Zane Grey Estate · Photo: Nathan Simmons · CC BY-SA 3.0262 homes sold in Altadena in the last year, at a typical $1.2M
Almost every sale is a house. Below: what each kind of home sells for, what your budget buys, the best months to buy, how hard you’ll have to bid, and a shortcut to every site where Altadena homes are listed.
Every place Altadena homes are listed, in one stop
We don’t copy listings: the agents’ sites have the photos and the latest price changes. Set what you want once and we open each site already filtered to Altadena.
For sale
Rent
New, land & open houses
Links open the listing sites; TownRatings isn’t paid for them and doesn’t rank one above another. Rentals and government-owned homes come from sources outside the MLS.
Houses are 96% of Altadena’s sales, at a typical $1.2M
262 homes sold in the year to May 2026.
typical sale · 251 sold in 12 months
- Per square foot
- $720CA $494
- Days to sell
- 50
- Sold over asking
- 46%
- Listings with a price cut
- 19%
Multi-family (2–4 units): 7 sold, typical $1.1M
Townhouses: 2 sold, typical $665K
Condos: 2 sold, typical $755K
Too few sales in 12 months for reliable figures.
Fewer homes sell than a decade ago, at 1.6 times the 2016 price
262 sales in the last year, against 567 in 2013 and a low of 235 in 2025. The typical sale went from $732K in 2016 to $1.2M.
Source: Redfin Data Center, MLS sales. Typical price and $/sq ft are the monthly medians, weighted by sales.
What $1.2M buys in Altadena
Check a listing against what Altadena homes sold for
Against the town’s median price per square foot over the last 12 months. A rough check: condition, lot and location within town move a price more than this can see.
Bidding wars in Altadena are rarer than before the pandemic, but 20% fewer homes come up for sale
We read every month of Altadena’s home sales since 2012 so you don’t have to. Each figure covers 12 months, because a single month in a town is too few sales to mean much. Latest: the year to May 2026, 262 sales.
If you’re buying in Altadena
- Shop in October. It brings about 39 new listings a month, close to the busiest month, with fewer bidding wars (56% over asking).
- You can negotiate. 20% of listings have cut their price, against 17% before the pandemic.
- Bid near asking. Buyers paid 100.9% of the list price on average; 45% paid over.
- You’ll usually have time. Only 25% of homes go under contract within two weeks; the typical one takes 51 days.
Spring brings the homes; summer brings the bidding wars
May has the most new listings (about 48 a month), but June is the most competitive: 66% of June sales close over asking. September and October offer nearly as much choice with fewer homes bid up (58%). February has the least competition (51%).
Averages for each calendar month, 2015 on.
Calmer than the 2021 frenzy, and hotter than California
| Altadena now | 2017–19 | 2021 peak | CA now | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sold over askingShare of sales that closed above the list price | 45% | 55% | 74% | 36% |
| Gone within two weeksShare of homes under contract within 14 days | 25% | 23% | 54% | 31% |
| Listings with a price cutShare of homes for sale that cut their price | 20% | 17% | 11% | 24% |
| Price paid vs. askingAverage sale price ÷ list price | 100.9% | 102% | 109.1% | 99.7% |
| Days to sellMedian days from listing to contract | 51 | 47 | 31 | 44 |
74 homes for sale on a typical day
That’s 1.5 times the 2023 low (50), 20% fewer than in 2017–19 and well under 2012’s 126.
1 in 5 listings has cut its price
20% in the last year, against 17% in 2017–19 and 24% across California.
Altadena ranks 139th of 555 busy California markets for bidding wars
Share of sales over asking in the last year, among towns with 60 or more sales. Altadena is in the middle of the pack.
Source: Redfin Data Center, city market tracker, January 2012 to May 2026 (MLS sales, not seasonally adjusted). Ratios are weighted by homes sold; price cuts by homes for sale.
Owning the typical Altadena home costs about $6,756 a month
Price: Altadena’s typical sale, last 12 months. Property tax at Altadena’s 0.6% (median bill ÷ median value, Census ACS); insurance at 0.35% of price a year. Before PMI, HOA dues, upkeep and the tax deduction. Whether Altadena is affordable on local pay is on Cost of living.
Six things worth knowing
New listings in May
The month with the most choice. December has the fewest, about 18.
Best time to buyProperty tax, a year
Of a home’s value: the median bill over the median home value. On a $1.2M home, about $6,820 a year.
Taxes vs. neighborsSchools
The schools grade for Altadena, from test results, graduation and how much students grow.
Schools in AltadenaTypical commute
The average one-way trip to work for people who live in Altadena.
Work & commuteCheck the flood map
Flood insurance isn’t in a standard policy, and lenders require it in FEMA flood zones. Check the address before you make an offer.
Natural hazardsLook up any property
Assessed value, lot size and every past sale of a home you’re eyeing are public, at the town or county assessor and the registry of deeds.
No busy market nearby sells for less a square foot; La Cañada Flintridge, San Marino and South Pasadena for far more
The busier markets within 25 miles of Altadena, by what sold. Prices, taxes and how far a paycheck goes next door are on Cost of living.
| Sold | Typical sale | $/sq ft | Over asking | Days to sell | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pasadena | 1,016 | $1.3M | $787 | 50% | 42 |
| Altadena | 262 | $1.2M | $720 | 45% | 51 |
| La Cañada Flintridge | 179 | $2.4M | $1,002 | 55% | 37 |
| South Pasadena | 159 | $1.8M | $923 | 61% | 40 |
| San Marino | 119 | $3M | $1,072 | 58% | 41 |
| Sierra Madre | 98 | $1.4M | $754 | 40% | 53 |
| East Pasadena | 47 | $2M | $805 | 38% | 77 |
Redfin Data Center, June 2025 to May 2026. Towns with fewer than 20 sales are left out, and Redfin doesn’t report every town separately.
Post your home to Altadena, free
Selling it yourself, renting out an apartment or looking for a roommate? Post it to Altadena. People who follow the town see it, and so do people comparing Altadena with their own town. No commission, no listing fee.
Questions about buying a home in Altadena
What do homes sell for in Altadena, CA?
262 homes sold in the year to May 2026 at a typical $1.2M, $720 a square foot.
Is Altadena a buyer’s or seller’s market?
A seller’s market: 71 homes were for sale in May 2026 and 21 sold, about 3.4 months of supply. Buyers paid 100.9% of asking on average, and 20% of listings cut their price.
When is the best time to buy in Altadena?
May brings the most new listings. The sales history shows which months have fewer bidding wars.
How much are property taxes in Altadena?
About 0.6% of a home’s value a year. On a $1.2M home that’s near $6,820.
Where can I see homes for sale in Altadena?
Zillow, Redfin, Realtor.com and Homes.com all carry Altadena’s MLS listings; the search links above open each one filtered to Altadena.
Sales, prices, days on market and listings: Redfin Data Center (MLS, monthly, not seasonally adjusted). Property tax rate: Census American Community Survey. Two-bedroom rent: HUD Fair Market Rent. Typical home value: Zillow Home Value Index. Schools grade: TownRatings (how grades work).