Palo Alto neighborhoods compared
Zillow publishes typical home values for 27 Palo Alto neighborhoods. We profile 15 of them below, from the most to the least expensive, chosen to cover the north, the south and the full price range. Values are Zillow's Home Value Index for September 2026; they include all home types, so areas with more condos show lower values.
| Neighborhood | Zillow typical value (Sept 2026) | 1-year change |
|---|---|---|
| Crescent Park | $5,736,185 | +11.8% |
| Professorville | $5,600,637 | +10.2% |
| Old Palo Alto | $5,408,741 | +9.7% |
| Community Center | $4,741,978 | +12.0% |
| Southgate | $3,962,223 | +13.2% |
| Duveneck - St. Francis | $3,924,445 | +6.9% |
| Green Acres | $3,823,534 | +8.1% |
| Barron Park | $3,789,293 | +9.6% |
| Midtown | $3,543,708 | +4.1% |
| Greenmeadow | $3,467,493 | +6.2% |
| College Terrace | $3,107,783 | +4.0% |
| Charleston Gardens | $2,757,768 | +4.6% |
| Ventura | $2,508,853 | +1.8% |
| Downtown North | $2,226,768 | +5.1% |
| Evergreen Park | $1,466,020 | +2.3% |
The north-south split matters more than any single name. Palo Alto north of Oregon Expressway is filled with older homes, many Craftsman and California Colonial, a few from the 1890s and most from the first four decades of the 20th century. South of Oregon Expressway, homes were mainly built in the first 20 years after World War II, including many Eichler and Eichler-style houses. Monroe Park, off El Camino Real at the city's southern edge, is served by the Los Altos and Mountain View-Los Altos school districts rather than Palo Alto Unified.
Palo Alto neighborhood profiles
Crescent Park, Palo Alto: $5,736,185 typical value
Zillow typical home value $5,736,185 (September 2026), up 11.8% in a year. Crescent Park is the most expensive of Palo Alto's 27 Zillow neighborhoods. In Palo Alto Online's analysis of MLSListings data for January to August 2026, its single-family median was $6.97 million, second only to Old Palo Alto, and the number of sales rose on 2025. Expect large lots and a mix of older homes and recent rebuilds. What to check: flood mapping for any home near San Francisquito Creek, and the permit history of additions.
Professorville, Palo Alto: $5,600,637 typical value
Zillow typical home value $5,600,637 (September 2026), up 10.2% in a year. Professorville grew up as the closest land to campus and downtown that Stanford did not own, so professors who wanted to own their land built here. The registered historic district is bounded by Addison Avenue, Waverley Street, Kingsley Avenue and Ramona Street; residents often treat the area as running from Addison to Embarcadero Road and from Emerson to Cowper Street. Typical houses are brown-shingled with gambrel roofs, in styles from Colonial Revival to Craftsman, and lot sizes vary widely, including flag lots. MLS sales rose in 2026 while new listings fell. What to check: historic review rules before you plan changes to the exterior.
Old Palo Alto, Palo Alto: $5,408,741 typical value
Zillow typical home value $5,408,741 (September 2026), up 9.7% in a year. Old Palo Alto led the city's luxury market in 2026. Palo Alto Online's MLS analysis shows its single-family median rising 57.6% to $9.14 million in January to August 2026, and 10 of the 14 Palo Alto sales above $10 million were here. Sales and new listings both fell, so the median rests on a small number of large sales. What to check: the land value versus the house, since many buyers here price the lot first.
Community Center, Palo Alto: $4,741,978 typical value
Zillow typical home value $4,741,978 (September 2026), up 12.0% in a year. Community Center gained 12.0% on Zillow's measure, one of the largest rises in the city. In the MLS data, both sales and new listings fell in 2026, so few homes changed hands. With so few sales, Zillow's estimate is a better guide to the trend than any single price. What to check: the age of the house and whether the foundation, sewer lateral and electrical system have been updated.
Southgate, Palo Alto: $3,962,223 typical value
Zillow typical home value $3,962,223 (September 2026), up 13.2% in a year. Southgate had the biggest one-year gain of any Palo Alto neighborhood on Zillow's measure, 13.2%. It is a small area and Zillow's estimate can move more than the sales would suggest, so compare its recent sales directly with Community Center and Old Palo Alto. What to check: how many sales back the trend, and any development applications nearby on the city's Permit View map.
Duveneck - St. Francis, Palo Alto: $3,924,445 typical value
Zillow typical home value $3,924,445 (September 2026), up 6.9% in a year. Duveneck - St. Francis sits just above the citywide typical value, with a 6.9% gain. Duveneck is also the name of one of Palo Alto Unified's 12 elementary schools, but a neighborhood name never confirms a school assignment. What to check: the PAUSD School Finder for the exact address, and the FEMA flood map for the parcel.
Green Acres, Palo Alto: $3,823,534 typical value
Zillow typical home value $3,823,534 (September 2026), up 8.1% in a year. Green Acres has a Zillow value just above the citywide figure, and in Palo Alto Online's MLS analysis its single-family median rose 31.4% in January to August 2026 while sales rose and new listings fell. The Barron Park Association also welcomes residents of the nearby Green Acres 2 area. What to check: whether the home's school assignment matches what the listing says, using the district's lookup.
Barron Park, Palo Alto: $3,789,293 typical value
Zillow typical home value $3,789,293 (September 2026), up 9.6% in a year. Barron Park was the last neighborhood to join Palo Alto, after an election in 1975 approved annexation on terms that let it keep its semi-rural character. Bol Park is named for the Bol family, whose donkey pasture sits beside it, and Matadero and Barron creeks run through the area. MLS sales held level in 2026 while the single-family median rose 20.9%. What to check: flood mapping near Barron Creek, which has a history of periodic flooding, and whether the street has sidewalks and storm drains.
Midtown, Palo Alto: $3,543,708 typical value
Zillow typical home value $3,543,708 (September 2026), up 4.1% in a year. Midtown is the central part of south Palo Alto. SummerHill Homes places its 48-townhome 28FIFTY community, at 2850 W. Bayshore Road, in Midtown and names Greer, Henry W. Seale and Hoover parks nearby. Midtown had the sharpest drop in sales in Palo Alto Online's MLS analysis, from 40 to 29 in January to August, so buyers have had less to choose from. What to check: whether a home is a mid-century original or a rebuild, since prices differ widely.
Greenmeadow, Palo Alto: $3,467,493 typical value
Zillow typical home value $3,467,493 (September 2026), up 6.2% in a year. Greenmeadow is a Joseph Eichler subdivision of 243 single-story modernist homes built in 1954 and 1955, designed by A. Quincy Jones and Frederick Emmons, and listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2005. The Greenmeadow Community Association runs a heated pool and clubhouse at 303 Parkside Drive, open to members. What to check: the association's membership rules and dues, design guidelines for Eichler remodels, and the radiant heating and flat roof on any original home.
College Terrace, Palo Alto: $3,107,783 typical value
Zillow typical home value $3,107,783 (September 2026), up 4.0% in a year. College Terrace is an all-residential grid 12 blocks long and two blocks wide between South California Avenue and Stanford Avenue, from Amherst Street to El Camino Real, next to Stanford. It keeps four original parks, and its library branch, built in 1936, is Palo Alto's oldest. The residents' association counts more than 900 households. MLS sales rose in 2026. What to check: street parking rules and any work planned by Stanford nearby.
Charleston Gardens, Palo Alto: $2,757,768 typical value
Zillow typical home value $2,757,768 (September 2026), up 4.6% in a year. Charleston Gardens is one of the lower-priced Palo Alto neighborhoods on Zillow's measure, about $835,000 below the citywide typical value of $3,592,240, with a 4.6% gain. A lower neighborhood value in Palo Alto usually reflects smaller lots or more attached homes in the mix, so check the home types behind recent sales. What to check: the school assignment for the exact address, and the home type behind the price you are comparing.
Ventura, Palo Alto: $2,508,853 typical value
Zillow typical home value $2,508,853 (September 2026), up 1.8% in a year. Ventura was the one neighborhood where prices fell clearly in Palo Alto Online's MLS analysis: the single-family median dropped 10.6%, from $3.22 million to $2.88 million, as new listings rose from 15 to 25. Zillow's estimate rose a modest 1.8%. That gives buyers more choice than in most of the city. What to check: recent sale prices on the same street, since a jump in listings can mean a short-term dip rather than a trend.
Downtown North, Palo Alto: $2,226,768 typical value
Zillow typical home value $2,226,768 (September 2026), up 5.1% in a year. Downtown North's Zillow typical value is well below the citywide figure, which in Palo Alto usually means more condos or smaller homes in the mix. Palo Alto Online's MLS analysis found sales in the Downtown area fell in 2026. The Palo Alto Caltrain station on University Avenue is the second busiest on the line, and the tracks cross Palo Alto streets at four grade crossings. What to check: the walk to the station and shops from the exact address, and train noise for homes near the tracks.
Evergreen Park, Palo Alto: $1,466,020 typical value
Zillow typical home value $1,466,020 (September 2026), up 2.3% in a year. Evergreen Park has the lowest Zillow typical value of the neighborhoods in our list, at well under half the citywide figure. A value this low in Palo Alto points to a large share of condos or townhomes, so compare like with like: condo against condo, house against house. What to check: HOA dues, reserves and any SB 326 balcony inspection for condo buildings, explained in our balcony inspection law guide.
Palo Alto neighborhoods by what you are looking for
Walkability and Caltrain: Downtown North, Professorville, College Terrace
Palo Alto has two regular Caltrain stops, University Avenue downtown and California Avenue. Professorville's historic district runs along Addison, Waverley and Ramona near downtown, Downtown North takes its name from downtown, and College Terrace is close to the California Avenue district. Elsewhere, most errands need a bike or car, though Palo Alto won a Gold-level Bicycle Friendly Community award in 2021 and pioneered the bicycle boulevard on Bryant Street.
Mid-century modern homes: Greenmeadow and south Palo Alto
Greenmeadow's 243 Eichler homes are the best-documented example, with National Register listing and an active community association. Many other streets south of Oregon Expressway have Eichler or Eichler-style houses. Ask about roof condition and radiant heating on any original home.
Historic older homes: Professorville and the north
For shingled, Craftsman and Colonial Revival houses from the city's early decades, start with Professorville's historic district, then compare Crescent Park, Community Center and Old Palo Alto, the other top-priced areas. Expect the highest prices in the city and, in historic areas, design review for exterior changes.
Semi-rural streets and open space: Barron Park
Barron Park kept a semi-rural character by agreement when it joined the city, with its creeks and Bol Park. For bigger open space, the city's Foothills Nature Preserve is 1,400 acres with 15 miles of trail, and the city stewards about 4,000 acres of open space in all.
Newer townhomes: Midtown and El Camino Real
New for-sale homes are mostly townhomes: 28FIFTY in Midtown, Cesano on El Camino Real and 3200 Park, due in 2027. See our Palo Alto new construction guide for prices and HOA dues.
Lower entry price: Evergreen Park, Downtown North and condos
The lowest Zillow values in our list are in Evergreen Park ($1,466,020), Downtown North ($2,226,768) and Ventura ($2,508,853). For the lowest price with a Palo Alto address, condos and townhomes are the realistic route; Redfin's median condo sale in 94306 was $1,294,962 for the three months to September 2026. See the Palo Alto condos guide.
Common questions about Palo Alto neighborhoods
The most expensive Zillow neighborhood is Crescent Park at $5,736,185, followed by Professorville and Old Palo Alto; on actual single-family sales, Old Palo Alto led in 2026 with a $9.14 million MLS median. The least expensive Zillow neighborhood is The Greenhouse at $915,733, the only one to lose value in the year, down 1.1%. Southgate gained the most, up 13.2%, followed by Community Center at 12.0% and Crescent Park at 11.8%.
For prices by ZIP code instead of neighborhood, see our Palo Alto ZIP codes guide, and for the market as a whole, the Palo Alto housing market report. If you are deciding between areas, our featured Palo Alto agent can pull recent sales street by street.