Blog > What It Costs to Own a Home in Silicon Valley, City by City (2026)
What does it cost each month to own a home in Silicon Valley? We took the median house and the median condo or townhome sold in the last 12 months in seven cities, and ran each with 20% down at 7.24%, Freddie Mac’s 30-year average for the week of October 29, 2026, plus each city’s own property tax rate. The median house runs from about $12,660 a month in Santa Clara to $31,420 in Los Altos.
The short answer
- Los Altos: median house $4.9M, about $31,420 a month; median condo or townhome $1.77M, about $11,340.
- Saratoga: median house $4.28M, about $27,430 a month; median condo or townhome $1.43M, about $9,120.
- Palo Alto: median house $4M, about $25,810 a month; median condo or townhome $1.5M, about $9,670.
- Cupertino: median house $3.33M, about $21,410 a month; median condo or townhome $1.26M, about $8,080.
- Los Gatos: median house $2.67M, about $17,100 a month; median condo or townhome $1.45M, about $9,300.
- Sunnyvale: median house $2.63M, about $16,900 a month; median condo or townhome $1.35M, about $8,670.
- Santa Clara: median house $1.97M, about $12,660 a month; median condo or townhome $883K, about $5,680.
Tap the graphic to open it full size.
Buying or selling in Silicon Valley?
- What’s my home worth? Ask for the recent sales on your street.
- Selling with the Property Nerds: pricing, prep and what’s selling now.
- Talk to a Property Nerd about your plans.
Seven cities compared
| City | Median house | 20% down | Per month | Median condo or townhome | Per month | Houses under the conforming line |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Los Altos | $4.9M | $980,000 | $31,420 | $1.77M | $11,340 | none |
| Saratoga | $4.28M | $856,000 | $27,430 | $1.43M | $9,120 | none |
| Palo Alto | $4M | $800,000 | $25,810 | $1.5M | $9,670 | 1% |
| Cupertino | $3.33M | $667,000 | $21,410 | $1.26M | $8,080 | 1% |
| Los Gatos | $2.67M | $534,000 | $17,100 | $1.45M | $9,300 | 16% |
| Sunnyvale | $2.63M | $526,000 | $16,900 | $1.35M | $8,670 | 9% |
| Santa Clara | $1.97M | $394,000 | $12,660 | $883K | $5,680 | 15% |
What drives the difference
Price, almost entirely. The cities’ property tax rates run from about 1.15% to 1.20%, which moves a $3M home’s bill by roughly $125 a month. The loan is the rest: at 7.24%, each $1M borrowed costs about $6,810 a month in principal and interest. And with the 2026 conforming limit at $1,249,125, nearly every house purchase in these cities with 20% down needs a jumbo loan (FHFA).
What isn’t in these numbers
- Homeowners insurance.
- HOA dues on condos and townhomes.
- Parcel taxes and fixed charges, which vary by address.
- The supplemental tax bill after you buy.
- Maintenance, and mortgage insurance below 20% down.
Each city in detail
- What it costs to own a home in Los Altos
- What it costs to own a home in Palo Alto
- What it costs to own a home in Sunnyvale
- What it costs to own a home in Cupertino
- What it costs to own a home in Santa Clara
- What it costs to own a home in Los Gatos
- What it costs to own a home in Saratoga
The median house at other rates
20% down, mortgage and property tax per month.
| City | 6.24% | 7.24% (this week) | 8.24% |
|---|---|---|---|
| Santa Clara | $11,620 | $12,660 | $13,750 |
| Sunnyvale | $15,500 | $16,900 | $18,360 |
| Los Gatos | $15,680 | $17,100 | $18,570 |
| Cupertino | $19,640 | $21,410 | $23,250 |
| Palo Alto | $23,680 | $25,810 | $28,020 |
| Saratoga | $25,160 | $27,430 | $29,800 |
| Los Altos | $28,810 | $31,420 | $34,120 |
The entry point in each city
A quarter of each city’s sales in the last 12 months were at or below these prices. 20% down, 7.24%, tax included.
| City | Entry-level house | Per month | Entry-level condo or townhome | Per month |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Santa Clara | $1.68M | $10,810 | $657K | $4,220 |
| Sunnyvale | $2.05M | $13,170 | $950K | $6,100 |
| Los Gatos | $1.97M | $12,610 | $876K | $5,610 |
| Cupertino | $2.95M | $18,940 | $1.08M | $6,920 |
| Palo Alto | $3.2M | $20,640 | $1.2M | $7,720 |
| Saratoga | $3.45M | $22,100 | $1.04M | $6,690 |
| Los Altos | $4.19M | $26,850 | $1.26M | $8,070 |
Questions we get
Which Silicon Valley city costs the least to own in?
Of these seven, Santa Clara: the median house ($1.97M) runs about $12,660 a month with 20% down at 7.24%, tax included.
How much is a 20% down payment on a Silicon Valley house?
At each city’s median, from $394,000 in Santa Clara to $980,000 in Los Altos, plus closing costs.
Do property tax rates differ by city?
A little: typical 2025–26 rates run from 1.1459% in Los Gatos to 1.20135% in Palo Alto. See property tax rates by city.
How we counted
Medians of 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. The window is the last 12 months (October 28, 2025 to October 27, 2026). Payments: 20% down, 30-year fixed at 7.24% (Freddie Mac PMMS, week of October 29, 2026; a national conforming average, so jumbo rates can differ). Property tax: each city’s typical 2025–26 rate from the county’s rate book, after the homeowners’ exemption (see property tax rates by city). Past sales aren’t a forecast or the value of any one home, and nothing here is financial, tax or legal advice.
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.