Blog > Moving to East Palo Alto: What Homes Cost and What to Know (2026)
Moving to East Palo Alto? Here’s what homes actually sold for in the 12 months to October 27, 2026, how buyers competed for them, and the things that follow the city line: trains, electricity, transfer tax and the county. Every number comes from closed MLS sales or from the city pages already on our site, and most sections link to the full data.
The short answer
- Houses: the median sale was $1.1M ($808 per sq ft), and the middle half sold between $960K and $1.25M.
- Condos and townhomes: a median of $690K, from 11 sales.
- Competition: 41% of houses sold over asking (63% across Silicon Valley and the Peninsula).
- Trains: no Caltrain, BART or light rail station in town.
- At the city line: San Mateo County; electricity from WestLight Energy, delivered by PG&E; transfer tax of $2,200 on a $2 million sale (our tables show no city tax, but some sources report one; confirm with your escrow officer).
Start your search
- See homes for sale in East Palo Alto, live from the MLS.
- The East Palo Alto guide page has our neighborhood guides.
- Talk to a Property Nerd about the move, from the first tour to the closing.
What homes cost
Closed sales in the 12 months to October 27, 2026. Houses are the MLS property type “single family home”.
| Houses | Condos and townhomes | |
|---|---|---|
| Sales in 12 months | 81 | 11 |
| Median price | $1.1M | $690K |
| Middle half sold between | $960K–$1.25M | $560K–$765K |
| Median per sq ft | $808 | $682 |
| Median size | 1,240 sq ft | 1,186 sq ft |
| Median lot | 5,346 sq ft | — |
| Sold over asking | 41% | 36% |
88% of the year’s 92 sales were houses. Among the houses, 21% of listings said single-story, 12% mentioned an ADU or in-law unit and 2% a pool; those count listing descriptions, so they undercount.
More: East Palo Alto home types by the numbers, the East Palo Alto housing market since 2012, East Palo Alto house prices by bedrooms and the best month to sell in East Palo Alto.
Getting around
- No train station in town; see homes near Caltrain for the closest stations.
- Commuting elsewhere? Relocation Lab sorts cities by distance from your employer, and homes near tech campuses maps 20 headquarters.
Bills and rules that follow the city
- County: San Mateo County, which sets the county transfer tax and collects property tax.
- Electricity: WestLight Energy, delivered by PG&E for most homes; some addresses differ. See electricity providers by city.
- Water: The City of East Palo Alto water system, run by Veolia (about 80% of connections); Palo Alto Park Mutual Water Company and O’Connor Tract Co-operative Water Company serve the rest. See water providers by city.
- Garbage, recycling and compost: Recology San Mateo County. See garbage service by city.
- Transfer tax: $2,200 on a $2 million sale (the county tax; our tables show no city tax, but some sources report one, so confirm with your escrow officer), usually split by local custom and set by the contract. See the San Mateo County transfer tax by city.
- Property tax: California’s base rate is 1% of the purchase price, plus voter-approved bonds and parcel taxes that vary by address; your first year can also bring a supplemental bill. See the supplemental bill and the property tax calculator.
- Hazard zones: look up any address on Flood & Fire Zones, and get an insurance quote early (home insurance for buyers).
- Renting it out later? Rent caps and tenant rules by city.
- School districts: district lines don’t follow city lines, so check the district’s own boundary lookup for any address.
Neighborhoods and nearby cities
- Neighborhoods: the East Palo Alto guide page, East Palo Alto neighborhoods compared and neighborhoods ranked by price per square foot.
- Any two cities side by side: the City Match-Up.
- Still choosing a city? Where to live in Silicon Valley sorts all 31 by budget, commute and home type.
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 blocks within a city can differ a lot. Past sales aren’t a forecast or the value of any one home.
Moving to East Palo Alto?
We’ll help you narrow the neighborhoods to the ones that fit your budget and commute, tour by video if you’re out of town, and set up a search that catches new listings the day they hit. Call (408) 373-1660 or (650) 383-8606, or book a call. Commissions are negotiable, and we offer bundled services, so ask us what’s included.