Blog > South San Francisco vs. San Bruno: Home Prices, Sizes and the City Line (2026)
South San Francisco vs. San Bruno: Home Prices, Sizes and the City Line (2026)
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South San Francisco and San Bruno sit about 1.7 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 $1.3M in South San Francisco and $1.46M in San Bruno, so a typical San Bruno house cost 12% more than one in South San Francisco.
- Per square foot: $899 in South San Francisco and $999 in San Bruno; the median house was 1,500 sq ft in South San Francisco and 1,430 sq ft in San Bruno, on a 4,770-sq-ft lot versus a 5,105-sq-ft lot.
- Competition: 82% of South San Francisco houses sold over asking, against 77% in San Bruno.
- Condos and townhomes: a median of $780K in South San Francisco (67 sales) and $448K in San Bruno (66 sales).
- At the city line: they match on trains, electricity and transfer tax.
See it live
- Open South San Francisco vs. San Bruno 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.
| South San Francisco | San Bruno | |
|---|---|---|
| Sales | 226 | 176 |
| Median price | $1.3M | $1.46M |
| Median per sq ft | $899 | $999 |
| Median size | 1,500 sq ft | 1,430 sq ft |
| Median lot | 4,770 sq ft | 5,105 sq ft |
| Median bedrooms | 3 | 3 |
| Sold over asking | 82% | 77% |
| Median sale vs. asking | 8.5% over | 6.6% over |
| Sold for $2 million or less | 98% | 96% |
| Listing says single-story | 5% | 9% |
| Listing mentions a pool | 3% | 1% |
| Listing mentions an ADU or in-law unit | 5% | 6% |
Condos and townhomes, side by side
Condos and townhomes sold in the same 12 months.
| South San Francisco | San Bruno | |
|---|---|---|
| Sales | 67 | 66 |
| Median price | $780K | $448K |
| Median per sq ft | $753 | $691 |
| Median size | 1,040 sq ft | 680 sq ft |
| Sold over asking | 58% | 30% |
At the city line
Some costs and services follow the city, not the mailing address.
| South San Francisco | San Bruno | |
|---|---|---|
| County | San Mateo County | San Mateo County |
| Caltrain | South San Francisco | San Bruno |
| BART | South San Francisco | San Bruno |
| 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
- South San Francisco: South San Francisco guide page, South San Francisco neighborhoods compared, South San Francisco home types by the numbers and the South San Francisco housing market by the numbers.
- 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.
- More comparisons: Daly City vs. San Bruno, Daly City vs. South San Francisco and San Bruno vs. Millbrae.
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.