per square foot: $1,557 in Burlingame and $1,592 in Hillsborough; the median house was 2,180 sq ft in Burlingame and 4,235 sq ft in Hillsborough, on a 6,000-sq-ft lot versus a 24,149-sq-ft lot.
- Competition: 66% of Burlingame houses sold over asking, against 47% in Hillsborough.
- Condos and townhomes: Hillsborough had fewer than 10 sales, so this comparison is about houses.
- At the city line: they differ on trains (Burlingame has Caltrain; Hillsborough has no rail station) and transfer tax ($2,200 versus $2,800 on a $2 million sale).
See it live
- Open Burlingame 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.
| Burlingame | Hillsborough | |
|---|---|---|
| Sales | 194 | 124 |
| Median price | $3.21M | $6.41M |
| Median per sq ft | $1,557 | $1,592 |
| Median size | 2,180 sq ft | 4,235 sq ft |
| Median lot | 6,000 sq ft | 24,149 sq ft |
| Median bedrooms | 3 | 5 |
| Sold over asking | 66% | 47% |
| Median sale vs. asking | 5.6% over | at asking |
| Sold for $2 million or less | 11% | 0% |
| Listing says single-story | 12% | 15% |
| Listing mentions a pool | 6% | 52% |
| Listing mentions an ADU or in-law unit | 10% | 17% |
At the city line
Some costs and services follow the city, not the mailing address.
| Burlingame | Hillsborough | |
|---|---|---|
| County | San Mateo County | San Mateo County |
| Caltrain | Burlingame; Broadway (weekends only) | 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
- Burlingame: Burlingame city guide, Burlingame neighborhoods compared, Burlingame home types by the numbers and the Burlingame housing market 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: San Mateo vs. Burlingame, Atherton vs. Hillsborough and Burlingame vs. Millbrae.
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.