Photo: Sanfranman59 · CC BY-SA 3.0577 homes sold in Palo Alto in the last year, at a typical $3.5M
About one sale in 4 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 Palo Alto homes are listed.
Every place Palo Alto 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 Palo Alto.
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.
17% of Palo Alto’s sales are condos, at $2.5M less than a house
415 houses and 98 condos sold in the year to May 2026. Houses sell faster and draw more bidding wars.
typical sale · 415 sold in the year to May 2026
- Per square foot
- $2,088CA $494
- Days to sell
- 13
- Sold over asking
- 66%
- Listings with a price cut
- 26%
typical sale · 98 sold in the year to May 2026
- Per square foot
- $1,049CA $561
- Days to sell
- 28
- Sold over asking
- 37%
- Listings with a price cut
- 19%
Multi-family (2–4 units): 13 sold, typical $3.3M
Townhouses: 35 sold, typical $1.9M
Too few sales in 12 months for reliable figures.
More homes sell than most years, at 1.4 times the 2016 price
577 sales in the last year, against 672 in 2021 and a low of 406 in 2019. The typical sale went from $2.4M in 2016 to $3.5M.
Source: Redfin Data Center, MLS sales; from June 2026 each month is a 3-month rolling window, its counts divided by 3. Typical price and $/sq ft are the monthly medians, weighted by sales. Redfin stopped publishing towns’ figures by property type after May 2026, so houses and condos are shown for the year to then.
What $2M buys in Palo Alto
Check a listing against what Palo Alto 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 Palo Alto are rarer than before the pandemic, and more homes are for sale
We read every month of Palo Alto’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 September 2026, 577 sales.
If you’re buying in Palo Alto
- Shop in July. It brings about 50 new listings a month, close to the busiest month, with fewer bidding wars (53% over asking).
- Expect to bid over asking. Buyers paid 105.3% of the list price on average; 59% paid over.
- Move fast on good ones. 55% of homes are under contract within two weeks.
Fall brings the homes; spring brings the bidding wars
September has the most new listings (about 62 a month), but March is the most competitive: 71% of March sales close over asking. July offers nearly as much choice with fewer homes bid up (53%). January has the least competition (42%) but only about 33 new listings.
Averages for each calendar month, 2015 on.
Nearly as heated as 2021, and hotter than California
| Palo Alto now | 2017–19 | 2021 peak | CA now | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sold over askingShare of sales that closed above the list price | 59% | 64% | 62% | 35% |
| Gone within two weeksShare of homes under contract within 14 days | 55% | 56% | 58% | 33% |
| Price paid vs. askingAverage sale price ÷ list price | 105.3% | 106.4% | 106.2% | 99.9% |
| Days to sellMedian days from listing to contract | 15 | 15 | 16 | 43 |
66 homes for sale on a typical day
That’s 2.2 times the 2013 low (30), 31% more than in 2017–19 and well under 2020’s 92.
Since 2019, houses are up 31%, condos 2%
A house typically sold for $4M in the year to May 2026 (415 sales), a condo for $1.5M (98).
Median sale price, weighted by sales each month. Years with fewer than 4 sales of a type are left out.
Palo Alto ranks 29th of 560 busy California markets for bidding wars
Share of sales over asking in the last year, among towns with 60 or more sales. Palo Alto is one of the state’s hottest markets.
Source: Redfin Data Center, city figures, January 2012 to September 2026 (MLS sales, not seasonally adjusted; from June 2026 each month is a 3-month rolling window, its counts divided by 3). Ratios are weighted by homes sold; price cuts by homes for sale.
Five things worth knowing
New listings in September
The month with the most choice. December has the fewest, about 12.
Best time to buySchools
The schools grade for Palo Alto, from test results, graduation and how much students grow.
Schools in Palo AltoTypical commute
The average one-way trip to work for people who live in Palo Alto.
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, Los Altos, Mountain View, Loyola, West Menlo Park and East Palo Alto sell for less a square foot
The busier markets within 25 miles of Palo Alto, 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 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Palo Alto | 577 | $3.5M | $1,928 | 59% | 15 |
| Mountain View | 539 | $1.9M | $1,107 | 63% | 14 |
| Los Altos | 312 | $4.6M | $1,852 | 62% | 11 |
| Los Altos Hills | 105 | $5.7M | $1,540 | 39% | 29 |
| East Palo Alto | 98 | $1M | $789 | 39% | 37 |
| West Menlo Park | 51 | $4.1M | $1,779 | 47% | 31 |
| Loyola | 40 | $4.8M | $1,805 | 45% | 22 |
Redfin Data Center, October 2025 to September 2026. Towns with fewer than 20 sales are left out, and Redfin doesn’t report every town separately.
Post your home to Palo Alto, free
Selling it yourself, renting out an apartment or looking for a roommate? Post it to Palo Alto. People who follow the town see it, and so do people comparing Palo Alto with their own town. No commission, no listing fee.
Questions about buying a home in Palo Alto
What do homes sell for in Palo Alto, CA?
577 homes sold in the year to September 2026 at a typical $3.5M, $1,928 a square foot. Houses sold for about $4M, condos for about $1.5M in the year to May 2026.
Is Palo Alto a buyer’s or seller’s market?
A seller’s market: 92 homes were for sale in September 2026 and 45 sold, about 2 months of supply. Buyers paid 105.3% of asking on average.
When is the best time to buy in Palo Alto?
September brings the most new listings. The sales history shows which months have fewer bidding wars.
Where can I see homes for sale in Palo Alto?
Zillow, Redfin, Realtor.com and Homes.com all carry Palo Alto’s MLS listings; the search links above open each one filtered to Palo Alto.
Sales, prices, days on market and listings: Redfin Data Center (MLS, monthly, not seasonally adjusted; from June 2026 each month is a 3-month rolling window, its counts divided by 3). 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).