learnlive from the mls180 days of salesboyenga team at compass
Every neighborhood, ranked by price per square foot
Pick a city and each of our neighborhood guides gets a number: the median price per square foot of the homes that sold inside its outline over the last 180 days, live from the MLS, ranked from the top, with the sales behind every figure.
- neighborhoods ranked…with 5+ sales
- sales placed…last 180 days
- top median $ per sq ft…
- city median $ per sq ft…all sales mapped
the ranking
Neighborhoods in Palo Alto, by median price per square foot
Each row is one of our neighborhood guides. The bar is its median price per square foot, and the orange tick marks the city-wide median. Only neighborhoods with at least 5 sales in this filter are ranked; the rest are listed underneath.
Sales are placed by their map position inside the outline drawn for each guide. The outlines are our own and approximate, and neighboring outlines can overlap, so a sale near a shared street can count for both. Price per square foot is sale price ÷ living area, as listed.
the map
The same neighborhoods, on the map
The same outlines, shaded in five steps by median price per square foot. Light gray outlines have too few sales to rank. Select a neighborhood to open its guide.
Shades are set within the city and filter you picked, so the same shade means different dollars in different cities. Areas outside our guides are left blank.
your budget
Where your budget has bought in Palo Alto
Enter a price and, if you like, the fewest bedrooms you need. Each neighborhood shows how many of its sales over the last 180 days closed at or under that price, so you can see where a budget like yours has gone furthest. The home-type buttons at the top apply here too.
This shows what sold, not what you would pay today: prices move, and every home differs. Neighborhoods need 5 or more sales in this filter to get a share. Sales without a bedroom count are left out when you pick a minimum. “For sale now” counts homes listed today at or under your price.
the nerd check
Read a neighborhood ranking like a Property Nerd
If you’re buying
- Rank, then visitA higher price per foot can mean newer homes, bigger lots, views or a walkable center; a lower one can mean bigger homes or more work needed. Each neighborhood guide explains what drives it.
- Compare like with likeSwitch to Houses or Condos and townhomes: mixing them can move a neighborhood several places.
- Watch the sample sizeA neighborhood with 5 sales can jump around from one month to the next. The count sits under every name.
- Look one notch downThe neighborhood just below your first choice may have similar homes for less per foot. Each guide lists the neighborhoods next door.
If you’re selling
- Know your neighborhood’s numberIt’s a first read on price per foot, before your home’s size, condition and lot are counted.
- Price against the street, not the rankingA neighborhood median mixes every home that sold; the closest comparable sales still set your price. The Price per Sq Ft Map shows them sale by sale.
- Mind the seasonBest Month to Sell shows when bidding has run hottest in your city since 2012.
- Show buyers what the number leaves outA bigger lot, a remodel or a view can earn more per foot than the neighborhood median; make it easy for buyers to see.
A neighborhood ranking is a summary of recent sales, not a verdict on a neighborhood. The median per foot moves with the mix of homes that happened to sell, so read it with the sample size and the guide, and ask us for the specific sales behind it.
questions
Questions we hear
Where do the numbers come from?
Homes sold in the city over the last 180 days, from the MLS through our IDX feeds, read live each time the page loads, then placed into our neighborhood guides by map position. Repeat records are removed; houses, condos and townhomes are included.
How are the neighborhood outlines drawn?
Each outline is the one drawn for our neighborhood guide, from its research or the neighborhood boundary our listing search uses. They’re approximate, and some overlap where neighborhoods share a street.
Why isn’t my neighborhood ranked?
It had fewer than 5 sales in this filter over the last 180 days. Small neighborhoods may only qualify with All homes selected; they’re still listed under the ranking.
Can a sale count for two neighborhoods?
Yes. Where two outlines overlap, a sale inside both counts for both, so each neighborhood’s figure reflects every sale inside its own outline.
Does a higher rank mean a better neighborhood?
No. It means homes sold for more per square foot there recently. Price per foot reflects home size, age, lot, condition and location, and says nothing about which neighborhood is right for you.
Why are some sales left out?
A sale needs a map position and a living area, and it has to fall inside one of our outlines. The note under the ranking gives the count.
What does the budget section show?
For the price you enter (and any minimum bedrooms), how many of each neighborhood’s sales over the last 180 days closed at or under it, as a count and a share, plus how many homes there are for sale now at or under it. It describes what sold; it isn’t a prediction of what a home will cost.
more to learn
Keep going
- Every city at onceThe top 25 neighborhoods across all 32 cities, the top 10 for houses alone, and each city’s highest and lowest (October 2026).
- Condos vs. housesHow much less per square foot condos and townhomes sold for than houses, city by city (October 2026).
- Price per Sq Ft MapEvery sale in a city plotted where it happened and shaded by price per square foot.
- Neighborhood guidesEvery neighborhood guide, city by city.
- City ScorecardEvery city’s market on one spec sheet.
- Lot Value LabWhat a bigger lot and a bigger house each sold for, city by city.
- Homes by DecadeHomes for sale grouped by the decade they were built.
- Days on MarketHow long today’s listings have been for sale.
Based on sales and listings reported to the MLS through our IDX feeds, read live each time the page loads. Shown as reported and not guaranteed; repeat records are removed. Map positions and living areas are as listed; neighborhood outlines are our own and approximate.
talk to a property nerd
Want the sales behind a neighborhood’s number?
We’ll pull the recent sales in the neighborhoods you’re weighing and walk you through what each one says about price. Commissions are negotiable, and we offer bundled services, so ask us what’s included.
