Blog > Silicon Valley and Peninsula Cities at a Glance: Trains, Power, Transfer Tax and Eichlers
Silicon Valley and Peninsula Cities at a Glance: Trains, Power, Transfer Tax and Eichlers
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Thirty-two cities, from San Francisco to Gilroy, in one place: which have Caltrain, BART or VTA light rail stations, who supplies the electricity, what the city adds to the transfer tax, and how many Eichler tracts our indexes list. These are the same facts that power our City Match-Up, which adds live market numbers for any two cities side by side.
How to read it
- Transfer tax is the total on a $2 million sale: the county’s $1.10 per $1,000 plus any city tax. San Francisco runs its own rates instead. See our transfer tax guide for how each city’s tax works.
- Electricity is the default provider for most homes; some addresses differ. See who supplies electricity in each city.
- Eichler tracts counts what our Silicon Valley and Peninsula and San Francisco indexes list. A few unincorporated neighborhoods, such as Ladera and the San Mateo Highlands, are counted under the nearest city.
- Each city name opens the City Match-Up.
Santa Clara County
Most Santa Clara County cities get default power from Silicon Valley Clean Energy, delivered by PG&E. The exceptions are Palo Alto and Santa Clara, which run their own utilities, and San Jose, whose program is San Jose Clean Energy.
| City | Caltrain | BART | VTA light rail | Default electricity | Transfer tax, $2M sale | Eichler tracts on our index |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Campbell | — | — | yes | Silicon Valley Clean Energy | $2,200 | — |
| Cupertino | — | — | — | Silicon Valley Clean Energy | $2,200 | 1 |
| Gilroy | Gilroy (weekday commute hours) | — | — | Silicon Valley Clean Energy | $2,200 | — |
| Los Altos | — | — | — | Silicon Valley Clean Energy | $2,200 | 2 |
| Los Altos Hills | — | — | — | Silicon Valley Clean Energy | $2,200 | — |
| Los Gatos | — | — | — | Silicon Valley Clean Energy | $2,200 | — |
| Milpitas | — | Milpitas | yes | Silicon Valley Clean Energy | $2,200 | — |
| Monte Sereno | — | — | — | Silicon Valley Clean Energy | $2,200 | 1 |
| Morgan Hill | Morgan Hill (weekday commute hours) | — | — | Silicon Valley Clean Energy | $2,200 | — |
| Mountain View | San Antonio, Mountain View | — | yes | Silicon Valley Clean Energy | $8,800 | 2 |
| Palo Alto | Palo Alto, California Ave | — | — | City of Palo Alto Utilities | $8,800 | 29 |
| San Jose | San Jose Diridon, College Park, Tamien, Capitol, Blossom Hill | Berryessa/North San Jose | yes | San Jose Clean Energy | $8,800 | 5 |
| Santa Clara | Santa Clara | — | yes | Silicon Valley Power (city-owned) | $2,200 | 1 |
| Saratoga | — | — | — | Silicon Valley Clean Energy | $2,200 | 1 |
| Sunnyvale | Sunnyvale, Lawrence | — | yes | Silicon Valley Clean Energy | $2,200 | 10 |
San Mateo County
Every San Mateo County city here gets default power from WestLight Energy (formerly Peninsula Clean Energy), delivered by PG&E. None has VTA light rail, which runs only in Santa Clara County.
| City | Caltrain | BART | VTA light rail | Transfer tax, $2M sale | Eichler tracts on our index |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Atherton | — | — | — | $2,200 | 1 |
| Belmont | Belmont | — | — | $2,200 | — |
| Burlingame | Burlingame, Broadway (weekends) | — | — | $2,200 | 1 |
| Daly City | — | Daly City | — | $2,200 | — |
| East Palo Alto | — | — | — | $2,200* | — |
| Foster City | — | — | — | $2,200 | 1 |
| Hillsborough | — | — | — | $2,800 | — |
| Menlo Park | Menlo Park | — | — | $2,200 | 3 |
| Millbrae | Millbrae | Millbrae | — | $2,200 | — |
| Portola Valley | — | — | — | $2,200 | 1 |
| Redwood City | Redwood City | — | — | $2,200 | 2 |
| San Bruno | San Bruno | San Bruno | — | $2,200 | — |
| San Carlos | San Carlos | — | — | $2,200 | — |
| San Mateo | San Mateo, Hayward Park, Hillsdale | — | — | $12,200 | 2 |
| South San Francisco | South San Francisco | South San Francisco | — | $2,200 | — |
| Woodside | — | — | — | $2,200 | — |
* East Palo Alto shows no city transfer tax in county and title-company tables, but some sources report one, so confirm with your escrow officer.
San Francisco
San Francisco has two Caltrain stations, San Francisco and 22nd Street, plus eight BART stations, and CleanPowerSF as the default electricity provider, delivered by PG&E, with some addresses on SFPUC power. Its transfer tax on a $2 million sale is $15,000, with no separate county tax, and two transfer-tax measures are on the November 3, 2026 ballot. Our Peninsula and San Francisco index lists 4 San Francisco Eichler projects; see Eichler in San Francisco.
Go deeper
Our city-versus-city posts walk through the popular pairs: Palo Alto vs. Mountain View, Mountain View vs. Sunnyvale, Cupertino vs. Sunnyvale, Santa Clara vs. Sunnyvale, San Jose vs. Santa Clara, Los Gatos vs. Saratoga, Campbell vs. Los Gatos, Los Altos vs. Palo Alto, Los Altos vs. Los Altos Hills, Menlo Park vs. Palo Alto, San Mateo vs. Burlingame and San Carlos vs. Belmont. For homes near a station, see Caltrain, BART and VTA light rail.
For sale prices, price per square foot and months of supply in all 32 cities, see Silicon Valley Home Prices by City: October 2026.
Narrowing down where to live? Call the Boyenga Team at (408) 373-1660 or (650) 383-8606. Commissions are negotiable, and we offer bundled services, so ask us what’s included.