Blog > San Bruno vs. Millbrae: Home Prices, Sizes and the City Line (2026)
San Bruno and Millbrae sit about 2.6 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 $1.46M in San Bruno and $2.33M in Millbrae, so a typical Millbrae house cost 60% more than one in San Bruno.
- Per square foot: $999 in San Bruno and $1,228 in Millbrae; the median house was 1,430 sq ft in San Bruno and 1,950 sq ft in Millbrae, on a 5,105-sq-ft lot versus a 6,710-sq-ft lot.
- Competition: 77% of San Bruno houses sold over asking, against 75% in Millbrae.
- Condos and townhomes: a median of $448K in San Bruno (66 sales) and $865K in Millbrae (39 sales).
- At the city line: they match on trains, electricity and transfer tax.
See it live
- Open San Bruno vs. Millbrae 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.
| San Bruno | Millbrae | |
|---|---|---|
| Sales | 176 | 107 |
| Median price | $1.46M | $2.33M |
| Median per sq ft | $999 | $1,228 |
| Median size | 1,430 sq ft | 1,950 sq ft |
| Median lot | 5,105 sq ft | 6,710 sq ft |
| Median bedrooms | 3 | 3 |
| Sold over asking | 77% | 75% |
| Median sale vs. asking | 6.6% over | 9.4% over |
| Sold for $2 million or less | 96% | 30% |
| Listing says single-story | 9% | 9% |
| Listing mentions a pool | 1% | 7% |
| Listing mentions an ADU or in-law unit | 6% | 7% |
Condos and townhomes, side by side
Condos and townhomes sold in the same 12 months.
| San Bruno | Millbrae | |
|---|---|---|
| Sales | 66 | 39 |
| Median price | $448K | $865K |
| Median per sq ft | $691 | $719 |
| Median size | 680 sq ft | 1,241 sq ft |
| Sold over asking | 30% | 41% |
At the city line
Some costs and services follow the city, not the mailing address.
| San Bruno | Millbrae | |
|---|---|---|
| County | San Mateo County | San Mateo County |
| Caltrain | San Bruno | Millbrae |
| BART | San Bruno | Millbrae |
| 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 | none on our index | none on our 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
- San Bruno: San Bruno guide page, San Bruno neighborhoods compared, San Bruno home types by the numbers and the San Bruno housing market by the numbers.
- Millbrae: Millbrae guide page, Millbrae neighborhoods compared, Millbrae home types by the numbers and the Millbrae housing market by the numbers.
- More comparisons: Burlingame vs. Millbrae, Daly City vs. San Bruno and South San Francisco vs. San Bruno.
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.