Palo Alto, CA housing market
The typical Palo Alto home is worth about $3,564,000, up 5.5% in a year, 366% above the California typical home. Homes typically sell in 14 days, a little above asking.
Home values, sales, trends and how Palo Alto compares with the towns next door — updated as new data is published.
Palo Alto at a glance
A strong seller's market
Homes are selling faster than new ones are listed: less than two months of supply. Well-priced homes can draw several offers.
Typical home value, 2016–2026
Show as a table
| January | Palo Alto | California |
|---|---|---|
| 2017 | $2,249,000 | $453,000 |
| 2018 | $2,478,000 | $501,000 |
| 2019 | $2,995,000 | $539,000 |
| 2020 | $2,753,000 | $551,000 |
| 2021 | $2,903,000 | $607,000 |
| 2022 | $3,282,000 | $703,000 |
| 2023 | $3,209,000 | $727,000 |
| 2024 | $3,263,000 | $758,000 |
| 2025 | $3,507,000 | $782,000 |
| 2026 | $3,577,000 | $767,000 |
| August 2026 | $3,564,000 | $764,000 |
Palo Alto and its neighbors
| Town | Typical value | 1-yr change | Days on market | Median income |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Palo Alto | $3.56M | +5.5% | 14 | $231,101 |
| Menlo Park | $2.87M | +9.2% | 16 | $210,025 |
| Los Altos | $4.53M | +8.2% | 10 | $250,001 |
| Mountain View | $1.93M | +2.4% | 12 | $189,917 |
| Los Altos Hills | $5.86M | +6.1% | 10 | $250,001 |
| East Palo Alto | $1.01M | −1.2% | — | $113,493 |
| Stanford | $3.17M | +5.1% | — | $75,208 |
15.4 years of income
The typical Palo Alto home costs about 15.4 years of the town's median household income, more than across California (7.7 years).
How Palo Alto ranks on affordability →
Home value ÷ ACS median household income.
Owners, rent & taxes
U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 2020-2024.
Home values: Zillow Home Value Index (ZHVI), Zillow Research, August 2026. Sales, days on market and supply: Redfin Data Center, May 2026. Income, ownership, taxes and rent: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey. Listings link to their publishers.