What a local Sunnyvale agent helps you decide
Sunnyvale covers about 22 square miles of land (Census 2020 Gazetteer) and has roughly 154,000 residents (American Community Survey 2020-2024). It is one of the faster markets in Santa Clara County. Redfin counted 233 sales in the three months to September 2026, and 47.6% of homes went off the market within two weeks of listing. Homes sold at 104.07% of list price on average, and 60.7% sold above the asking price.
That speed shapes what a local agent is for. The questions that matter most here are which of the four ZIPs fits your budget, whether a detached house, a townhouse or a condo gives you the space you need, and how far above list a particular house is likely to go. The price gap inside the city is wide. Redfin's median detached-house sale in 94087 was $2,949,256 over the three months to September 2026, while the median condo sale in 94086 was $677,480. A good agent narrows that range to the streets and home types you can actually win.
Most Sunnyvale housing is not detached. Census estimates put single-family detached homes at 36.0% of the city's 63,239 housing units, with 16.0% in buildings of 50 or more units and 5.7% mobile homes. Owners occupy 43.8% of homes. That mix means many buyers compare a house against a townhouse or condo in the same ZIP, and many sellers compete with newer attached product.
Buying a home in Sunnyvale
Zillow's typical home value for Sunnyvale was $2,007,452 in September 2026, up 1.0% in a year and 77.3% in ten years. It peaked at $2,065,031 in January 2025. Redfin's median sale price, which counts only homes that sold, was $1,884,103 in the three months to September 2026. These are different measures, so compare like with like.
Step 1 for Sunnyvale buyers: price the loan, not just the house
At Freddie Mac's 30-year average of 7.24% (week of October 29, 2026), 20% down on the Redfin median ($376,821) leaves a loan of about $1,507,282 and a principal-and-interest payment near $10,272 a month. That loan is above the 2026 high-cost conforming ceiling of $1,249,125 set by FHFA, so most Sunnyvale house purchases need a jumbo loan. Ask lenders for jumbo and conforming quotes side by side.
Step 2 for Sunnyvale buyers: choose between house, townhouse and condo
In ZIP 94086, Redfin's three-month medians were $2,599,344 for a detached house, $1,300,002 for a townhouse and $677,480 for a condo. In 94085 they were $1,649,584, $1,350,002 and $909,973. Townhouses in 94085 and 94089 sold for close to the price of a detached house in the same ZIP, so check square footage and lot size, not only the price. Our Sunnyvale condos guide covers the attached market.
Step 3 for Sunnyvale buyers: plan for competition
With 1.5 months of supply citywide and detached houses in 94087 going under contract in a median of 9 days, offers on well-priced houses often come in above list. Ask your agent for the last five closed sales nearby, the list-to-sale ratio on each, and whether the seller has set an offer date. Decide your ceiling before the offer date, not on it.
Step 4 for Sunnyvale buyers: read the disclosure package early
Ask the listing agent whether inspection reports and disclosures are available before offers are due. If they are, read them before you bid, since a short contingency period leaves little time later. Our guide to buying a house in California explains the contract steps.
Selling a home in Sunnyvale
Supply is growing. Redfin counted 276 new listings in the three months to September 2026, 22.1% more than a year earlier, and active inventory was up 31.8% to 116 homes. Across the San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara metro, Zillow reports that 22.5% of listings had a price cut in September 2026.
Step 1 for Sunnyvale sellers: price against your own ZIP and home type
Redfin's median price per square foot was $1,507 in 94087 and $913 in 94085 over the three months to September 2026. A condo, a townhouse and a detached house in the same ZIP sell at very different rates, so ask for comparable sales of your exact type. Our Sunnyvale housing market report breaks the numbers down.
Step 2 for Sunnyvale sellers: decide on pre-listing inspections
When homes go under contract in about two weeks, buyers have little time for their own inspections. Ordering a home inspection and a pest report before listing lets you fix small items, price the larger ones and avoid renegotiation in escrow. California sellers also owe a Transfer Disclosure Statement and a Natural Hazard Disclosure; see our California seller disclosure guide.
Step 3 for Sunnyvale sellers: work out your net proceeds
Costs include escrow, title, the county documentary transfer tax and any commission you agree to pay. Our California closing costs guide and transfer tax guide list each line. If you have owned for many years, read our capital gains guide too, since Sunnyvale values rose 77.3% in ten years on Zillow's measure.
Sunnyvale areas at a glance
The four Sunnyvale ZIPs differ in price, housing type and age of homes. Values below are Zillow's typical home values for September 2026; housing mix is from the Census 2020-2024 estimates. Our Sunnyvale ZIP code guide and Sunnyvale neighborhoods guide go further.
ZIP 94087: south Sunnyvale
Zillow's typical value was $2,712,454, up 3.5% in a year. This is the most detached ZIP: 55.7% of its 21,617 homes are single-family detached, and the median home was built in 1967. Fremont High School (575 W. Fremont Ave.) and three Cupertino Union elementary schools have 94087 addresses. See the 94087 market data.
ZIP 94086: downtown and central Sunnyvale
Zillow's typical value was $1,839,541, down 0.5%. Both Caltrain stations sit here: Sunnyvale station at 121 W. Evelyn Ave. and Lawrence station at 137 San Zeno Way. The downtown CityLine district is at 241 S. Taaffe St. Only 27.8% of homes are detached, and owners occupy 30.5%. See the 94086 market data.
ZIP 94085: northeast-central Sunnyvale
Zillow's typical value was $1,474,341, down 0.2%. The median home here was built in 1988, newer than the city as a whole, and 18.2% of homes are in buildings of 50 or more units. See the 94085 market data.
ZIP 94089: north Sunnyvale
Zillow's typical value was $1,399,408, the lowest of the four. Census counts 2,981 mobile homes here, 31.3% of all homes in the ZIP, which is why the Census median home value for 94089 ($387,800) is far below the market price of a house. The median home was built in 1994. See the 94089 market data.
Sunnyvale neighborhoods by Zillow value
Zillow tracks ten Sunnyvale neighborhoods. In September 2026 Serra was highest at $3,070,323, followed by De Anza ($2,762,030), Ortega ($2,565,925), Raynor ($2,505,296) and Gavello Glen ($2,491,933). Washington Park was $2,177,296 and Ponderosa $1,788,574. West Murphy ($1,466,227), East Murphy ($1,428,941) and Lakewood ($1,292,299) were lowest, and those three fell slightly over the year.
Local property checks before you buy in Sunnyvale
- Property tax rate. Sunnyvale bills combine the 1% base levy with voter-approved bonds. Our Santa Clara County property tax guide lists Sunnyvale's 2025-26 tax rate areas at about 1.147% to 1.169%. Add parcel taxes such as the Sunnyvale School District's Measure Y, which the district describes as $59 a year, and Valley Water's Safe, Clean Water tax ($80.40 for a single-family parcel in 2025-26). Ask for the seller's last bill.
- Earthquake. All of the Bay Area carries earthquake risk. Check the Natural Hazard Disclosure for fault and liquefaction zones and price a policy; see our California earthquake insurance guide.
- Flood. Look up the parcel on the FEMA Flood Map Service Center, especially near creeks and in the low-lying north of the city toward the bay.
- Insurance. Get two quotes before removing contingencies. See our California homeowners insurance guide.
- HOA documents. For a townhouse or condo, read the reserve study, the budget and the last year of board minutes. Our California HOA laws guide covers what the association must disclose.
- Mobile homes. For a home in a mobile home park, ask whether the land is owned or rented, the space rent and park rules, and how the lender and the county treat the home, before you offer.
How to choose a real estate agent in Sunnyvale
Start with the license. Search the agent's name on the California Department of Real Estate public license lookup and confirm the license is active and shows no discipline. Then interview at least two agents and ask the same questions of each.
- How many Sunnyvale homes did you buy or sell in the last 12 months, and in which ZIPs?
- What was your average sale-to-list ratio, and how does it compare with Redfin's citywide 104.07%?
- How do you set an offer price when a seller has an offer date?
- Who handles showings, paperwork and escrow follow-up: you or a team member?
- What is your fee, and how long is the agreement?
Commission is negotiable and not set by law. Since August 17, 2024, buyers sign a written agreement with their agent before touring, and it must state the agent's pay as a clear amount or rate, according to the National Association of REALTORS. Our California real estate commission guide explains the details. If you want a starting point, read about our featured local agent and compare that agent with others you interview.
More Sunnyvale guides
For costs beyond the purchase price, see the Sunnyvale cost of living guide. For schools, the Sunnyvale schools guide lists Dashboard results and the district lookup tools; Sunnyvale is split among several school districts, so check every address. For newer homes, see new construction in Sunnyvale. For official crime figures, see Sunnyvale crime data. For the move itself, read relocating to Sunnyvale and is Sunnyvale a good place to live.