How we chose and scored the suburbs
We define the suburbs of San Francisco as the cities in the four counties that border the city or face it across the bay: San Mateo, Marin, Alameda and Contra Costa. We kept the 39 cities with 25,000 or more residents in the Census Bureau's July 2024 estimates and left out Oakland, a major city in its own right. Santa Clara County is covered by our separate Silicon Valley guide.
Every city is ranked on one measure, buyer demand: Redfin's median days on market for July to September 2026, the time the typical home took to go under contract. A short time to sell shows where buyers compete hardest. Where two cities have the same median, the one with more sales goes first, because its figure rests on more homes.
Price is shown but not scored, because "best" at $3 million and "best" at $700,000 are different searches. We did not score schools: the state's School Dashboard grades schools, not cities, and district lines rarely follow city limits. Crime is not scored in this ranking; for official figures on any city, see the California Department of Justice's OpenJustice data.
For comparison, homes in San Francisco itself sold in a median 17 days over the same three months, at a Redfin median sale price of $1,579,248, up 14.8%, on 1,411 sales.
All 39 Bay Area suburbs, ranked
The full table, fastest-selling first. The market columns cover July to September 2026.
| Rank | City | County | Median days to sell | Median sale price | 1-year change | Homes sold (3 months) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | San Carlos | San Mateo | 10 | $2,478,820 | +11.4% | 86 |
| 2 | San Mateo | San Mateo | 14 | $1,574,250 | -1.3% | 203 |
| 3 | Redwood City | San Mateo | 14 | $1,949,072 | +8.3% | 145 |
| 4 | Burlingame | San Mateo | 14 | $2,658,734 | -3.0% | 69 |
| 5 | Berkeley | Alameda | 15 | $1,411,328 | +0.8% | 187 |
| 6 | San Bruno | San Mateo | 15 | $1,206,925 | -5.5% | 71 |
| 7 | El Cerrito | Contra Costa | 15 | $1,199,429 | -10.2% | 51 |
| 8 | San Leandro | Alameda | 16 | $849,595 | +1.4% | 118 |
| 9 | South San Francisco | San Mateo | 16 | $1,232,413 | +7.2% | 82 |
| 10 | Menlo Park | San Mateo | 16 | $2,948,596 | +4.5% | 71 |
| 11 | Lafayette | Contra Costa | 17 | $1,926,583 | +1.9% | 67 |
| 12 | Belmont | San Mateo | 17 | $2,323,893 | +3.3% | 55 |
| 13 | Daly City | San Mateo | 18 | $1,117,968 | +1.6% | 95 |
| 14 | Livermore | Alameda | 19 | $1,059,495 | -5.8% | 222 |
| 15 | Alameda | Alameda | 19 | $1,169,443 | +9.0% | 138 |
| 16 | Pacifica | San Mateo | 19 | $1,279,391 | +0.5% | 94 |
| 17 | Fremont | Alameda | 21 | $1,370,347 | -6.5% | 351 |
| 18 | Pleasant Hill | Contra Costa | 21 | $905,569 | -5.2% | 91 |
| 19 | Hayward | Alameda | 22 | $830,604 | -2.3% | 189 |
| 20 | Antioch | Contra Costa | 25 | $592,218 | +1.7% | 238 |
| 21 | Danville | Contra Costa | 25 | $1,799,143 | +6.6% | 141 |
| 22 | Union City | Alameda | 25 | $1,216,920 | +2.7% | 79 |
| 23 | Foster City | San Mateo | 25 | $1,286,887 | -23.1% | 65 |
| 24 | Newark | Alameda | 26 | $1,274,393 | +0.3% | 111 |
| 25 | Martinez | Contra Costa | 26 | $819,610 | +5.1% | 89 |
| 26 | Richmond | Contra Costa | 27 | $579,724 | -3.4% | 171 |
| 27 | San Pablo | Contra Costa | 27 | $569,729 | +5.6% | 31 |
| 28 | Concord | Contra Costa | 28 | $719,657 | -2.8% | 265 |
| 29 | San Rafael | Marin | 28 | $1,299,381 | +17.9% | 151 |
| 30 | Pittsburg | Contra Costa | 28 | $589,719 | +1.2% | 103 |
| 31 | San Ramon | Contra Costa | 29 | $1,449,310 | +2.8% | 156 |
| 32 | Hercules | Contra Costa | 31 | $662,185 | -12.5% | 35 |
| 33 | East Palo Alto | San Mateo | 31 | $944,550 | -10.0% | 31 |
| 34 | Walnut Creek | Contra Costa | 33 | $847,596 | -2.0% | 287 |
| 35 | Pleasanton | Alameda | 36 | $1,496,787 | -3.5% | 138 |
| 36 | Brentwood | Contra Costa | 37 | $744,645 | -3.9% | 204 |
| 37 | Novato | Marin | 41 | $1,004,522 | +5.7% | 141 |
| 38 | Oakley | Contra Costa | 41 | $674,679 | -1.5% | 108 |
| 39 | Dublin | Alameda | 44 | $1,201,928 | -8.2% | 156 |
San Carlos leads at 10 days, with just 1.3 months of supply. Twelve of the 39 cities sold in a median 17 days or less, and eight of those twelve are in San Mateo County. Dublin, Oakley and Novato were slowest, at 41 to 44 days. Walnut Creek places 34th: homes there took a median 33 days to sell, although it was one of the busiest markets, with 287 sales, more than any city but Fremont. Our Walnut Creek guide covers its neighborhoods in detail.
The top 15 suburbs of San Francisco
1. San Carlos (San Mateo): 10 days to sell
San Carlos was the fastest market of all 39 cities: homes went under contract in a median 10 days, 56% sold above list price, and buyers paid an average 106.8% of asking. Redfin's median sale price for July to September 2026 was $2,478,820, up 11.4%, on 86 sales, with just 1.3 months of supply.
The city covers 5.41 square miles between Belmont to the north and Redwood City to the south, and it incorporated in 1925. Caltrain and SamTrans both have their headquarters in downtown San Carlos. The Caltrain station's 1888 sandstone depot is on the National Register of Historic Places. Laurel Street holds a Sunday farmers market in summer. San Carlos School District runs the elementary and middle schools but does not cover the whole city, and high school students attend Sequoia High in Redwood City or Carlmont High in Belmont. San Carlos Airport is inside the city, so check flight paths before you buy nearby.
2. San Mateo (San Mateo): 14 days to sell
San Mateo, the most populous city in the county, was the busiest market among the top ten, with 203 sales in three months. Homes sold in a median 14 days at a Redfin median of $1,574,250 (-1.3%), and buyers paid an average 104.9% of list. It places ahead of Redwood City and Burlingame, which sold in the same median time, because its figure rests on more sales.
The city is about 20 miles south of San Francisco, between Burlingame and Belmont, with Foster City and the bay to the east. Neighborhoods east of El Camino Real are denser; those to the west are lower density. Central Park, with its Japanese tea garden, anchors downtown, and Coyote Point juts into the bay. Schools fall under the San Mateo-Foster City and San Mateo Union High districts, which run San Mateo, Aragon and Hillsdale high schools.
3. Redwood City (San Mateo): 14 days to sell
Demand in Redwood City was intense: homes went under contract in a median 14 days, 57% sold above asking, and Redfin's median sale price rose 8.3% to $1,949,072 on 145 sales.
The county seat of San Mateo County lies about 27 miles south of San Francisco, stretching from the bay toward the Santa Cruz Mountains. Its planned community of Redwood Shores sits east of Highway 101. Technology employers include Oracle and Electronic Arts. Caltrain stops in the city, SamTrans runs local buses, and Interstate 280 passes to the west. Two elementary districts, Redwood City and Belmont-Redwood Shores, serve different parts of the city.
4. Burlingame (San Mateo): 14 days to sell
Burlingame had the tightest market on this list, just 0.8 months of supply, with homes selling in a median 14 days for 107.0% of list price on average. Redfin's median was $2,658,734 (-3.0%) on 69 sales.
Burlingame Avenue and Broadway, about a mile apart, are its two downtown shopping streets, and the historic Burlingame station serves Caltrain. San Francisco International Airport is next door and brings airline and hotel employers; check flight paths and noise maps before you buy on the bay side.
5. Berkeley (Alameda): 15 days to sell
Berkeley buyers paid the most over asking of any city on the list: an average 126.6% of list price, with 76% of homes selling above list. Homes went under contract in a median 15 days, and Redfin's median sale price was $1,411,328 (+0.8%) on 187 sales, at $923 per square foot.
Berkeley sits on the east shore of the bay in northern Alameda County, bordering Oakland, Emeryville and Albany. It is home to the oldest campus of the University of California and to Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory. BART stops at Ashby, Downtown Berkeley and North Berkeley, Amtrak's Capitol Corridor also serves the city, and AC Transit runs the buses. Berkeley Unified School District covers the whole city. The Hayward Fault runs along the base of the Berkeley Hills, and Tilden Regional Park lies east of the city, so check both earthquake and wildfire maps for a hillside home.
6. San Bruno (San Mateo): 15 days to sell
San Bruno sold homes in a median 15 days at a Redfin median of $1,206,925, -5.5% on the year, on 71 sales, with 1.3 months of supply.
The city lies between South San Francisco and Millbrae, next to San Francisco International Airport and Golden Gate National Cemetery. YouTube has its headquarters here. San Bruno has both a BART station and Caltrain, and most public high school students attend Capuchino High in San Mateo Union High School District.
7. El Cerrito (Contra Costa): 15 days to sell
El Cerrito had the highest share of homes selling above list price of all 39 cities, 82%, and buyers paid an average 120.9% of asking. Homes went under contract in a median 15 days. Redfin's median sale price was $1,199,429, -10.2% on a year earlier, on 51 sales; with a sample that small, the yearly change can swing with the mix of homes sold.
El Cerrito covers 3.7 square miles on the east shore of the bay in the southwest corner of Contra Costa County, with Albany and Kensington to the south. It incorporated in 1917. BART has two stations in the city, El Cerrito del Norte and El Cerrito Plaza, the second beside the El Cerrito Plaza shopping center, and Interstate 80 runs through it with San Pablo Avenue as the main street. A 2.6-mile stretch of the Ohlone Greenway follows the BART line through the city. Public schools belong to West Contra Costa Unified School District. The Hayward Fault runs through El Cerrito, so price earthquake insurance with any home here.
8. San Leandro (Alameda): 16 days to sell
San Leandro had the lowest price in the top ten: a Redfin median of $849,595 (+1.4%), with homes selling in a median 16 days on 118 sales and 60% going over asking.
The city lies between Oakland to the northwest and Ashland, Castro Valley and Hayward to the southeast. It was the Alameda County seat from 1856 until the 1868 earthquake on the Hayward Fault destroyed the courthouse. Two BART stations serve the city, and Interstates 880, 580 and 238 connect it to the rest of the Bay Area. Lake Chabot Regional Park is next to the city, and the San Leandro Marina is part of the shoreline recreation area. San Leandro Unified School District serves most of the city, while parts of Washington Manor are in San Lorenzo Unified, so check the district for any address.
9. South San Francisco (San Mateo): 16 days to sell
South San Francisco was among the hottest markets on the list: homes sold in a median 16 days, 69% went over asking, and Redfin's median rose 7.2% to $1,232,413 on 82 sales.
"South City" is home to Genentech and calls itself the birthplace of biotechnology. Homes are mostly west of Highway 101, in neighborhoods such as Sunshine Gardens, Winston Manor and Rancho Buri Buri, while office parks and labs fill the bay side near Oyster Point Marina. South San Francisco Unified School District runs El Camino and South San Francisco high schools. San Francisco International Airport is just to the south.
10. Menlo Park (San Mateo): 16 days to sell
Menlo Park sold homes in a median 16 days, on 71 sales. At $2,948,596 (+4.5%), it was the most expensive city of all 39.
The city runs from the bay, where the Dumbarton Bridge crosses to Fremont, to Sand Hill Road's venture capital firms. Meta Platforms has its headquarters here, and the city borders Palo Alto, Atherton and Stanford. Three elementary districts split the city: Menlo Park City, Ravenswood City and Las Lomitas. If you are also looking farther south, compare our Palo Alto guide.
11. Lafayette (Contra Costa): 17 days to sell
Lafayette was the fastest-selling Contra Costa city on the list after El Cerrito, with homes going under contract in a median 17 days. Redfin's median sale price over July to September 2026 was $1,926,583, +1.9% on the year, on 67 sales, and the average home sold for 101.4% of its list price.
The city sits east of the Berkeley Hills between Orinda, Moraga and Walnut Creek, on State Route 24. It has its own BART station, so central San Francisco is a direct train ride. Lafayette Reservoir is in the southwest of the city and Briones Regional Park reaches into the north. Most of Lafayette is in the Lafayette Elementary School District, and all of it is in Acalanes Union High School District. Our Lafayette guide goes further.
12. Belmont (San Mateo): 17 days to sell
Belmont, roughly halfway down the Peninsula, sold homes in a median 17 days for an average 104.2% of list price. Redfin's median sale price was $2,323,893, +3.3%, at $1,222 per square foot.
The city covers just 4.6 square miles. Caltrain stops at Belmont station, with Hillsdale station just over the line in San Mateo. Ralston Hall, a historic landmark, stands on the campus of Notre Dame de Namur University. The public high school is Carlmont, in Sequoia Union High School District. With only 55 sales in the period, expect the median to move from quarter to quarter.
13. Daly City (San Mateo): 18 days to sell
Daly City, San Francisco's immediate neighbor to the south, was one of the cheaper Peninsula options: a Redfin median of $1,117,968 (+1.6%), with homes selling in a median 18 days for 107.1% of list.
Its neighborhoods include Westlake, built by developer Henry Doelger from the late 1940s, plus Serramonte, St. Francis Heights and Crocker. Daly City BART is the end of the Green and Blue lines, and Interstate 280 runs through the city. Several school districts serve it, the largest being Jefferson Elementary and Jefferson Union High.
14. Livermore (Alameda): 19 days to sell
Livermore, in the Tri-Valley, sold homes in a median 19 days. Redfin's median sale price was $1,059,495, -5.8%, on 222 sales, the most of any city in the top 15. Alameda and Pacifica also took 19 days; Livermore places first of the three on its number of sales.
Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory and Sandia's California site are major employers. Interstate 580 runs along the north side of the city toward Altamont Pass, and the Livermore Valley Joint Unified School District runs the public schools. It sits on the eastern edge of the Bay Area, so the drive to San Francisco is long.
15. Alameda (Alameda): 19 days to sell
Alameda rounds out the top 15. Homes sold in a median 19 days, 68% went above list, and Redfin's median sale price rose 9.0% to $1,169,443 on 138 sales. Pacifica, also at 19 days, places 16th on fewer sales.
The city is built on islands in the bay, mainly Alameda Island, Bay Farm Island and Coast Guard Island, and is nicknamed "The Island City". The Park Street Historic Commercial District is its traditional downtown. Naval Air Station Alameda closed in 1997 and was handed to the city; the site, now Alameda Point, is being redeveloped and holds a monthly antiques fair. Alameda Unified School District runs the public schools. Alameda Point, Bay Farm Island and South Shore are largely built on bay fill, and rising groundwater and sea level add flood and liquefaction risk, so ask for the flood zone and a geotechnical report.
Small towns outside the ranking
Towns under 25,000 people are left out of the main ranking, because a handful of sales can swing their figures. Several of the Bay Area's most sought-after places are in this group. Here are eight of them with Redfin data, fastest-selling first:
| Town | County | Population, 2024 | Median days to sell | Median sale price | Sales (3 months) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Moraga | Contra Costa | 16,698 | 13 | $1,514,279 | 40 |
| Piedmont | Alameda | 10,816 | 14 | $2,906,116 | 28 |
| Mill Valley | Marin | 13,904 | 17 | $1,849,119 | 38 |
| Clayton | Contra Costa | 10,933 | 18 | $1,134,210 | 35 |
| Orinda | Contra Costa | 19,573 | 23 | $1,749,167 | 58 |
| Tiburon | Marin | 8,933 | 26 | $2,998,572 | 40 |
| Hillsborough | San Mateo | 11,171 | 26 | $6,546,882 | 33 |
| Sausalito | Marin | 7,075 | 32 | $1,574,250 | 36 |
Mill Valley: redwood canyons below Mount Tamalpais
Mill Valley is about 14 miles north of San Francisco over the Golden Gate Bridge, on Richardson Bay and the slopes of Mount Tamalpais. It had a Redfin median of $1,849,119, with homes selling in 17 days. Wooded canyon lots mean wildfire risk is part of the purchase; read our Mill Valley guide.
Sausalito: the first town past the Golden Gate Bridge
Sausalito sits at the north end of the Golden Gate Bridge on hillsides and tidal flats, with a fifth of the city underwater. It had 7,075 residents in 2024, and homes took a median 32 days to sell, the slowest in this group, at a Redfin median of $1,574,250. See our Sausalito guide.
Moraga and Orinda: Lamorinda beside Lafayette
Moraga, home of Saint Mary's College, had the fastest sales in this group: homes sold in 13 days at a median of $1,514,279. Orinda, on State Route 24 with its own BART station, had a median of $1,749,167 and 23 days to sell. With Lafayette, the three are often shopped together as "Lamorinda".
Millbrae (23,321 residents in 2024) and Half Moon Bay (11,324) fall below the cut-off, and unincorporated places such as Alamo and Kentfield are not cities, so they are left out too. Their prices are on the county data pages for San Mateo County, Marin County and Contra Costa County.
Peninsula, East Bay or Marin: how the areas compare
The three areas trade off price, commute and space differently.
The Peninsula (San Mateo County)
Nine of the top 15 are on the Peninsula, including the top four, where Caltrain and BART reach San Francisco and Silicon Valley employers are close. Homes sell fastest here, often above asking, and most Peninsula cities had Redfin medians above $1.1 million.
The East Bay (Alameda and Contra Costa counties)
The East Bay has the widest range. Berkeley, El Cerrito, San Leandro and Alameda sold about as fast as most of the Peninsula, while the lowest prices in the study were in Pittsburg, Richmond, San Pablo and Antioch, all under $600,000. BART runs through Lamorinda, Walnut Creek, Concord, Pleasant Hill, Dublin and the inner East Bay; the San Ramon Valley and far East County depend more on driving. Our Danville and Walnut Creek guides go deeper on two Contra Costa towns.
Marin County
Novato and San Rafael are Marin's only cities over 25,000 people, and both sold more slowly than most Peninsula cities, at 41 and 28 days. Most of Marin's housing is in smaller towns such as Mill Valley, Tiburon and Sausalito. There is no BART in Marin, so commuters rely on buses, ferries and the Golden Gate Bridge.
Checks before you choose a Bay Area suburb
Price the full cost, not just the home
Prop 13 resets the assessed value to your purchase price, and parcel taxes and bonds add to the base rate in many Bay Area cities. Our Contra Costa County and Marin County property tax guides show local rates, and the transfer tax guide covers city transfer taxes.
Insurance, wildfire and earthquake
Hillside towns in Marin, Lamorinda and the East Bay hills sit in mapped fire zones, and insurers have pulled back. Check the address with our wildfire zones guide and get a quote early; see the FAIR Plan guide if regular carriers decline. Every Bay Area city is near an active fault, so price earthquake insurance too.
Flood and sea level on the bay shore
Bay-fill neighborhoods in Foster City, Redwood Shores and parts of Alameda and San Mateo are low-lying. Ask for the flood zone and the city's levee plans.
Commute at the hour you will travel
A short distance can mean a long drive on Interstate 880, Highway 101 or the Bay Bridge approach. Try the trip by train and by car at peak time before you commit.
Schools, by address
Look up the exact address in the district's boundary tool, then compare schools on the California School Dashboard. Several cities on this list are split between two or three elementary districts.