Stacker
1 / 30#30. Burlingame
- Typical home value: $2,845,047
- 1-year price change: +11.6%
- 5-year price change: +20.1%
- Metro area: San Francisco-Oakland-Berkeley, CA
Cities with the most expensive homes in California
Purchasing a home is one of the most important investments there is. More than a place to live, homeownership is an asset with the potential to tremendously rise in value. But with home prices reaching record heights, affordability plays a huge role for buyers.
The typical home value in the United States was $366,913 in September, 1.0% higher than the year before.
High mortgage rates are also making monthly payments more expensive; as of October 15, the 30-year fixed mortgage rate sits at 7.4%.
Although home prices have inflated all across the U.S., there are some cities that command a higher price tag than others. Location, size, age, and condition are all contributing factors to home value.
Stacker compiled a list of cities with the most expensive homes in California using data from Zillow. Cities are ranked by the Zillow Home Values Index for all homes as of September 2026. The charts in this story were created automatically using Matplotlib.
Metros with the most cities in the top 30 in California
#1. San Francisco-Oakland-Berkeley, CA: 12
#2. Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA: 7
#3. San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA: 6
#4. San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA: 2
#4. Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA: 2
#6. Salinas, CA: 1
You may also like: Coldest Augusts in California since 1895
Stacker
2 / 30#29. Menlo Park
- Typical home value: $2,898,368
- 1-year price change: +10.1%
- 5-year price change: +19.8%
- Metro area: San Francisco-Oakland-Berkeley, CA
Stacker
3 / 30#28. Emerald Lake Hills
- Typical home value: $2,916,733
- 1-year price change: +5.9%
- 5-year price change: +9.7%
- Metro area: San Francisco-Oakland-Berkeley, CA
Stacker
4 / 30#27. Cupertino
- Typical home value: $2,957,922
- 1-year price change: +2.9%
- 5-year price change: +26.7%
- Metro area: San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA
Stacker
5 / 30#26. Del Monte Forest
- Typical home value: $3,002,019
- 1-year price change: +6.5%
- 5-year price change: +27.4%
- Metro area: Salinas, CA
You may also like: Highest-rated Class of 2027 football recruits from California
Stacker
6 / 30#25. Laguna Beach
- Typical home value: $3,043,251
- 1-year price change: +6.8%
- 5-year price change: +33.5%
- Metro area: Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA
Stacker
7 / 30#24. Summerland
- Typical home value: $3,095,826
- 1-year price change: +8.1%
- 5-year price change: +32.6%
- Metro area: Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA
Stacker
8 / 30#23. Rolling Hills
- Typical home value: $3,096,693
- 1-year price change: +2.6%
- 5-year price change: +9.1%
- Metro area: Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA
Stacker
9 / 30#22. Diablo
- Typical home value: $3,102,551
- 1-year price change: +3.8%
- 5-year price change: +3.9%
- Metro area: San Francisco-Oakland-Berkeley, CA
Stacker
10 / 30#21. Tiburon
- Typical home value: $3,117,225
- 1-year price change: +9.3%
- 5-year price change: +11.7%
- Metro area: San Francisco-Oakland-Berkeley, CA
You may also like: See how much it costs to attend San Francisco Giants games
Stacker
11 / 30#20. Malibu
- Typical home value: $3,171,350
- 1-year price change: +2.6%
- 5-year price change: +6.9%
- Metro area: Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA
Stacker
12 / 30#19. Stanford
- Typical home value: $3,233,652
- 1-year price change: +5.3%
- 5-year price change: +20.0%
- Metro area: San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA
Stacker
13 / 30#18. Manhattan Beach
- Typical home value: $3,353,430
- 1-year price change: +9.4%
- 5-year price change: +23.8%
- Metro area: Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA
Stacker
14 / 30#17. Stinson Beach
- Typical home value: $3,576,820
- 1-year price change: +12.7%
- 5-year price change: +10.4%
- Metro area: San Francisco-Oakland-Berkeley, CA
Stacker
15 / 30#16. Palo Alto
- Typical home value: $3,592,240
- 1-year price change: +5.9%
- 5-year price change: +17.1%
- Metro area: San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA
You may also like: See how much it costs to attend San Diego FC games
Stacker
16 / 30#15. Beverly Hills
- Typical home value: $3,676,482
- 1-year price change: +9.3%
- 5-year price change: +3.8%
- Metro area: Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA
Stacker
17 / 30#14. Newport Beach
- Typical home value: $3,710,827
- 1-year price change: +10.1%
- 5-year price change: +55.9%
- Metro area: Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA
Stacker
18 / 30#13. Del Mar
- Typical home value: $3,830,884
- 1-year price change: +10.3%
- 5-year price change: +31.1%
- Metro area: San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA
Stacker
19 / 30#12. Saratoga
- Typical home value: $3,974,406
- 1-year price change: +4.2%
- 5-year price change: +28.5%
- Metro area: San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA
Stacker
20 / 30#11. Woodside
- Typical home value: $3,998,075
- 1-year price change: +8.4%
- 5-year price change: +12.2%
- Metro area: San Francisco-Oakland-Berkeley, CA
You may also like: Coldest Februarys in California since 1895
Stacker
21 / 30#10. Ross
- Typical home value: $4,210,716
- 1-year price change: +10.1%
- 5-year price change: +12.0%
- Metro area: San Francisco-Oakland-Berkeley, CA
Stacker
22 / 30#9. Portola Valley
- Typical home value: $4,325,642
- 1-year price change: +12.1%
- 5-year price change: +24.4%
- Metro area: San Francisco-Oakland-Berkeley, CA
Stacker
23 / 30#8. Rancho Santa Fe
- Typical home value: $4,447,051
- 1-year price change: +6.9%
- 5-year price change: +45.4%
- Metro area: San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA
Stacker
24 / 30#7. Los Altos
- Typical home value: $4,591,005
- 1-year price change: +8.4%
- 5-year price change: +28.4%
- Metro area: San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA
Stacker
25 / 30#6. Belvedere
- Typical home value: $5,028,748
- 1-year price change: +11.3%
- 5-year price change: +13.4%
- Metro area: San Francisco-Oakland-Berkeley, CA
You may also like: Los Angeles Chargers seasons that exceeded expectations the most
Stacker
26 / 30#5. Hidden Hills
- Typical home value: $5,078,023
- 1-year price change: +5.6%
- 5-year price change: +26.9%
- Metro area: Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA
Stacker
27 / 30#4. Hillsborough
- Typical home value: $5,532,259
- 1-year price change: +13.4%
- 5-year price change: +16.1%
- Metro area: San Francisco-Oakland-Berkeley, CA
Stacker
28 / 30#3. Montecito
- Typical home value: $5,676,750
- 1-year price change: +13.0%
- 5-year price change: +44.5%
- Metro area: Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA
Stacker
29 / 30#2. Los Altos Hills
- Typical home value: $5,922,714
- 1-year price change: +6.4%
- 5-year price change: +18.4%
- Metro area: San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA
Stacker
30 / 30#1. Atherton
- Typical home value: $8,632,097
- 1-year price change: +16.2%
- 5-year price change: +23.6%
- Metro area: San Francisco-Oakland-Berkeley, CA
You may also like: Coldest Septembers in California since 1895
