Blog > Most Expensive Cities in Silicon Valley (2026), Ranked by House Prices
Where do houses cost the most 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 by price per square foot, which takes out differences in house size. Each city links to its Moving to guide.
The short answer
- Highest median house price: Atherton ($10.7M), Hillsborough ($6.41M), Los Altos Hills ($5.61M), Los Altos ($4.89M) and Monte Sereno ($4.55M).
- Highest price per square foot: Atherton ($2,199), Palo Alto ($2,129), Los Altos ($1,982) and Menlo Park ($1,733).
- For comparison: the median house across all 31 cities sold for $2.02M.
- Small towns, big lots: the top of the price list is led by towns of large lots and large houses, so per square foot tells a different story.
Go further
- The Luxury Market Report follows sales at the top end.
- The most expensive ZIP codes and streets go a level deeper.
- Talk to a Property Nerd about buying or selling at the top end.
Houses: every city, highest median first
| # | City | Median house | Per sq ft | Median size | Sales |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Atherton | $10.7M | $2,199 | 4,275 sq ft | 75 |
| 2 | Hillsborough | $6.41M | $1,592 | 4,235 sq ft | 124 |
| 3 | Los Altos Hills | $5.61M | $1,595 | 3,769 sq ft | 102 |
| 4 | Los Altos | $4.89M | $1,982 | 2,455 sq ft | 268 |
| 5 | Monte Sereno | $4.55M | $1,496 | 3,012 sq ft | 39 |
| 6 | Saratoga | $4.3M | $1,579 | 2,775 sq ft | 229 |
| 7 | Woodside | $4.06M | $1,412 | 3,210 sq ft | 76 |
| 8 | Portola Valley | $4.03M | $1,424 | 3,320 sq ft | 71 |
| 9 | Palo Alto | $4M | $2,129 | 1,908 sq ft | 395 |
| 10 | Menlo Park | $3.6M | $1,733 | 2,139 sq ft | 278 |
| 11 | Cupertino | $3.3M | $1,660 | 2,036 sq ft | 217 |
| 12 | Burlingame | $3.21M | $1,557 | 2,180 sq ft | 194 |
| 13 | Mountain View | $2.93M | $1,670 | 1,807 sq ft | 224 |
| 14 | San Carlos | $2.74M | $1,439 | 1,988 sq ft | 248 |
| 15 | Los Gatos | $2.67M | $1,210 | 2,303 sq ft | 360 |
| 16 | Sunnyvale | $2.63M | $1,536 | 1,640 sq ft | 501 |
| 17 | Belmont | $2.38M | $1,287 | 1,910 sq ft | 169 |
| 18 | Millbrae | $2.33M | $1,228 | 1,950 sq ft | 107 |
| 19 | Redwood City | $2.3M | $1,286 | 1,760 sq ft | 499 |
| 20 | San Mateo | $2.22M | $1,309 | 1,728 sq ft | 506 |
| 21 | Foster City | $2.22M | $1,092 | 2,064 sq ft | 72 |
| 22 | Campbell | $2.17M | $1,237 | 1,709 sq ft | 182 |
| 23 | Santa Clara | $1.92M | $1,324 | 1,535 sq ft | 418 |
| 24 | San Jose | $1.65M | $971 | 1,682 sq ft | 3,765 |
| 25 | Milpitas | $1.62M | $1,005 | 1,684 sq ft | 175 |
| 26 | Morgan Hill | $1.53M | $665 | 2,435 sq ft | 327 |
| 27 | San Bruno | $1.46M | $999 | 1,430 sq ft | 176 |
| 28 | South San Francisco | $1.3M | $899 | 1,500 sq ft | 226 |
| 29 | Daly City | $1.25M | $826 | 1,529 sq ft | 330 |
| 30 | Gilroy | $1.15M | $527 | 2,234 sq ft | 360 |
| 31 | East Palo Alto | $1.1M | $808 | 1,240 sq ft | 81 |
By price per square foot
The same cities ranked by median price per square foot, highest first; this compares the price of space rather than of the typical house.
| # | City | Per sq ft | Median house |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Atherton | $2,199 | $10.7M |
| 2 | Palo Alto | $2,129 | $4M |
| 3 | Los Altos | $1,982 | $4.89M |
| 4 | Menlo Park | $1,733 | $3.6M |
| 5 | Mountain View | $1,670 | $2.93M |
| 6 | Cupertino | $1,660 | $3.3M |
| 7 | Los Altos Hills | $1,595 | $5.61M |
| 8 | Hillsborough | $1,592 | $6.41M |
| 9 | Saratoga | $1,579 | $4.3M |
| 10 | Burlingame | $1,557 | $3.21M |
| 11 | Sunnyvale | $1,536 | $2.63M |
| 12 | Monte Sereno | $1,496 | $4.55M |
| 13 | San Carlos | $1,439 | $2.74M |
| 14 | Portola Valley | $1,424 | $4.03M |
| 15 | Woodside | $1,412 | $4.06M |
| 16 | Santa Clara | $1,324 | $1.92M |
| 17 | San Mateo | $1,309 | $2.22M |
| 18 | Belmont | $1,287 | $2.38M |
| 19 | Redwood City | $1,286 | $2.3M |
| 20 | Campbell | $1,237 | $2.17M |
| 21 | Millbrae | $1,228 | $2.33M |
| 22 | Los Gatos | $1,210 | $2.67M |
| 23 | Foster City | $1,092 | $2.22M |
| 24 | Milpitas | $1,005 | $1.62M |
| 25 | San Bruno | $999 | $1.46M |
| 26 | San Jose | $971 | $1.65M |
| 27 | South San Francisco | $899 | $1.3M |
| 28 | Daly City | $826 | $1.25M |
| 29 | East Palo Alto | $808 | $1.1M |
| 30 | Morgan Hill | $665 | $1.53M |
| 31 | Gilroy | $527 | $1.15M |
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 aren’t in this ranking. 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 affordable cities, the most expensive ZIP codes, the Luxury Market Report and the City Match-Up.
Buying or selling at the top end?
We’ll put recent sales on your streets next to what’s for sale now, and plan the pricing and launch. 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.