Blog > Redwood City vs. Menlo Park: Home Prices, Sizes and the City Line (2026)
Redwood City vs. Menlo Park: Home Prices, Sizes and the City Line (2026)
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Redwood City and Menlo Park sit about 4 miles apart, center to center, both in San Mateo County. Here’s how they compare on what houses, condos and townhomes sold for in the 12 months to October 27, 2026, and on the things that change at the city line: trains, electricity and transfer tax.
The short answer
- Houses: the median sale was $2.3M in Redwood City and $3.6M in Menlo Park, so a typical Menlo Park house cost 56% more than one in Redwood City.
- Per square foot: $1,286 in Redwood City and $1,733 in Menlo Park; the median house was 1,760 sq ft in Redwood City and 2,139 sq ft in Menlo Park, on the same median lot, 6,500 sq ft.
- Competition: 70% of Redwood City houses sold over asking, against 59% in Menlo Park.
- Condos and townhomes: a median of $1.13M in Redwood City (110 sales) and $1.75M in Menlo Park (84 sales).
- At the city line: they match on trains, electricity and transfer tax.
See it live
- Open Redwood City vs. Menlo Park in the City Match-Up: homes for sale now and the last 90 days of sales, side by side.
- Talk to a Property Nerd about the streets that fit in either city.
Houses, side by side
Houses (MLS property type “single family home”) sold in the 12 months to October 27, 2026. The last three rows count listings whose description says so, so they undercount.
| Redwood City | Menlo Park | |
|---|---|---|
| Sales | 499 | 278 |
| Median price | $2.3M | $3.6M |
| Median per sq ft | $1,286 | $1,733 |
| Median size | 1,760 sq ft | 2,139 sq ft |
| Median lot | 6,500 sq ft | 6,500 sq ft |
| Median bedrooms | 3 | 4 |
| Sold over asking | 70% | 59% |
| Median sale vs. asking | 4.1% over | 2.4% over |
| Sold for $2 million or less | 37% | 16% |
| Listing says single-story | 14% | 12% |
| Listing mentions a pool | 11% | 8% |
| Listing mentions an ADU or in-law unit | 9% | 14% |
Condos and townhomes, side by side
Condos and townhomes sold in the same 12 months.
| Redwood City | Menlo Park | |
|---|---|---|
| Sales | 110 | 84 |
| Median price | $1.13M | $1.75M |
| Median per sq ft | $796 | $987 |
| Median size | 1,400 sq ft | 1,714 sq ft |
| Sold over asking | 23% | 36% |
At the city line
Some costs and services follow the city, not the mailing address.
| Redwood City | Menlo Park | |
|---|---|---|
| County | San Mateo County | San Mateo County |
| Caltrain | Redwood City | Menlo Park |
| BART | none | none |
| VTA light rail | no | no |
| Electricity | WestLight Energy, delivered by PG&E | WestLight Energy, delivered by PG&E |
| Transfer tax on a $2 million sale | $2,200 | $2,200 |
| Eichler tracts | 2 tracts on our Eichler index | 3 tracts on our Eichler index |
Electricity is the default provider for most homes; some addresses differ. Transfer tax is the county tax plus any city tax, by the rates on our calculators page; who pays it is set in the contract. School district lines don’t follow city lines, so check the district’s own boundary lookup for any address.
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 cities are averages: blocks within each can differ a lot. Past sales aren’t a forecast or the value of any one home.
Go deeper
- Redwood City: Redwood City city guide, Redwood City neighborhoods compared, Redwood City home types by the numbers and the Redwood City housing market by the numbers.
- Menlo Park: Menlo Park city guide, Menlo Park neighborhoods compared, Menlo Park home types by the numbers and the Menlo Park housing market by the numbers.
- More comparisons: Menlo Park vs. Atherton, Menlo Park vs. Palo Alto, Redwood City vs. San Carlos and San Mateo vs. Redwood City.
Weighing the two?
We’ll compare the homes and streets you’re actually considering, on both sides of the line, and set up a search that catches new listings the day they hit. 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.