Blog > Saratoga vs. Los Altos: Home Prices, Sizes and the City Line (2026)
Saratoga and Los Altos sit about 10 miles apart, center to center, both in Santa Clara 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 $4.3M in Saratoga and $4.89M in Los Altos, so a typical Los Altos house cost 14% more than one in Saratoga.
- Per square foot: $1,579 in Saratoga and $1,982 in Los Altos; the median house was 2,775 sq ft in Saratoga and 2,455 sq ft in Los Altos, on a 14,336-sq-ft lot versus a 10,824-sq-ft lot.
- Competition: 59% of Saratoga houses sold over asking, against 72% in Los Altos.
- Condos and townhomes: a median of $1.43M in Saratoga (45 sales) and $1.76M in Los Altos (54 sales).
- At the city line: they match on trains, electricity and transfer tax.
See it live
- Open Saratoga vs. Los Altos 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.
| Saratoga | Los Altos | |
|---|---|---|
| Sales | 229 | 268 |
| Median price | $4.3M | $4.89M |
| Median per sq ft | $1,579 | $1,982 |
| Median size | 2,775 sq ft | 2,455 sq ft |
| Median lot | 14,336 sq ft | 10,824 sq ft |
| Median bedrooms | 4 | 4 |
| Sold over asking | 59% | 72% |
| Median sale vs. asking | 1.7% over | 5.1% over |
| Sold for $2 million or less | 1% | 0% |
| Listing says single-story | 30% | 22% |
| Listing mentions a pool | 34% | 26% |
| Listing mentions an ADU or in-law unit | 15% | 16% |
Condos and townhomes, side by side
Condos and townhomes sold in the same 12 months.
| Saratoga | Los Altos | |
|---|---|---|
| Sales | 45 | 54 |
| Median price | $1.43M | $1.76M |
| Median per sq ft | $891 | $1,261 |
| Median size | 1,511 sq ft | 1,334 sq ft |
| Sold over asking | 33% | 28% |
At the city line
Some costs and services follow the city, not the mailing address.
| Saratoga | Los Altos | |
|---|---|---|
| County | Santa Clara County | Santa Clara County |
| Caltrain | none | none |
| BART | none | none |
| VTA light rail | no | no |
| Electricity | Silicon Valley Clean Energy, delivered by PG&E | Silicon Valley Clean Energy, delivered by PG&E |
| Transfer tax on a $2 million sale | $2,200 | $2,200 |
| Eichler tracts | 1 tract on our Eichler index | 2 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
- Saratoga: Saratoga city guide, Saratoga neighborhoods compared, Saratoga home types by the numbers and the Saratoga housing market by the numbers.
- Los Altos: Los Altos city guide, Los Altos neighborhoods compared, Los Altos home types by the numbers and the Los Altos housing market by the numbers.
- More comparisons: Cupertino vs. Saratoga, Los Altos vs. Cupertino, Los Altos vs. Los Altos Hills, Los Altos vs. Mountain View, Los Altos vs. Palo Alto, Los Altos vs. Sunnyvale, Los Gatos vs. Saratoga, Campbell vs. Saratoga, Los Gatos vs. Los Altos and Saratoga vs. Los Altos Hills.
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.