Blog > Palo Alto Home Prices by Neighborhood: Ten Years of Change
How much have Palo Alto house prices changed in ten years? We compared the single-family houses that sold in the two years to October 19, 2016 (665 sales) with those that sold in the two years to October 19, 2026 (712 sales), using the MLS records we can read with repeat records removed. Across the city, the median price per square foot went from $1,441 to $2,057, up 43%, and the median house sold for $2.61M then and $3.9M now. Prices are as recorded, not adjusted for inflation.
The short answer
- Biggest change in median price per square foot: Greenmeadow ($1,292 to $2,094, +62%), Community Center ($1,431 to $2,290, +60%) and Charleston Meadows ($1,208 to $1,892, +57%).
- Smallest: Old Palo Alto ($1,726 to $2,166, +26%) and Southgate ($1,585 to $1,856, +17%).
- 19 of the 22 guides had at least 8 house sales in both periods, enough to compare here.
- It’s not the same houses. These are the houses that happened to sell in each period, so rebuilds, remodels and new construction push a neighborhood’s number up.
Neighborhood by neighborhood
Single-family houses only, biggest change first. “Then” is the two years to Oct. 19, 2016; “now” is the two years to Oct. 19, 2026. Each name opens its guide, with live listings and the last 12 months of sales.
| # | Neighborhood | Then: sales | Then: $/sq ft | Now: sales | Now: $/sq ft | Change | Median price, then → now |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Greenmeadow | 19 | $1,292 | 21 | $2,094 | +62% | $2.34M → $3.75M |
| 2 | Community Center | 17 | $1,431 | 31 | $2,290 | +60% | $3.6M → $5.25M |
| 3 | Charleston Meadows | 27 | $1,208 | 21 | $1,892 | +57% | $2.2M → $2.91M |
| 4 | Midtown | 113 | $1,419 | 101 | $2,189 | +54% | $2.46M → $3.6M |
| 5 | Adobe Meadow & Meadow Park | 11 | $1,281 | 19 | $1,953 | +52% | $2.15M → $3.3M |
| 6 | Barron Park | 49 | $1,315 | 53 | $1,957 | +49% | $2.52M → $4M |
| 7 | University South | 22 | $1,376 | 25 | $2,046 | +49% | $2.85M → $3.85M |
| 8 | Ventura | 20 | $1,258 | 21 | $1,867 | +48% | $1.83M → $2.68M |
| 9 | Professorville | 8 | $1,454 | 11 | $2,143 | +47% | $5.38M → $4.92M |
| 10 | Leland Manor / Garland | 15 | $1,486 | 26 | $2,169 | +46% | $2.9M → $4.51M |
| 11 | Duveneck / St. Francis | 56 | $1,470 | 53 | $2,113 | +44% | $2.79M → $4.28M |
| 12 | Palo Verde | 38 | $1,327 | 29 | $1,859 | +40% | $2.39M → $3.75M |
| 13 | Crescent Park | 63 | $1,589 | 66 | $2,165 | +36% | $3.79M → $5.54M |
| 14 | Downtown North | 18 | $1,501 | 19 | $2,000 | +33% | $2.8M → $3.02M |
| 15 | Green Acres | 8 | $1,408 | 13 | $1,811 | +29% | $2.67M → $4.38M |
| 16 | Fairmeadow | 15 | $1,545 | 14 | $1,969 | +27% | $2.13M → $3.26M |
| 17 | College Terrace | 25 | $1,602 | 22 | $2,011 | +26% | $2.5M → $2.99M |
| 18 | Old Palo Alto | 69 | $1,726 | 77 | $2,166 | +26% | $4.15M → $6.85M |
| 19 | Southgate | 12 | $1,585 | 11 | $1,856 | +17% | $2.75M → $4.43M |
Fewer than 8 house sales in one of the periods, so not compared: Charleston Gardens (3 then, 7 now), Evergreen Park (5 then, 7 now) and Triple El (2 then, 1 now).
Reading it right
- These are different houses in each period. A neighborhood where many older houses were rebuilt or expanded will show a bigger jump than one where the same kinds of houses keep trading.
- Not adjusted for inflation. Prices are the recorded sale prices.
- Price per square foot moves with size, and bigger houses often sell for less per foot, so a change in the mix of sizes moves the number too.
- Small samples swing. Every row shows its sale counts.
- Past change isn’t a forecast, and a bigger rise doesn’t mean one neighborhood is a better choice than another.
- Some guides overlap, and a sale inside two outlines counts in both.
Go deeper
The Home Price History charts city-wide prices since 2012, and the Then & Now Calculator shows what a past purchase price would be today if it had moved with the city’s median price per square foot. For the current picture by neighborhood, see Palo Alto neighborhoods ranked by price per square foot and where homes sell over asking; the Palo Alto city guide links every guide. Our sales map shows the homes we’ve sold there. Condos and townhomes have their own post: Palo Alto condo and townhome prices.
The Palo Alto data series: housing market by the numbers · neighborhoods ranked by price per sq ft · where homes sell over asking · condos and townhomes · house prices by bedrooms · houses under $3M · houses at $5M and up · the best month to sell · our sales map
Selling in Palo Alto?
A Property Nerd will pull the closest recent sales to your home, including houses like yours that sold years ago and again recently, and walk you through what they say about price. 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.