What a local Danville agent helps you decide
Danville is an incorporated town of about 18 square miles in Contra Costa County, about 30 miles east of San Francisco, according to the Town's community profile. It has two main ZIP codes. 94526 covers the west side, downtown along Hartz Avenue and the Diablo Road and El Cerro areas, and 94506 covers the east side along Camino Tassajara, including addresses in Blackhawk. The housing is mostly detached: the Census Bureau's 2020-2024 American Community Survey counts 77% of Danville's 16,004 homes as single-family detached, 15% as attached townhomes and fewer than 8% in buildings of two or more units.
That shapes what a local agent does here. The first decision is usually the trade-off between the two ZIPs. Redfin's median sale price in 94506 was $2,199,354 in the three months to September 2026, against $1,699,501 in 94526, but the 94526 figure rose 5.4% from a year earlier while 94506 fell 4.8%. The second is home type: a Danville townhouse sold for a median of $1,132,502 in 94526 over the same period, about $767,000 less than a detached house in the same ZIP. The third is pricing. Homes here sold at an average of 100.1% of list price and 35.3% went above list, so offers land close to the asking price, and a few well-presented homes draw competition.
Buying a home in Danville
Redfin counted 141 Danville home sales in the three months to September 2026, up 16.7% on a year earlier, with a median of 25 days on market and 2.1 months of supply. That is a quicker market than Contra Costa County as a whole, where the median home took 28 days to sell in September 2026 (Redfin county monthly figure). Here is how a purchase usually runs.
Danville buyer step 1: size the budget at a 7.24% rate
At Freddie Mac's 30-year average of 7.24% for the week of October 29, 2026, a buyer putting 20% down ($359,829) on Redfin's Danville median of $1,799,143 would pay about $9,809 a month in principal and interest. The 1% base property tax adds roughly $1,499 a month before local bonds and parcel taxes. Get a full pre-approval, not a pre-qualification, because Danville listings with several offers are usually decided on terms as much as price.
Danville buyer step 2: choose 94526 or 94506
The west side ZIP, 94526, has more variety, from downtown townhomes to large lots off Diablo Road. 94506, east of Interstate 680 along Camino Tassajara, is mostly newer subdivisions and the Blackhawk area. Read our Danville ZIP code guide for the price and speed differences, and the Danville condos and townhomes page if you want an attached home.
Danville buyer step 3: price the offer from closed sales
Ask your agent for every closed sale of a similar home within your subdivision in the past six months, with its days on market and any price cut. In 94526, 34.6% of homes sold above list in the three months to September 2026; in 94506 only 26.6% did, and the average sale closed at 98.7% of list. That gap tells you where there is room to negotiate.
Danville buyer step 4: inspections, insurance and contingencies
Many Danville homes date from the 1970s to 1990s; the Census median year built is 1980. Plan for a general inspection, a roof and sewer lateral check, and a pest report. Hillside lots near Las Trampas or Mount Diablo need a fire hazard zone check and an insurance quote before you remove contingencies. The steps of a California purchase are in our guide to buying a house in California.
Selling a home in Danville
Danville sellers listed 179 homes in the three months to September 2026, 11.1% more than a year earlier, while inventory was 5.7% lower at 99 homes (Redfin). Of the homes that went under contract, 41.8% did so within two weeks. A house that has not drawn an offer in its first two or three weekends is usually priced above the market.
Danville seller step 1: price by subdivision, not by town
Redfin's median price per square foot was $808.42 in 94526 and $704.67 in 94506 over the three months to September 2026. A comparative market analysis for Danville should use sales from your own subdivision or street, adjusted for lot size, single-story layouts and updates, because a townwide average misprices most homes.
Danville seller step 2: order disclosures and reports before listing
California sellers give buyers a Transfer Disclosure Statement and a Natural Hazard Disclosure, which states whether the home sits in a fire hazard zone, flood zone or earthquake fault zone. In Danville, buyers also ask for HOA documents in planned developments. Ordering the reports and a pre-listing inspection first avoids renegotiation in escrow. See our California seller disclosure guide.
Danville seller step 3: work out your net proceeds
At the county documentary transfer tax rate of $1.10 per $1,000 of price, a $1,799,143 sale carries about $1,979; confirm with escrow whether any other transfer charge applies to your parcel. Add escrow, title, any commission you agree to and any credits. Owners who bought decades ago should also check the federal capital gains exclusion. Our California closing costs guide and capital gains guide show the full list.
Danville areas at a glance
Zillow does not publish neighborhood values inside Danville, so the figures below use ZIP codes and Redfin's place figures for the three months to September 2026.
West Danville and downtown (94526)
Downtown runs along Hartz Avenue and Railroad Avenue, where the Saturday farmers' market is held, with older homes on small lots nearby and larger homes off Diablo Road, El Cerro Boulevard and Camino Ramon. Zillow's typical value for 94526 was $1,711,410 in September 2026, up 1.3% in a year. Detached homes here sold for a Redfin median of $1,899,521.
East Danville along Camino Tassajara (94506)
East of Interstate 680, planned subdivisions line Camino Tassajara, Crow Canyon Road and Sycamore Valley Road. Across the whole town, the Census counts 73% of homes as built between 1970 and 1999. Zillow's typical value for 94506 was $1,982,682, down 1.2% in a year, and detached homes sold for a Redfin median of $2,299,420. The only new single-family community selling in the town in October 2026 sits here; see new homes in Danville.
Blackhawk and the neighboring places
Blackhawk is an unincorporated community with Danville 94506 addresses. Redfin's median sale price there was $2,283,912 on 34 sales. Alamo, the unincorporated area to the north, was $3,210,971, and San Ramon, to the south, $1,449,310. Many buyers search all four, and the schools for all of them are in the San Ramon Valley Unified School District; see our Danville schools guide.
Local property checks before you buy in Danville
- Fire hazard and evacuation zone. Danville backs onto Las Trampas Regional Wilderness, the Sycamore Valley and Sherburne Hills open space preserves and Mount Diablo State Park. Look up the address on CAL FIRE's Fire Hazard Severity Zone map and the Town's fire evacuation plans. A high or very high zone changes defensible-space rules and insurance. Our California wildfire zones guide explains each tier.
- Insurance. Get two quotes early. Some hillside owners end up on the California FAIR Plan with a separate wraparound policy; see our homeowners insurance guide.
- Creeks and flood. San Ramon Creek runs through downtown, and the Town's hazard page shows downtown flooding photos. Check the FEMA flood map for any home near a creek.
- Property tax and parcel taxes. The base rate is 1% of the purchase price, plus voter-approved bonds and fixed charges. The San Ramon Valley Unified School District's renewed parcel tax is $144 a year. See the Contra Costa County property tax guide for local rates.
- HOA dues. Many east-side subdivisions and all townhome complexes have an HOA. Ask for the budget, reserve study and any planned special assessment.
- Utilities. The Town lists EBMUD for water, Central Contra Costa Sanitary District for sewer, and MCE as the default electricity supplier with PG&E delivery. Ask whether the parcel is on EBMUD water or a private well before you write the offer.
How to choose a real estate agent in Danville
There is no official ranking of Danville agents, so judge them on evidence. Check the license on the California Department of Real Estate's public lookup, which shows the license type, status, responsible broker and any discipline. Then ask each candidate for the sales they closed in your ZIP in the past year and how those homes did against their list prices.
Useful questions for a Danville interview:
- Which subdivisions have you sold in, and what did similar homes sell for?
- How would you price my home against 94526 or 94506 comparables?
- Who handles showings, disclosures and escrow: you or a team member?
- What is your plan for a home that has not sold in three weeks?
Since August 17, 2024, buyers sign a written agreement with their agent before touring, and it must state how the agent is paid, according to the National Association of Realtors. Commission is negotiable. Our California real estate commission guide covers the details. If you want a starting point, our featured partner for the town is on the our featured local agent page.
What buyers and sellers ask about Danville real estate
Are Danville prices dropping? Not on Redfin's sales figures: the median rose 6.6% in the year to the three months ending September 2026. Zillow's typical value, which tracks all homes, was up 0.2% in a year and still 12.7% below its June 2022 peak of $2,085,629.
Why do some owners move out? The Census figures show 89% of Danville residents lived in the same house a year earlier, a stable town. Cost is the obvious pressure: Zillow's typical rent was $4,324 a month in September 2026, and the Census median home value in Danville, $1,681,700, is nearly twice the Contra Costa County figure of $866,800. Prop 19 also lets owners 55 and older carry their tax base to a replacement home; see our Prop 19 guide.
Is it a good place to live? That depends on budget and commute. Our pros and cons of living in Danville page sets out the numbers.