Blog > Palo Alto Houses Under $3 Million: Where They Sold, Neighborhood by Neighborhood
Palo Alto Houses Under $3 Million: Where They Sold, Neighborhood by Neighborhood
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Shopping for a house in Palo Alto on a budget near $3 million? Of the 712 single-family houses that sold in the two years to October 19, 2026, by the MLS records we can read with repeat records removed, 108 (15%) sold for less than $3 million. Here is where those sales happened, inside each of our neighborhood guides, with two other price levels for context.
The short answer
- Across the city: 6% of house sales closed under $2.5M, 15% under $3M and 52% under $4M. The median house sold for $3.9M.
- Where most sold under $3M (guides with at least 8 house sales): Ventura (57%) and Charleston Meadows (52%).
- Where almost none did: Leland Manor / Garland (4%), Palo Verde (3%), Greenmeadow (0%) and Professorville (0%).
- What it bought: the houses that sold under $3M had a median of 1,179 sq ft, against 2,019 sq ft for all houses.
Neighborhood by neighborhood
Guides with at least 8 house sales, most sales under $3M first. Each cell shows how many houses sold under that price and their share of the guide’s house sales. Each name opens its guide, with live listings and the last 12 months of sales.
| Neighborhood | House sales | Median price | Under $2.5M | Under $3M | Under $4M |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ventura | 21 | $2.68M | 7 (33%) | 12 (57%) | 19 (90%) |
| Charleston Meadows | 21 | $2.91M | 4 (19%) | 11 (52%) | 21 (100%) |
| College Terrace | 22 | $2.99M | 5 (23%) | 11 (50%) | 18 (82%) |
| Downtown North | 19 | $3.02M | 4 (21%) | 9 (47%) | 16 (84%) |
| Green Acres | 13 | $4.38M | 1 (8%) | 3 (23%) | 4 (31%) |
| Fairmeadow | 14 | $3.26M | 0 (0%) | 3 (21%) | 12 (86%) |
| University South | 25 | $3.85M | 2 (8%) | 5 (20%) | 13 (52%) |
| Adobe Meadow & Meadow Park | 19 | $3.3M | 1 (5%) | 3 (16%) | 14 (74%) |
| Barron Park | 53 | $4M | 1 (2%) | 8 (15%) | 26 (49%) |
| Crescent Park | 66 | $5.54M | 5 (8%) | 8 (12%) | 17 (26%) |
| Duveneck / St. Francis | 53 | $4.28M | 2 (4%) | 6 (11%) | 24 (45%) |
| Midtown | 101 | $3.6M | 3 (3%) | 10 (10%) | 63 (62%) |
| Southgate | 11 | $4.43M | 0 (0%) | 1 (9%) | 5 (45%) |
| Old Palo Alto | 77 | $6.85M | 1 (1%) | 6 (8%) | 17 (22%) |
| Community Center | 31 | $5.25M | 1 (3%) | 2 (6%) | 7 (23%) |
| Leland Manor / Garland | 26 | $4.51M | 0 (0%) | 1 (4%) | 9 (35%) |
| Palo Verde | 29 | $3.75M | 0 (0%) | 1 (3%) | 21 (72%) |
| Greenmeadow | 21 | $3.75M | 0 (0%) | 0 (0%) | 17 (81%) |
| Professorville | 11 | $4.92M | 0 (0%) | 0 (0%) | 2 (18%) |
Fewer than 8 house sales, so not ranked: Charleston Gardens (7 sales, 0 under $3M), Evergreen Park (7 sales, 1 under $3M) and Triple El (1 sale, 0 under $3M).
Reading it right
- These are sale prices, not list prices. Many Palo Alto houses sell over asking, so a house listed under your budget can close above it.
- Houses only. Condos and townhomes, which sell for less, have their own post.
- The houses differ. Under-budget sales are often smaller (see the size comparison above), and a neighborhood’s mix of sizes and lots drives its numbers.
- Small samples swing. Every cell shows its count.
- Past sales aren’t a forecast of what you’ll find next month.
- Some guides overlap, and a sale inside two outlines counts in both.
How we counted
Closed sales of single-family houses reported to the MLS, read through the IDX feeds that power our home search, with one record per MLS number and only sales with a recorded living area and a map position, placed inside each guide’s outline. A sale counts as under a price if it closed below it.
Go deeper
The Budget Lab shows what your budget bought in up to three cities, and the Price Ladder shows where Palo Alto’s entry price and top end sit. For the top end, see where Palo Alto houses sold for $5 million or more. For Palo Alto, see house prices by bedrooms, 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.
Common questions
Where can I find a house under $3 million in Palo Alto?
In the two years to October 19, 2026, 108 of 712 house sales (15%) closed under $3M. The most were in Ventura (12), Charleston Meadows (11) and College Terrace (11).
What are the most affordable Palo Alto neighborhoods for houses?
By median house price over the same two years, among guides with at least 8 house sales: Ventura ($2.68M), Charleston Meadows ($2.91M) and College Terrace ($2.99M).
How big is a house under $3 million in Palo Alto?
Houses that sold under $3M had a median of 1,179 sq ft, against 2,019 sq ft for all Palo Alto houses.
The Palo Alto data series: housing market by the numbers · neighborhoods ranked by price per sq ft · where homes sell over asking · ten years of prices by neighborhood · condos and townhomes · house prices by bedrooms · houses at $5M and up · the best month to sell · our sales map
Shopping on a budget in Palo Alto?
A Property Nerd will set up alerts for houses near your price, pull the recent sales in the neighborhoods that fit, and tell you how far over asking homes like the one you want have been selling. 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.