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Featured local agent — Los Altos, CA
Sarah Mitchell
Compass Real Estate · Los Altos, CA
“Your trusted relocation specialist since 2009. 350+ homes sold. Zero-pressure, data-first approach.”
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Los Altos, CA Housing Market
The typical home in Los Altos, CA is worth $4.60M, rose 4.8% over the past year (Zillow Home Value Index, July 2026). The last median sale price Redfin published was $4.20M, -5.7% year over year (through May 2026). With 1.2 months of supply and homes going under contract in about 10 days, Los Altos is a strong seller's market. At today's 6.66% 30-year fixed rate, 20% down on a $4.60M home is about $23,658/mo in principal and interest.
Key numbers for Los Altos, CA
Typical home value
$4.60M
+4.8% in 12 months
Zillow, July 2026
Typical asking rent
$7,837/mo
Zillow Observed Rent Index
Zillow, July 2026
Median sale price
$4.20M
-5.7% year over year
Redfin, through May 2026
Days on market
10
Fast-moving
Redfin, through May 2026
Active listings
35
1.2 months of supply
Redfin, through May 2026
30-yr fixed rate
6.66%
Freddie Mac weekly average
Freddie Mac via FRED, August 2026
Median household income
$250,001
Home costs 18.4x income
U.S. Census ACS, 2023
Sale-to-list ratio
106.2%
Selling above asking
Redfin, through May 2026
Zillow figures are as of July 2026 and refresh monthly. Redfin figures are through May 2026 — Redfin stopped publishing its public market trackers in June 2026, so those numbers are final, not current. Mortgage rates come from Freddie Mac via FRED and update weekly.
Is Los Altos a buyer's or seller's market?
Los Altos, CA is a strong seller's market, based on 1.2 months of supply and homes selling in about 10 days. Under 2 months of supply is a severe shortage: expect competition on almost anything priced correctly, and little room to negotiate below asking.
Inputs are Redfin's final published period (May 2026). How we classify markets · Where the data comes from
What does the Los Altos housing market data show?
Every row below is Redfin's final published month for Los Altos, CA. Redfin, through May 2026
| Metric | Value |
|---|---|
| Median sale price | $4.20M |
| Median list price | $4.36M |
| Year-over-year price change | -5.7% |
| Median price per sq ft | $1,736/sq ft |
| Median days on market | 10 days |
| Active inventory | 35 listings |
| Months of supply | 1.2 months |
| Sale-to-list price ratio | 106.2% |
| Homes sold (that month) | 30 |
| New listings (that month) | 30 |
| Listings with a price cut | 31.4% |
| Market condition | Strong seller's market |
How to read these numbers
- Median sale price
- Half the homes that closed sold for more than this, half for less. It moves with what kind of home sold that month, so a quiet month with two big sales can swing it. Redfin's figure for Los Altos is frozen at May 2026.
- Typical home value (ZHVI)
- Zillow's estimate of what a mid-market home in Los Altos is worth right now, whether or not it sold. It is smoother than the median sale price and it still refreshes monthly, which is why this page leads with it.
- Months of supply
- How long it would take to sell every active listing at the current pace. Under 3 favors sellers, over 6 favors buyers, and 3 to 6 is the balanced band.
- Days on market
- Median time from listing to accepted offer. Short means you should have financing ready before you tour; long means there is room to negotiate on price and repairs.
- Sale-to-list ratio
- Sale price divided by the last asking price. Above 100% means bidding above asking is normal here; below 100% means the typical buyer got a discount.
- Price per square foot
- The size-adjusted price. Use it to compare a 1,400 sq ft house to a 2,600 sq ft house, not to value your own home — lot, condition and age move it a lot.
- Listings with a price cut
- Share of active listings that dropped their asking price in the month. A high share is the earliest visible sign that sellers are ahead of what buyers will pay.
- Typical asking rent (ZORI)
- Zillow's repeat-rent index for asking rents on new leases. Paired with the home value it gives the price-to-rent ratio in the rent-vs-buy section below.
How have Los Altos home prices moved?
Over the last three years the median sale price in Los Altos, CA rose 5.0%, from $4.00M to $4.20M. The live Zillow value series has rose 4.8% in the last 12 months, which is the more current read now that Redfin's series has stopped. 31.4% of Los Altos listings cut their asking price in the final Redfin month — a high share, and the clearest sign that list prices were running ahead of what buyers would pay. For prices to fall meaningfully from here, supply would have to keep building past 1.2 months while the sale-to-list ratio slips below its current 106.2%. Watch those two together — they move before the median does.
Redfin, through May 2026 — the chart ends at Redfin's final published month.
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What does it cost to buy a home in Los Altos?
Priced off the typical home value of $4.60M at the current 6.66% 30-year fixed rate. These are principal and interest only — property taxes, homeowner's insurance, HOA dues and mortgage insurance are on top, and they vary enough by property that we will not guess them for you.
| Down payment | Cash at close | Loan amount | Monthly P&I |
|---|---|---|---|
| 20% | $920,346 | $3.68M | $23,658/mo |
| 5% | $230,086 | $4.37M | $28,093/mo |
Zillow, July 2026 for the price · Freddie Mac via FRED, August 2026 for the rate
What income do you need?
Lenders generally want housing costs under 28% of gross income. On the 20%-down payment of $23,658, that implies roughly $1.01M a year before you add taxes and insurance. The median household in Los Altos earns $250,001, about $763,894 short of that threshold — the typical local household needs a larger down payment, a co-borrower, or a home below the typical home value to fit the 28% rule. That puts the price-to-income ratio at 18.4x — well above the 3x that was historically considered affordable, which is why down payment size drives who can buy here.
Run it with your own numbers: affordability calculator · mortgage calculator
Buying in Los Altos in the next 12 months?
Tell us your timeline. We send the Los Altos market brief: the price ranges that actually clear, how long homes sit, and what to fix on your credit before you apply.
Is it cheaper to rent or buy in Los Altos?
Typical asking rent in Los Altos, CA is $7,837/mo, against a typical home value of $4.60M. That is a price-to-rent ratio of 48.9x, which means renting tends to be the cheaper monthly option unless you stay long enough for appreciation to close the gap. Compared head to head, 20% down puts principal and interest at $23,658 a month — $15,821 more than renting before taxes and insurance, so the ownership case here rests on equity and appreciation rather than monthly cash flow.
Zillow, July 2026 for both value and rent
Add your own down payment, tax rate and time horizon in the rent vs. buy calculator.
Is inventory rising or falling in Los Altos?
Active listings in Los Altos, CA went from 34 in May 2025 to 35 in May 2026, a +2.9% change. Inventory has been roughly flat, which usually keeps prices moving with rates rather than with local supply.
| Month | Active listings | New listings |
|---|---|---|
| June 2025 | 26 | 31 |
| July 2025 | 33 | 32 |
| August 2025 | 30 | 34 |
| September 2025 | 33 | 37 |
| October 2025 | 31 | 26 |
| November 2025 | 24 | 11 |
| December 2025 | 16 | 3 |
| January 2026 | 33 | 32 |
| February 2026 | 29 | 27 |
| March 2026 | 37 | 42 |
| April 2026 | 44 | 45 |
| May 2026 | 35 | 30 |
Redfin, through May 2026
How does Los Altos compare to California and the U.S.?
Los Altos homes sell for $4.20M — 373% above the California median of $887,400. Against the national median of $410,700, Los Altos runs 923% higher. Year-over-year, Los Altos moved -5.7% against California's +3.4% — a bigger swing than the state as a whole.
| Market | Median sale price | YoY | Days on market |
|---|---|---|---|
| Los Altos, CA | $4.20M | -5.7% | 10 days |
| California statewide | $887,400 | +3.4% | 33 days |
| United States | $410,700 | not published | not published |
City and state rows: Redfin, through May 2026 · U.S. row: Freddie Mac via FRED, April 2026 (MSPUS, quarterly)
What to do next in Los Altos
What buyers should watch
- Months of supply, currently 1.2. It turns before price does — when it climbs past 6, sellers start taking offers they would have rejected a quarter earlier.
- The share of listings cutting price, currently 31.4%. A listing that has already cut once is the one most likely to accept below asking.
- The gap between 5% and 20% down here is $4,436 a month in principal and interest alone, before mortgage insurance. That gap, not the price, is usually what decides your timeline.
- Rate moves. At 6.66%, every full point of rate change moves the payment on a $4.60M home more than a 5% price change does.
- Your credit tier before you shop, not after — it sets the rate you are quoted. Run your numbers first.
What sellers should know
- The median Los Altos listing goes under contract in 10 days. If yours passes that mark, the market is telling you the price is wrong — not that you need more showings.
- Homes here close at 106.2% of asking. Price at the number you want and let competition do the rest.
- In the last published month Los Altos added 30 new listings against 30 sales — more clearing than arriving, which is the better window to list.
- Your equity moved +4.8% in the last 12 months on the Zillow value series. That, not the price you paid, is what sets your net proceeds.
- Comparable ZIP-level pricing inside Los Altos varies more than the citywide median suggests — check the ZIP pages below before you set a number.
Homes for sale in Los Altos
There are currently 35 homes listed for sale in Los Altos, California. The median listing price is $4.4M.
Active listings
35
Homes on market
Median list price
$4.4M
Avg. days on market
10
Days until sale
New this week
30
Newly listed
How much do homes cost in Los Altos by property type?
How the Los Altos, CA market breaks down across single-family homes, condos and townhouses. Redfin, through May 2026
| Property type | Median price | Price / sq ft | Homes sold | Days on market |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Single-family | $4.51M | $1,788/sq ft | 25 | 9 days |
| Condo / co-op | $1.15M | $1,068/sq ft | 3 | 68 days |
| Townhouse | $2.52M | $1,420/sq ft | 2 | 11 days |
Who lives in Los Altos?
American Community Survey estimates for Los Altos. U.S. Census ACS, 2023
Population
30,736
Households
10,756
Median income
$250,001/yr
Median age
46 years
Owner-occupied
80.8%
Median home value
$2.00M
Median gross rent
$3,501/mo
Mean commute
22.9 min
80.8% of occupied homes in Los Altos are owner-occupied, and the rest are rented — which is the share that decides how much of the local housing stock ever reaches the for-sale market. The Census self-reported median home value is $2.00M against Zillow's $4.60M typical value; the gap is normal — ACS asks owners what they think their home is worth, Zillow models transactions. Census median gross rent (all leases, including long-held ones) is $3,501/mo, below Zillow's $7,837/mo asking rent on new leases — the difference is roughly what a mover pays over a stayer.
Which public schools serve Los Altos?
11 schools tracked · 6,263 students
The largest public schools serving Los Altos, CA by enrollment, drawn from the National Center for Education Statistics. School quality is a commonly cited factor in home-buying decisions — these are the campuses families in this area are most likely to encounter.
Los Altos High
Grades 9-12 · 2,114 students
Bullis Charter
Grades K-8 · 1,025 students
Ardis G. Egan Junior High
Grades 7-8 · 496 students
Covington Elementary
Grades K-6 · 407 students
Montclaire Elementary
Grades K-5 · 406 students
Georgina P. Blach Junior High
Grades 7-8 · 404 students
Santa Rita Elementary
Grades K-6 · 367 students
Almond Elementary
Grades K-6 · 365 students
Source: National Center for Education Statistics, Common Core of Data directory. Updated annually. Ratings and test scores are not currently displayed.
Which cities are near Los Altos, CA?
Ordered by distance from Los Altos, not by size. Compare Los Altos side by side with any of them.
Los Altos housing market FAQ
Is Los Altos a buyer's or seller's market?
Los Altos, CA is currently a strong seller's market. That read comes from 1.2 months of supply, homes going under contract in about 10 days, and sellers getting 106.2% of their asking price in the last month Redfin published (May 2026).
How much do homes cost in Los Altos?
The typical home in Los Altos, CA is worth $4.60M (Zillow Home Value Index, July 2026). The median sale price in the last month Redfin published was $4.20M, about $1,736 per square foot.
Is Los Altos cheaper than the rest of California?
Los Altos's median sale price of $4.20M is 373% higher than the California statewide median of $887,400, and 923% above the U.S. median of $410,700. Both figures are for the same period.
How long do homes take to sell in Los Altos?
Homes in Los Altos, CA spent a median of 10 days on market before going under contract, versus 33 days statewide. Under three weeks means well-priced listings move before most buyers can schedule a second showing. (Redfin, through May 2026.)
What income do you need to buy a home in Los Altos?
At the current 30-year fixed rate of 6.66%, 20% down on a $4.60M home is about $23,658 a month in principal and interest. Lenders typically want that under 28% of gross income, which works out to roughly $1.01M a year before taxes, insurance, HOA dues or mortgage insurance. The local median household income is $250,001.
Are home prices rising in Los Altos?
The typical home value in Los Altos, CA rose 4.8% over the last 12 months, from $4.39M to $4.60M (Zillow, July 2026). This is the live series — it refreshes monthly.
What are the cheapest ZIP codes in Los Altos?
Los Altos ZIP-level sale prices are not all published for the same period, so ranking them would compare different months. The ZIP pages listed on this page show what we hold for each one individually.
Is now a good time to buy in Los Altos?
That depends on your timeline, not on a headline. What the data says today: Los Altos, CA is a strong seller's market with 1.2 months of supply, the 30-year fixed rate is 6.66%, and the price-to-rent ratio of 48.9x means renting tends to be the cheaper monthly option unless you stay long enough for appreciation to close the gap. Properties Incorporated publishes the data; it does not give financial advice.
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