Blog > Peninsula Home Appreciation by City: What the Same Houses Resold For (2026)
Peninsula Home Appreciation by City: What the Same Houses Resold For (2026)
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How much have Peninsula homes really appreciated? We matched 1,485 houses that sold in the last 24 months in nine San Mateo County cities to their previous sale since 2012. 1,099 were about the same size both times. The typical one gained from 2.6% a year in Daly City to 4.8% a year in Burlingame, and 62 of the 1,099 (6%) sold for less than their owners paid.
The short answer
- Burlingame: 4.8% a year, +38% over a median 6.3 years (77 houses).
- Belmont: 4.6% a year, +42% over a median 7.6 years (72 houses).
- San Carlos: 4.5% a year, +38% over a median 7.2 years (105 houses).
- Redwood City: 4.3% a year, +29% over a median 6.7 years (263 houses).
- San Mateo: 4.2% a year, +29% over a median 6.5 years (243 houses).
- Menlo Park: 4% a year, +27% over a median 6.6 years (131 houses).
- San Bruno: 3.9% a year, +23% over a median 6.0 years (65 houses).
- South San Francisco: 3.5% a year, +19% over a median 6.4 years (56 houses).
- Daly City: 2.6% a year, +14% over a median 4.9 years (87 houses).
Tap the graphic to open it full size.
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Nine cities compared
| City | Same-size resales | Median gain | Per year | Years held | Sold for less | Came back bigger: gain |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Burlingame | 77 | +38% | 4.8% | 6.3 | 3 | +138% |
| Belmont | 72 | +42% | 4.6% | 7.6 | 5 | +139% |
| San Carlos | 105 | +38% | 4.5% | 7.2 | 2 | +111% |
| Redwood City | 263 | +29% | 4.3% | 6.7 | 12 | +130% |
| San Mateo | 243 | +29% | 4.2% | 6.5 | 14 | +80% |
| Menlo Park | 131 | +27% | 4% | 6.6 | 4 | +127% |
| San Bruno | 65 | +23% | 3.9% | 6.0 | 4 | too few (7) |
| South San Francisco | 56 | +19% | 3.5% | 6.4 | 8 | too few (7) |
| Daly City | 87 | +14% | 2.6% | 4.9 | 10 | +41% |
By the year the seller bought
Median gain on same-size resales; a dash means fewer than 8 houses. This is the fairer way to compare cities, because a city whose resales were mostly recent purchases will show a smaller overall gain.
| City | 2012–2013 | 2014–2016 | 2017–2019 | 2020–2022 | 2023–2024 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| San Mateo | +127% | +59% | +29% | +19% | +12% |
| Redwood City | +146% | +69% | +29% | +16% | +16% |
| Daly City | — | +68% | +22% | +6% | +9% |
| Menlo Park | +117% | +60% | +31% | +15% | +10% |
| San Carlos | — | +71% | +30% | +27% | +9% |
| South San Francisco | — | +63% | +27% | +7% | — |
| San Bruno | — | +65% | +28% | +10% | — |
| Burlingame | +91% | +81% | +38% | +14% | +15% |
| Belmont | — | +70% | +36% | +17% | — |
Reading it right
- These are prices, not profits: selling costs, remodels and carrying costs come out.
- Not adjusted for inflation.
- Same size isn’t same condition; many owners remodel inside the footprint.
- Owners who would sell at a loss often wait, so resales lean toward gains.
- Older purchases are under-counted in Daly City, South San Francisco and San Bruno: 45%, 25% and 16% of their house sales since 2021 came through MLSs other than the one behind almost all of our 2012–2019 records, so fewer older purchases can be matched there and their overall medians lean toward recent buyers. They are also the three lowest in the comparison above, so compare them by purchase year.
Each city in detail
- San Mateo home appreciation: what the same houses resold for
- Redwood City home appreciation: what the same houses resold for
- Daly City home appreciation: what the same houses resold for
- Menlo Park home appreciation: what the same houses resold for
- San Carlos home appreciation: what the same houses resold for
- South San Francisco home appreciation: what the same houses resold for
- San Bruno home appreciation: what the same houses resold for
- Burlingame home appreciation: what the same houses resold for
- Belmont home appreciation: what the same houses resold for
Houses that came back bigger
Resales with at least 25% more living area than at the earlier sale: additions, second stories and rebuilds. The gain includes the cost of the work, which these sales don’t show. Cities with fewer than 8 such houses are marked.
| City | Houses | Living area, before → after | Median gain |
|---|---|---|---|
| San Mateo | 41 | 1,180 → 1,880 sq ft | +80% |
| Redwood City | 49 | 1,140 → 2,470 sq ft | +130% |
| Daly City | 17 | 1,180 → 1,880 sq ft | +41% |
| Menlo Park | 36 | 1,660 → 3,480 sq ft | +127% |
| San Carlos | 29 | 1,230 → 2,460 sq ft | +111% |
| South San Francisco | 7 | too few | too few |
| San Bruno | 7 | too few | too few |
| Burlingame | 20 | 1,360 → 3,060 sq ft | +138% |
| Belmont | 12 | 1,300 → 2,480 sq ft | +139% |
The last year, by the median
The median house in the last 12 months against the 12 months before. Medians also move with which houses sold, so this is a rougher measure than repeat sales.
| City | The 12 months before | Last 12 months | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| San Mateo | $2.07M | $2.23M | +7.7% |
| Redwood City | $2.2M | $2.36M | +7.2% |
| Daly City | $1.25M | $1.26M | +0.8% |
| Menlo Park | $3.3M | $3.6M | +9.1% |
| San Carlos | $2.6M | $2.75M | +5.8% |
| South San Francisco | $1.26M | $1.31M | +4.4% |
| San Bruno | $1.45M | $1.48M | +2.1% |
| Burlingame | $3M | $3.21M | +7% |
| Belmont | $2.42M | $2.35M | −2.7% |
Questions we get
Which Peninsula city appreciated the most?
By repeat sales of same-size houses, Burlingame: a median 4.8% a year. Daly City was lowest of the nine, at 2.6%, but it is one of the cities where older purchases are under-counted, so its overall figure leans toward recent buyers.
How often do Peninsula homes sell for less than the owner paid?
62 of 1,099 same-size resales in these nine cities over the last 24 months (6%). The share ran from 2% in San Carlos to 14% in South San Francisco.
How long do owners keep a house before reselling?
Among these resales, a median of 4.9 years in Daly City to 7.6 in Belmont. Longtime owners who haven’t sold aren’t counted.
How we counted
House sales in the last 24 months (October 28, 2024 to October 27, 2026) matched to the previous sale by address (number, street, unit), the earlier sale in 2012 or later and at least a year before; both closed sales reported to the MLS and read through the IDX feeds that power our home search, one record per sale with a usable living area and map position, the same rules as our city price posts. Houses are MLS property type “single family home”; condos include townhomes. Same size: living area within 5%; came back bigger: at least 25% more. Purchase-year groups and the bigger-house figures need at least 8 houses. Past sales aren’t a forecast or the value of any one home, and nothing here is financial, tax or legal advice. Run your own with the home appreciation calculator.
Talk to a Property Nerd
We’re the Property Nerds at Compass, recognized as NextGenAgents by a national real estate portal. We’ll pull the sales that matter for your home and your plans, and walk you through what they mean. 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.