Blog > Most Affordable Cities in Silicon Valley to Buy a House (2026), Ranked
Where do houses cost the least in Silicon Valley and on the Peninsula? We ranked 31 cities by the median price of the houses that sold in the 12 months to October 27, 2026, and added what the lowest-priced quarter sold for, the condo and townhome medians, and where a $1.5 million budget went furthest. Each city links to its Moving to guide.
The short answer
- Lowest median house price: East Palo Alto ($1.1M), Gilroy ($1.15M), Daly City ($1.25M), South San Francisco ($1.3M) and San Bruno ($1.46M).
- For comparison: the median house across all 31 cities sold for $2.02M.
- Most houses at $1.5 million or less: East Palo Alto (98% of sales), Daly City (85% of sales), Gilroy (80% of sales) and South San Francisco (74% of sales).
- Lowest condo and townhome medians: San Bruno ($448K), Gilroy ($599K), Daly City ($615K) and East Palo Alto ($690K).
Shopping on a budget?
- Budget Lab shows what your budget bought in up to three cities.
- The most affordable ZIP codes go a level deeper.
- Talk to a Property Nerd about where your budget fits.
Houses: every city, lowest median first
| # | City | Median house | Lowest-priced quarter sold at or under | Per sq ft | Median size | Sales |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | East Palo Alto | $1.1M | $960K | $808 | 1,240 sq ft | 81 |
| 2 | Gilroy | $1.15M | $925K | $527 | 2,234 sq ft | 360 |
| 3 | Daly City | $1.25M | $1.08M | $826 | 1,529 sq ft | 330 |
| 4 | South San Francisco | $1.3M | $1.2M | $899 | 1,500 sq ft | 226 |
| 5 | San Bruno | $1.46M | $1.22M | $999 | 1,430 sq ft | 176 |
| 6 | Morgan Hill | $1.53M | $1.22M | $665 | 2,435 sq ft | 327 |
| 7 | Milpitas | $1.62M | $1.36M | $1,005 | 1,684 sq ft | 175 |
| 8 | San Jose | $1.65M | $1.29M | $971 | 1,682 sq ft | 3,765 |
| 9 | Santa Clara | $1.92M | $1.68M | $1,324 | 1,535 sq ft | 418 |
| 10 | Campbell | $2.17M | $1.85M | $1,237 | 1,709 sq ft | 182 |
| 11 | Foster City | $2.22M | $1.95M | $1,092 | 2,064 sq ft | 72 |
| 12 | San Mateo | $2.22M | $1.66M | $1,309 | 1,728 sq ft | 506 |
| 13 | Redwood City | $2.3M | $1.77M | $1,286 | 1,760 sq ft | 499 |
| 14 | Millbrae | $2.33M | $1.9M | $1,228 | 1,950 sq ft | 107 |
| 15 | Belmont | $2.38M | $1.95M | $1,287 | 1,910 sq ft | 169 |
| 16 | Sunnyvale | $2.63M | $2.02M | $1,536 | 1,640 sq ft | 501 |
| 17 | Los Gatos | $2.67M | $1.98M | $1,210 | 2,303 sq ft | 360 |
| 18 | San Carlos | $2.74M | $2.25M | $1,439 | 1,988 sq ft | 248 |
| 19 | Mountain View | $2.93M | $2.4M | $1,670 | 1,807 sq ft | 224 |
| 20 | Burlingame | $3.21M | $2.6M | $1,557 | 2,180 sq ft | 194 |
| 21 | Cupertino | $3.3M | $2.9M | $1,660 | 2,036 sq ft | 217 |
| 22 | Menlo Park | $3.6M | $2.51M | $1,733 | 2,139 sq ft | 278 |
| 23 | Palo Alto | $4M | $3.2M | $2,129 | 1,908 sq ft | 395 |
| 24 | Portola Valley | $4.03M | $3.25M | $1,424 | 3,320 sq ft | 71 |
| 25 | Woodside | $4.06M | $2.92M | $1,412 | 3,210 sq ft | 76 |
| 26 | Saratoga | $4.3M | $3.45M | $1,579 | 2,775 sq ft | 229 |
| 27 | Monte Sereno | $4.55M | $3.93M | $1,496 | 3,012 sq ft | 39 |
| 28 | Los Altos | $4.89M | $4.2M | $1,982 | 2,455 sq ft | 268 |
| 29 | Los Altos Hills | $5.61M | $4.62M | $1,595 | 3,769 sq ft | 102 |
| 30 | Hillsborough | $6.41M | $5.49M | $1,592 | 4,235 sq ft | 124 |
| 31 | Atherton | $10.7M | $7.2M | $2,199 | 4,275 sq ft | 75 |
Where $1.5 million and $2 million went furthest
Share of each city’s house sales at or under each budget, highest first.
| City | At or under $1.5M | At or under $2M | Median house |
|---|---|---|---|
| East Palo Alto | 98% | 99% | $1.1M |
| Daly City | 85% | 100% | $1.25M |
| Gilroy | 80% | 94% | $1.15M |
| South San Francisco | 74% | 98% | $1.3M |
| San Bruno | 54% | 96% | $1.46M |
| Morgan Hill | 49% | 73% | $1.53M |
| Milpitas | 44% | 77% | $1.62M |
| San Jose | 40% | 71% | $1.65M |
| Los Gatos | 17% | 27% | $2.67M |
| San Mateo | 16% | 43% | $2.22M |
| Redwood City | 14% | 37% | $2.3M |
| Santa Clara | 13% | 53% | $1.92M |
| Millbrae | 8% | 30% | $2.33M |
| Sunnyvale | 7% | 24% | $2.63M |
| Belmont | 5% | 28% | $2.38M |
| Campbell | 4% | 38% | $2.17M |
| Foster City | 1% | 31% | $2.22M |
Cities where fewer than 20% of houses sold for $2 million or less are left out of this table.
Condos and townhomes: lowest median first
Cities with at least 10 condo or townhome sales in the year.
| # | City | Median condo/townhome | Lowest-priced quarter at or under | Sales |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | San Bruno | $448K | $369K | 66 |
| 2 | Gilroy | $599K | $490K | 30 |
| 3 | Daly City | $615K | $465K | 83 |
| 4 | East Palo Alto | $690K | $560K | 11 |
| 5 | San Jose | $775K | $590K | 1,532 |
| 6 | South San Francisco | $780K | $635K | 67 |
| 7 | Millbrae | $865K | $685K | 39 |
| 8 | San Mateo | $866K | $585K | 298 |
| 9 | Morgan Hill | $890K | $735K | 123 |
| 10 | Santa Clara | $900K | $660K | 256 |
| 11 | Campbell | $1.04M | $760K | 93 |
| 12 | Burlingame | $1.1M | $859K | 49 |
| 13 | Milpitas | $1.1M | $836K | 190 |
| 14 | Redwood City | $1.13M | $760K | 110 |
| 15 | Belmont | $1.2M | $830K | 31 |
| 16 | Foster City | $1.25M | $878K | 145 |
| 17 | San Carlos | $1.25M | $800K | 70 |
| 18 | Cupertino | $1.28M | $1.08M | 65 |
| 19 | Sunnyvale | $1.35M | $930K | 373 |
| 20 | Mountain View | $1.4M | $915K | 291 |
| 21 | Saratoga | $1.43M | $1.02M | 45 |
| 22 | Los Gatos | $1.46M | $950K | 92 |
| 23 | Palo Alto | $1.5M | $1.19M | 141 |
| 24 | Menlo Park | $1.75M | $1.11M | 84 |
| 25 | Los Altos | $1.76M | $1.22M | 54 |
Reading the ranking
- A lower median isn’t a bargain by itself. Houses differ in size and lot, so compare price per square foot too, and the neighborhoods within each city.
- Commute and the city line matter. Trains, electricity and transfer tax change from city to city; each Moving to guide lists them.
- A condo or townhome can be the way in. In several cities the median condo sold for less than half the median house.
How we counted
Closed sales reported to the MLS in the 12 months to October 27, 2026, read through the IDX feeds that power our home search, with repeat records removed (same MLS number and sale date). Houses are the MLS property type “single family home”; condos and townhomes are ranked separately, for cities with at least 10 sales. A sale is placed by the city in its MLS address, so a few homes in unincorporated pockets count under the nearby city. We cover 31 cities in Santa Clara and San Mateo counties with at least 20 house sales in the year; San Francisco and the East Bay aren’t in this ranking. Medians follow the mix of homes, and blocks within a city can differ a lot.
Go deeper
See the most expensive cities, the most affordable ZIP codes, the home buyer’s data guide and the City Match-Up.
First-time buyer? See first-time home buyer programs in Silicon Valley: down payment help in Santa Clara and San Mateo counties and whether each program is open.
Looking for room in your budget?
We’ll show you the cities and streets where your budget fits, 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.