Photo: Coolcaesar at en.wikipedia · CC BY-SA 3.0317 homes sold in Los Altos in the last year, at a typical $4.5M
About one sale in 5 is a condo. 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 Los Altos homes are listed.
Every place Los Altos 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 Los Altos.
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.
15% of Los Altos’ sales are condos, at $3.1M less than a house
248 houses and 46 condos sold in the year to May 2026. Houses sell faster and draw more bidding wars.
typical sale · 248 sold in 12 months
- Per square foot
- $1,942CA $494
- Days to sell
- 10
- Sold over asking
- 69%
- Listings with a price cut
- 29%
typical sale · 46 sold in 12 months
- Per square foot
- $1,395CA $561
- Days to sell
- 53
- Sold over asking
- 15%
- Listings with a price cut
- 22%
Townhouses: 23 sold, typical $2.1M
Too few sales in 12 months for reliable figures.
About as many homes sell as usual, at 1.8 times the 2016 price
317 sales in the last year, against 419 in 2021 and a low of 239 in 2023. The typical sale went from $2.5M in 2016 to $4.5M.
Source: Redfin Data Center, MLS sales. Typical price and $/sq ft are the monthly medians, weighted by sales.
What $2M buys in Los Altos
Check a listing against what Los Altos 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 Los Altos are rarer than before the pandemic, and more homes are for sale
We read every month of Los Altos’ 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, 317 sales.
If you’re buying in Los Altos
- Shop in September. It brings about 39 new listings a month, close to the busiest month, with fewer bidding wars (58% over asking).
- Some room to negotiate. 24% of listings cut their price, about as many as before the pandemic.
- Expect to bid over asking. Buyers paid 105.8% of the list price on average; 61% paid over.
- Move fast on good ones. Two thirds of homes are under contract within two weeks.
Spring brings both the most homes and the most bidding wars
May has the most new listings (about 42 a month), but April is the most competitive: 74% of April sales close over asking. September offers nearly as much choice with fewer homes bid up (58%). January has the least competition (48%) but only about 20 new listings.
Averages for each calendar month, 2015 on.
Calmer than the 2021 frenzy, and hotter than California
| Los Altos now | 2017–19 | 2021 peak | CA now | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sold over askingShare of sales that closed above the list price | 61% | 68% | 71% | 36% |
| Gone within two weeksShare of homes under contract within 14 days | 66% | 63% | 64% | 31% |
| Listings with a price cutShare of homes for sale that cut their price | 24% | 26% | 21% | 24% |
| Price paid vs. askingAverage sale price ÷ list price | 105.8% | 105.6% | 108.2% | 99.7% |
| Days to sellMedian days from listing to contract | 11 | 13 | 10 | 44 |
31 homes for sale on a typical day
That’s twice the 2014 low (16) and 34% more than in 2017–19.
1 in 4 listings has cut its price
24% in the last year, against 26% in 2017–19 and 24% across California.
Since 2019, houses are up 48%, condos 7%
A house typically sold for $4.9M in the last year (248 sales), a condo for $1.8M (46).
Median sale price, weighted by sales each month. Years with fewer than 4 sales of a type are left out.
Los Altos ranks 25th of 555 busy California markets for bidding wars
Share of sales over asking in the last year, among towns with 60 or more sales. Los Altos is one of the state’s hottest markets.
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.
Five things worth knowing
New listings in May
The month with the most choice. December has the fewest, about 7.
Best time to buySchools
The schools grade for Los Altos, from test results, graduation and how much students grow.
Schools in Los AltosTypical commute
The average one-way trip to work for people who live in Los Altos.
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.
Los Altos Hills, Mountain View, Sunnyvale and Cupertino sell for less a square foot
The busier markets within 25 miles of Los Altos, 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 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sunnyvale | 896 | $1.8M | $1,202 | 66% | 14 |
| Mountain View | 562 | $1.8M | $1,104 | 64% | 15 |
| Palo Alto | 561 | $3.5M | $1,869 | 61% | 16 |
| Los Altos | 317 | $4.5M | $1,841 | 61% | 11 |
| Cupertino | 286 | $3.1M | $1,520 | 66% | 16 |
| Los Altos Hills | 107 | $5.6M | $1,561 | 45% | 23 |
| Loyola | 38 | $4.5M | $1,792 | 45% | 22 |
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 Los Altos, free
Selling it yourself, renting out an apartment or looking for a roommate? Post it to Los Altos. People who follow the town see it, and so do people comparing Los Altos with their own town. No commission, no listing fee.
Questions about buying a home in Los Altos
What do homes sell for in Los Altos, CA?
317 homes sold in the year to May 2026 at a typical $4.5M, $1,841 a square foot. Houses sold for about $4.9M, condos for about $1.8M.
Is Los Altos a buyer’s or seller’s market?
A seller’s market: 35 homes were for sale in May 2026 and 30 sold, about 1.2 months of supply. Buyers paid 105.8% of asking on average, and 24% of listings cut their price.
When is the best time to buy in Los Altos?
May brings the most new listings. The sales history shows which months have fewer bidding wars.
Where can I see homes for sale in Los Altos?
Zillow, Redfin, Realtor.com and Homes.com all carry Los Altos’ MLS listings; the search links above open each one filtered to Los Altos.
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).