Silicon Valley neighborhoods compared
Silicon Valley is a region, not a city, so its "neighborhoods" are the cities and towns of Santa Clara County; some definitions add southern San Mateo County cities such as Menlo Park. The table ranks 14 of them by Zillow's typical home value for September 2026. The Census columns come from the American Community Survey for 2020 to 2024.
| City | Zillow typical value, Sept 2026 | 1-year change | 10-year change | Owner-occupied homes | Median year built |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Los Altos Hills | $5,922,714 | +6.4% | +72.3% | 93% | 1977 |
| Los Altos | $4,591,005 | +8.4% | +95.0% | 82% | 1964 |
| Saratoga | $3,974,406 | +4.2% | +103.9% | 86% | 1967 |
| Palo Alto | $3,592,240 | +5.9% | +58.3% | 55% | 1963 |
| Cupertino | $2,957,922 | +2.9% | +89.8% | 61% | 1973 |
| Los Gatos | $2,597,611 | +4.6% | +91.4% | 65% | 1972 |
| Sunnyvale | $2,007,452 | +1.0% | +77.3% | 44% | 1976 |
| Mountain View | $1,929,681 | +2.5% | +55.1% | 39% | 1975 |
| Campbell | $1,837,614 | +2.7% | +101.5% | 52% | 1972 |
| Santa Clara | $1,642,638 | +0.5% | +89.3% | 41% | 1974 |
| Milpitas | $1,385,691 | -1.2% | +79.6% | 58% | 1987 |
| San Jose | $1,353,869 | -0.5% | +87.5% | 56% | 1976 |
| Morgan Hill | $1,316,319 | +3.3% | +75.9% | 71% | 1990 |
| Gilroy | $1,044,931 | +1.0% | +64.7% | 62% | 1989 |
For the San Jose metro area as a whole, Zillow's typical home value was $1,523,615, up 0.2% over the year and 80.1% over ten years. The peak was $1,591,642 in January 2025. Redfin's median sale price for all homes in Santa Clara County was $1,568,490 in September 2026, and for single-family houses alone $1,868,636.
Silicon Valley cities and towns, one by one
Ordered from the highest Zillow typical value to the lowest. Redfin and Zillow measure different things (sales in a period against an estimate for all homes), so compare each figure with the same measure elsewhere.
Los Altos Hills: the highest typical value, almost all detached houses
Los Altos Hills is a town of 8,377 people, the smallest place in the table. In the Census data, 98% of its homes are single-family detached and owners hold 93% of them. Sales are few and slow by valley standards.
In Los Altos Hills, Zillow's typical home value is $5,922,714 (+6.4% over the year, +18.4% over five years and +72.3% over ten). Redfin's median sale price for the three months to September 2026 was $6,746,787 (+20.5%), from 34 sales at 98.4% of list after a median 27 days. Census median household income is $250,000 or more.
Los Altos: the fastest sales in the valley
Owners hold 82% of occupied homes in Los Altos, and the Census median year a home was built is 1964, so most houses are more than 60 years old unless rebuilt. Homes sold in a median of 9 days, the quickest of any city here.
In Los Altos, Zillow's typical home value is $4,591,005 (+8.4% over the year, +28.4% over five years and +95.0% over ten). Zillow's observed rent was $6,886 a month. Redfin's median sale price for the three months to September 2026 was $4,617,801 (+11.9%), from 76 sales at 106.3% of list after a median 9 days. Census median household income is $250,000 or more. More in our Los Altos neighborhoods guide.
Saratoga: a west-valley hillside city of owners
Owners hold 86% of homes and 85% are detached houses. Saratoga, Cupertino and Los Altos Hills are policed by the Sheriff's Office West Valley Division.
In Saratoga, Zillow's typical home value is $3,974,406 (+4.2% over the year, +28.5% over five years and +103.9% over ten). Zillow's observed rent was $6,140 a month. Redfin's median sale price for the three months to September 2026 was $3,863,160 (-2.5%), from 79 sales at 101.5% of list after a median 18 days. Census median household income is $250,000 or more.
Palo Alto: the top price per square foot and two Caltrain stops
HP began in the HP Garage in Palo Alto, and the city has two Caltrain stations (Palo Alto and California Ave.), and its median year built, 1963, is the oldest of the cities here.
In Palo Alto, Zillow's typical home value is $3,592,240 (+5.9% over the year, +17.1% over five years and +58.3% over ten). Zillow's observed rent was $4,558 a month. Redfin's median sale price for the three months to September 2026 was $3,608,282 (+0.9%), from 135 sales at 107.1% of list after a median 13 days. Census median household income is $231,101. More in our Palo Alto neighborhoods guide.
Cupertino: Apple Park's home city
Apple is headquartered at Apple Park in Cupertino, and the whole city shares one ZIP, 95014. Cupertino has no Caltrain station; most residents drive, and 31.8% of workers worked from home in the 2020 to 2024 Census survey.
In Cupertino, Zillow's typical home value is $2,957,922 (+2.9% over the year, +26.7% over five years and +89.8% over ten). Zillow's observed rent was $4,307 a month. Redfin's median sale price for the three months to September 2026 was $2,848,643 (-6.9%), from 76 sales at 105.4% of list after a median 13 days. Census median household income is $234,707. More in our Cupertino neighborhoods guide.
Los Gatos: a foothill town on the way to the coast
Netflix is headquartered in Los Gatos. The town has two ZIPs, 95030 and 95032, and Zillow treats the mountain area of 95033 as Lexington Hills, where sales took a median 99 days. Hillside homes need a fire hazard zone check before you make an offer.
In Los Gatos, Zillow's typical home value is $2,597,611 (+4.6% over the year, +24.9% over five years and +91.4% over ten). Zillow's observed rent was $4,004 a month. Redfin's median sale price for the three months to September 2026 was $2,438,839 (-3.4%), from 65 sales at 102.4% of list after a median 26 days. Census median household income is $217,554. More in our Los Gatos neighborhoods guide.
Sunnyvale: the busiest market after San Jose
Sunnyvale is often cited as one of the birthplaces of Silicon Valley. It has a Caltrain station, and 3.9% of its workers commute by transit, tied with Mountain View for the highest share here. Only 36% of homes are detached houses.
In Sunnyvale, Zillow's typical home value is $2,007,452 (+1.0% over the year, +16.2% over five years and +77.3% over ten). Zillow's observed rent was $3,972 a month. Redfin's median sale price for the three months to September 2026 was $1,884,103 (+4.1%), from 233 sales at 104.1% of list after a median 16 days. Census median household income is $186,170. More in our Sunnyvale neighborhoods guide.
Mountain View: Google, Caltrain and the most rentals
Google's Googleplex and the Computer History Museum are in Mountain View, and the city is the western end of VTA's Orange Line light rail as well as a Caltrain stop. Renters hold 61% of homes, and just 27% of homes are detached houses, the lowest share in the table.
In Mountain View, Zillow's typical home value is $1,929,681 (+2.5% over the year, +10.4% over five years and +55.1% over ten). Zillow's observed rent was $4,535 a month. Redfin's median sale price for the three months to September 2026 was $1,836,625 (+9.7%), from 130 sales at 105.1% of list after a median 12 days. Census median household income is $189,917. More in our Mountain View neighborhoods guide.
Campbell: a small city between San Jose and Los Gatos
Campbell is a small city of 42,781 people with no Caltrain stop of its own. Zillow's typical value has risen 101.5% in 10 years, the second-fastest growth in the table after Saratoga, but homes took a median 31 days to sell, among the slowest.
In Campbell, Zillow's typical home value is $1,837,614 (+2.7% over the year, +28.5% over five years and +101.5% over ten). Zillow's observed rent was $3,433 a month. Redfin's median sale price for the three months to September 2026 was $1,827,740 (-3.2%), from 71 sales at 100.5% of list after a median 31 days. Census median household income is $145,268.
Santa Clara: chipmakers and Levi's Stadium
Nvidia, Intel and AMD are headquartered in Santa Clara, and Levi's Stadium, home of the San Francisco 49ers, opened there in 2014. The city has a Caltrain stop at Santa Clara station, and renters hold 59% of homes.
In Santa Clara, Zillow's typical home value is $1,642,638 (+0.5% over the year, +20.8% over five years and +89.3% over ten). Zillow's observed rent was $3,958 a month. Redfin's median sale price for the three months to September 2026 was $1,643,717 (-0.7%), from 195 sales at 103.0% of list after a median 20 days. Census median household income is $178,958.
Milpitas: newer housing on the north-east side
Milpitas has 78,578 people. Its median year built, 1987, is among the newest in the county, and its Redfin median fell 9.4% over the year, the largest drop among the cities here.
In Milpitas, Zillow's typical home value is $1,385,691 (-1.2% over the year, +17.3% over five years and +79.6% over ten). Zillow's observed rent was $3,614 a month. Redfin's median sale price for the three months to September 2026 was $1,287,887 (-9.4%), from 99 sales at 100.9% of list after a median 20 days. Census median household income is $178,798.
San Jose: the valley's biggest city and widest price range
San Jose has 990,138 people and 1,489 sales in three months, more than every other city here combined. Adobe, eBay, PayPal and Cisco are headquartered in the city, and its neighborhoods range from downtown condos to Almaden Valley houses. BART reaches it at Berryessa/North San Jose station.
In San Jose, Zillow's typical home value is $1,353,869 (-0.5% over the year, +17.8% over five years and +87.5% over ten). Zillow's observed rent was $3,582 a month. Redfin's median sale price for the three months to September 2026 was $1,349,357 (-5.0%), from 1,489 sales at 101.1% of list after a median 22 days. Census median household income is $146,427. More in our San Jose neighborhoods guide.
Morgan Hill: south county homes built mostly after 1980
Morgan Hill has the newest housing of any city here, with a Census median year built of 1990, and owners hold 71% of homes. Caltrain stops there at commute hours only, and homes took a median 41 days to sell, the slowest in the table.
In Morgan Hill, Zillow's typical home value is $1,316,319 (+3.3% over the year, +14.7% over five years and +75.9% over ten). Zillow's observed rent was $3,797 a month. Redfin's median sale price for the three months to September 2026 was $1,281,890 (-2.0%), from 108 sales at 99.9% of list after a median 41 days. Census median household income is $163,920.
Gilroy: the lowest typical value in the county
Gilroy is the southern end of Caltrain's commute-hour service. It has the lowest typical value in Santa Clara County, and Zillow's value rose 9.5% in five years, the slowest growth of any city here.
In Gilroy, Zillow's typical home value is $1,044,931 (+1.0% over the year, +9.5% over five years and +64.7% over ten). Zillow's observed rent was $3,099 a month. Redfin's median sale price for the three months to September 2026 was $1,073,989 (-2.2%), from 100 sales at 100.0% of list after a median 27 days. Census median household income is $133,107.
Best Silicon Valley areas by what you are looking for
Best Silicon Valley areas for transit
Mountain View and Sunnyvale have the highest share of workers commuting by transit, 3.9% each, followed by Santa Clara (2.5%) and San Jose (2.4%). All four have Caltrain stations, and Mountain View and San Jose are on VTA light rail. Even here, most people drive: Caltrain carries the Peninsula commute, and BART ends in San Jose at Berryessa/North San Jose.
Best Silicon Valley areas for newer homes
By the Census median year built, the newest housing is in Morgan Hill (1990), Gilroy (1989) and Milpitas (1987). The oldest is in Palo Alto (1963), Los Altos (1964) and Saratoga (1967), where many buyers pay for the lot and remodel or rebuild. See our San Jose new construction and Sunnyvale new construction pages.
Best Silicon Valley areas for a lower entry price
Gilroy ($1,044,931), Morgan Hill ($1,316,319), San Jose ($1,353,869) and Milpitas ($1,385,691) have the lowest Zillow typical values. In San Jose, downtown and east-side ZIPs run below $1 million; see our Silicon Valley ZIP codes page.
Best Silicon Valley areas for detached houses on larger lots
Los Altos Hills (98% detached), Saratoga (85%) and Los Altos (82%) are made up mostly of single-family houses, and owners hold more than 80% of homes in each. They are also the three most expensive places in the table.
Best Silicon Valley areas for condos and townhomes
Mountain View (27% detached), Sunnyvale (36%) and Santa Clara (37%) have the most attached homes and apartments, and the lowest owner shares. A condo is the lower-cost way into these job centers; see our Silicon Valley condos guide and the Mello-Roos guide for newer complexes.
Which Silicon Valley areas gained value?
Over the year to September 2026, Zillow's typical value rose most in Los Altos (+8.4%), Los Altos Hills (+6.4%) and Palo Alto (+5.9%), and fell in Milpitas (-1.2%) and San Jose (-0.5%). The pattern is clear: the north-west cities closest to the Palo Alto and Mountain View employers gained the most, while the larger, lower-priced markets were flat.
Over ten years the picture changes. Saratoga (+103.9%) and Campbell (+101.5%) doubled, while Mountain View (+55.1%) and Palo Alto (+58.3%) grew least, partly because they started higher. Redfin's three-month medians moved more: Los Altos Hills +20.5% and Los Altos +11.9%, Milpitas -9.4%. Small sale counts make these swings larger.
How to choose where to live in Silicon Valley
- Start with the commute. Map the drive or train ride to work at rush hour. The 2020 to 2024 Census put the county's mean commute at 26.2 minutes, and 7% of commuters who leave home travel an hour or more.
- Set a price, then pick the city. The same budget buys a condo in Mountain View or a detached house in Morgan Hill.
- Check the school district by address. District lines do not follow city lines here; use the district's own lookup and the Silicon Valley schools guide.
- Check hazards. Hillside homes need a fire zone check, and flat areas near the bay need a flood map check. See Silicon Valley crime and hazard data.
- Look at property tax add-ons. Voter-approved bonds and assessments differ by city; see our Santa Clara County property tax guide.
A local agent can pull recent sales for the streets you are weighing; see our featured Silicon Valley agent.