Photo: Us Census Bureau · Public domain29 homes sold in Highlands in the last year, at a typical $2.6M
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 Highlands homes are listed.
Every place Highlands 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 Highlands.
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 100% of Highlands’ sales, at a typical $2.6M
29 homes sold in the year to May 2026.
typical sale · 29 sold in 12 months
- Per square foot
- $1,408CA $494
- Days to sell
- 17
- Sold over asking
- 69%
- Listings with a price cut
- 71%
More homes sell than most years, at 1.4 times the 2016 price
29 sales in the last year, against 32 in 2025 and a low of 19 in 2014. The typical sale went from $1.8M in 2016 to $2.6M.
Source: Redfin Data Center, MLS sales. Typical price and $/sq ft are the monthly medians, weighted by sales.
What $2M buys in Highlands
Check a listing against what Highlands 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 Highlands are rarer than before the pandemic, with about as many homes for sale
We read every month of Highlands’ home sales since 2014 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, 29 sales.
If you’re buying in Highlands
- Shop in March. It brings about 3 new listings a month, close to the busiest month, with fewer bidding wars (63% over asking).
- You can negotiate. 71% of listings have cut their price, against 58% before the pandemic.
- Expect to bid over asking. Buyers paid 105% of the list price on average; 69% paid over.
- Move fast on good ones. Two thirds of homes are under contract within two weeks.
Summer brings the homes; spring brings the bidding wars
August has the most new listings (about 3 a month), but April is the most competitive: 96% of April sales close over asking. March offers nearly as much choice with fewer homes bid up (63%). January has the least competition (40%).
Averages for each calendar month, 2015 on.
Calmer than the 2021 frenzy, and hotter than California
| Highlands now | 2017–19 | 2021 peak | CA now | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sold over askingShare of sales that closed above the list price | 69% | 77% | 100% | 36% |
| Gone within two weeksShare of homes under contract within 14 days | 69% | 63% | 93% | 31% |
| Listings with a price cutShare of homes for sale that cut their price | 71% | 58% | — | 24% |
| Price paid vs. askingAverage sale price ÷ list price | 105% | 108.3% | 115.8% | 99.7% |
| Days to sellMedian days from listing to contract | 17 | 17 | 7 | 44 |
2 homes for sale on a typical day
That’s 1.3 times the 2014 low (1), about the 2017–19 level and well under 2023’s 3.
1 in 1 listings has cut its price
71% in the last year, against 58% in 2017–19 and 24% across California. More sellers are pricing high and coming down.
Source: Redfin Data Center, city market tracker, January 2014 to May 2026 (MLS sales, not seasonally adjusted). Ratios are weighted by homes sold; price cuts by homes for sale.
Five things worth knowing
New listings in August
The month with the most choice. December has the fewest, about 1.
Best time to buySchools
The schools grade for Highlands, from test results, graduation and how much students grow.
Schools in HighlandsTypical commute
The average one-way trip to work for people who live in Highlands.
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.
Baywood Park, Belmont, San Mateo and San Carlos sell for less a square foot
The busier markets within 25 miles of Highlands, 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 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| San Mateo | 837 | $1.6M | $1,040 | 54% | 18 |
| San Carlos | 328 | $2.4M | $1,282 | 55% | 15 |
| Burlingame | 239 | $2.7M | $1,389 | 54% | 17 |
| Belmont | 180 | $2.2M | $1,227 | 64% | 16 |
| Hillsborough | 137 | $6.2M | $1,511 | 37% | 24 |
| Highlands | 29 | $2.6M | $1,408 | 69% | 17 |
| Baywood Park | 26 | $2.8M | $1,346 | 73% | 44 |
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 Highlands, free
Selling it yourself, renting out an apartment or looking for a roommate? Post it to Highlands. People who follow the town see it, and so do people comparing Highlands with their own town. No commission, no listing fee.
Questions about buying a home in Highlands
What do homes sell for in Highlands, CA?
29 homes sold in the year to May 2026 at a typical $2.6M, $1,408 a square foot.
Is Highlands a buyer’s or seller’s market?
A balanced market: 4 homes were for sale in May 2026 and 1 sold, about 4 months of supply. Buyers paid 105% of asking on average, and 71% of listings cut their price.
When is the best time to buy in Highlands?
August brings the most new listings. The sales history shows which months have fewer bidding wars.
Where can I see homes for sale in Highlands?
Zillow, Redfin, Realtor.com and Homes.com all carry Highlands’ MLS listings; the search links above open each one filtered to Highlands.
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).