Market Update - April 2026

San Mateo County

Countywide snapshot San Mateo County remains one of the Bay Area’s most resilient and supply-constrained markets. In March 2026, the countywide median sale price was about $1.76M, up 9.0% year over year, with homes selling in a median of 13 days and sales volume rising to 417 homes sold, up from 387 a year earlier.

Market character This is a classic Peninsula market: limited land, strong school-driven demand, proximity to both San Francisco and Silicon Valley, and a deep buyer pool of tech, finance, biotech, and professional households. Well-located single-family homes continue to move quickly, especially when they are updated, staged, and priced strategically. The market is not uniform, though. Luxury enclaves, central commuter corridors, condo-heavy areas, and coastal communities can behave very differently.

City and neighborhood zoom-in In San Mateo, the median sale price was about $1.65M, up 6.8% year over year, with homes selling in about 13 days, reflecting steady demand in a central Peninsula location. Within the city, submarkets diverge: San Mateo Village posted a median around $2.05M, up 11.5%, with homes selling in about 10 days, while Downtown San Mateo showed a lower median around $870K, down 28.5%, influenced by a different mix of condos, smaller units, and urban-style inventory.

In Redwood City, the median sale price was roughly $1.93M, down 10.4% year over year, but homes still sold quickly at about 12 days, suggesting that price movement may reflect mix and comps more than weak demand. Central Redwood City showed stronger year-over-year price movement, with a median around $1.79M, up 9.6%, and homes selling in just 8 days. Redwood Shores, by contrast, had a median around $1.25M, down 14.1%, with a longer 25-day market time, reflecting the more attached-home and planned-community profile of that submarket.  

Higher-end and western San Mateo County areas remain premium. The 94062 ZIP code, which includes parts of Redwood City, Woodside, and Emerald Hills, posted a median around $3.2M, up 6.0%, with homes selling in about 15 days. Recent Bay Area reporting also noted that Atherton remains among the region’s most expensive price-per-square-foot markets, second only to Palo Alto’s 94301 ZIP among larger Bay Area ZIP codes.  

Investor/agent takeaway San Mateo County is best characterized as a scarcity-driven, location-sensitive market. For sellers, turnkey presentation and accurate pricing can still generate urgency. For buyers and investors, the opportunity is in understanding micro-markets: downtown condos, mid-Peninsula single-family homes, Redwood Shores attached product, and ultra-premium western neighborhoods each require a different pricing and negotiation strategy.

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Santa Clara County

Countywide snapshot Santa Clara County is still one of the fastest-moving large housing markets in the country. In March 2026, the median sale price was about $1.68M, essentially flat year over year at +0.3%, while homes sold in a median of 10 days. Sales volume rose to 1,069 homes, up from 1,025 a year earlier.

Market character Santa Clara County is a highly competitive but more varied market than the headline number suggests. It includes ultra-premium Silicon Valley cities such as Palo Alto, Los Gatos, Cupertino, and parts of Sunnyvale; major employment hubs like Mountain View and Santa Clara; and broader, more price-diverse inventory in San Jose. The countywide price trend looks relatively flat, but that masks intense competition for well-located homes near top schools, major employers, and commute corridors.

City and neighborhood zoom-in Palo Alto remains one of the Bay Area’s highest-value markets. In March 2026, its median sale price was about $3.54M, down 7.5% year over year, but homes still sold in about 10 days. The 94301 ZIP code was even stronger, with a median around $4.43M, up 14.0%, and homes selling in about 10 days. Old Palo Alto showed an especially high median of about $10.84M, up 48.2%, though that figure is based on only six sales and should be read as a luxury-comps signal rather than a broad trend.

Mountain View and Sunnyvale show the pull of major tech employment, but with mixed year-over-year pricing. Mountain View’s median was about $2.0M, down 1.5%, with homes selling in 9 days. Sunnyvale’s citywide median was about $1.77M, down 5.4%, with homes selling in 10 days. Yet within Sunnyvale, Sunnyvale West was much stronger, with a median around $2.63M, up 12.9%, while 94087 reached about $2.95M, up 4.5%.

Los Gatos remains a premium lifestyle and school-oriented market. In March 2026, its median sale price was about $2.46M, up 0.3%, with homes selling in just 8 days. East Los Gatos was stronger, with a median around $2.75M, up 5.8%, and an 11-day median market time.

San Jose provides the county’s broadest range of price points and investor strategies. The citywide median was about $1.49M, up 0.6%, with homes selling in about 10 days. Downtown San Jose had a median around $1.05M, up 6.1%, with a longer but improving 19-day market time, while South San Jose was softer at about $986K, down 5.2%, but still faster than a year earlier at 15 days on market.

Investor/agent takeaway Santa Clara County is best characterized as a high-velocity, employment-driven market with sharp submarket separation. The best properties still trade quickly, but pricing power varies by school district, commute access, lot size, property condition, and product type. For investors, San Jose offers the most varied basis and value-add opportunities, while Palo Alto, Los Gatos, Sunnyvale, and Mountain View remain more capital-intensive, appreciation-oriented plays.

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San Francisco County

Countywide snapshot San Francisco’s market has rebounded sharply, especially in the single-family and luxury segments. In March 2026, the median sale price was about $1.69M, up 19.0% year over year, with homes selling in about 14 days, faster than 20 days a year earlier. Sales volume also increased modestly to 488 homes sold.

Market character San Francisco is increasingly a two-speed market. High-end single-family homes and prime neighborhoods are benefiting from limited inventory, renewed tech and AI wealth, and a return of buyer confidence. Recent reporting described San Francisco inventory as significantly tighter in early 2026, with single-family homes at less than one month of supply, while luxury demand has been supported by AI-related wealth and all-cash buyers.

At the same time, condos remain more nuanced. Some prime condo neighborhoods are improving, but the broader condo market is still affected by HOA dues, insurance costs, financing hurdles, and post-pandemic shifts in buyer preferences. Recent reporting noted that San Francisco condo values have recovered in select ZIP codes such as Noe Valley/94114 and Marina/94123, while many Bay Area condo markets remain under pressure.  

City and neighborhood zoom-in Noe Valley continues to be one of the city’s most desirable family-oriented neighborhoods, supported by walkability, weather, schools, and access to the Peninsula. In March 2026, Noe Valley’s median sale price was about $2.28M, up 3.4%, with homes selling in about 11 days.

Pacific Heights remains a premier luxury market. The neighborhood posted a median sale price around $2.30M, up 11.4%, with homes selling in about 13 days, compared with 28 days a year earlier. Recent luxury activity reinforces the strength of this segment, including a Pacific Heights mansion sale at $27.5M and another historic home listing at $25M.

The Richmond District remains comparatively value-oriented versus the city’s top central and northern neighborhoods, while still offering strong single-family appeal. Outer Richmond posted a median around $1.95M, up 13.1%, with homes selling in about 19 days. Inner Richmond had a median around $2.01M, up 1.9%, with homes selling in about 16 days.  

Broader northern San Francisco also shows improvement. Northwest San Francisco had a median around $1.83M, up 6.1%, with homes selling in 15 days, while Northeast San Francisco was flatter at about $1.19M, down 0.83%, with a longer 24-day market time, reflecting its heavier mix of condos and more varied product types.  

Investor/agent takeaway San Francisco is best characterized as a rebounding, inventory-starved, highly segmented urban market. The strongest demand is concentrated in single-family homes, trophy properties, and prime lifestyle neighborhoods. Investors should be more selective with condos and multifamily, paying close attention to HOA costs, rent regulations, insurance, financing, and neighborhood-level demand. For sellers, premium presentation and pricing discipline are still critical, but the city’s top submarkets are once again showing meaningful urgency.