Los Altos
Spacious lots, top-ranked schools, and proximity to major employers like Google, Apple, and Stanford have made this small town one of the most sought-after—and fastest-appreciating—markets in Silicon Valley.
Great Schools, a True Village Feel, and a Prime Silicon Valley Location.
Los Altos is one of the most sought-after communities on the San Francisco Peninsula — known for its excellent schools, walkable downtown, and strong sense of neighborhood identity. We work with buyers and sellers throughout Los Altos and Los Altos Hills and have helped clients navigate this market across a wide range of situations, from first purchases to complex trust sales. Here are the questions we get asked most.
Los Altos, California Market Data Per MLS - Q1 2026
- $5.034M Median Sale Price
- 9 Days on Market (AVG)
- $1,899 Price Per Square Foot
FAQs
As top agents in Los Altos we draw on our decades of personal experience in the town when helping buyers and sellers understand the community. Los Altos is home in the deepest sense of the word for us. Lynn has lived here since high school — she’s a proud Los Altos High graduate. As a family we loved being able to walk down the street to the neighborhood school, Santa Rita Elementary (though if we’re being honest, it was usually more of a screeching-to-a-stop-in-the-carpool-line situation). Annie and her neighborhood friends grew up playing in the streets and splashing in Adobe Creek — the kind of free-range childhood that makes this community so special.
We know every nook and cranny of this city. We’ve watched downtown Village transform over the years from a quiet main street into a genuine destination — one that brings together all ages and generations. The Wine Walk, Festival of Lights, and Pet Parade have become beloved traditions that define what makes Los Altos feel like a real community, not just a suburb.
The median sale price in Q1 2026 for Los Altos was approximately $5.03M and $1,977 price per square foot for single-family homes. Prices vary meaningfully by street, school district boundary, and lot size. Homes near the downtown Village and within the Bullis-Purissima elementary boundary tend to command a premium. We track this data closely and are happy to pull a more specific estimate for any address.
Los Altos has historically been one of the most stable real estate markets in the Bay Area, with strong demand driven by tech employment, top-ranked schools, limited inventory, and larger lot sizes. Whether now is the right time depends on your personal timeline and financial situation more than market conditions alone. That said, buyers who wait for a significant price drop in Los Altos have historically waited a long time.
Some of the most sought-after areas in Los Altos include the streets closest to downtown shops and restaurants, North Los Altos (known for larger lots and quieter streets), and the area around Bullis-Purissima and Loyola elementary schools. Additional MLS neighborhoods in Los Altos include South of El Monte, Highlands and Country Club. Los Altos Hills, a separate but adjacent community, attracts buyers looking for more land and privacy. We know each pocket of this market well and can help you identify which fits your priorities.
Yes. Through Compass Private Exclusives, we can market a Los Altos property to Compass agents and their buyers without a public MLS listing. This is a good fit for sellers who prefer privacy or for properties that benefit from a controlled introduction to the market. We’ve successfully used this approach in Los Altos and can explain the trade-offs honestly depending on your situation.
From our review of the MLS data on the sales of single family homes in Los Altos in 2025, approximately 10% of the homes that sold took a preemptive offer or sold without ever hitting the market. Contact us to find out how we tap into our network of top agents and Compass Private Exclusives to make sure you know about all the homes for sale at your price point or in your targeted area.
Our Recent Los Altos Sales
Sales Trends
Los Altos single-family home prices have nearly tripled over the last 14 years, rising from a median of $1.64M in 2011 to $4.82M in 2025 — with the biggest single-year jump coming during the 2021 pandemic boom. At the same time, the number of homes sold has quietly shrunk, from a peak of 373 in 2012 to around 282 in 2025, meaning fewer homes are changing hands even as demand stays strong.
Condos and townhomes, on the other hand, have remained a steady part of the market, offering a more consistent entry point for buyers. Whether you’re buying or selling, understanding these long-term trends can make a real difference in how you approach the Los Altos market.
State Street Market is a gorgeous, modern food hall that opened in 2021. It offers stalls for some of our favorite places to grab a quick bite on the go. Including such favorites at:
- The Spicy Miso Ramen at Orenchi Ramen
- The O.G Smash burger at Konjoe Burger
- The Blazing Bird Salad at The Good Salad
- Chicken Tikka Wrap at Little Blue Door
- The Mandu (or any loaf of bread!) at Little Sky Bakery
When the weather starts to warm in April and the weekly Los Altos Farmers Market returns to Thursday evenings from 4-8pm, we love to gather with our friends at the State Street Market and enjoy a meal after we finish shopping. It’s such a delightful way to enjoy the warm evenings in Los Altos!
It’s easy to support local businesses in downtown Los Altos because the options are so fabulous! One of our absolute favorite locally owned shops and place to buy gifts for loved ones is B.K. Collections. It’s been open since 1978 and was also Lynn’s mom/Annie’s grandmother’s favorite place to shop. They curate a beautiful selection of jewelry, home decor and more. Other favorites include:
- The Linden Tree – a sweet bookshop that primarily sells children’s books.
- Cheeky Monkey Toys – love their selection of toys for all ages including board games, Legos, educational toys, sporty toys etc!
- Alys Grace – charming designer quality clothing.
- Ethos Los Altos – an excellent, eco-minded store where you can refill on soap, lotions and other home goods. Whenever possible we try to reduce our waste, especially on plastic heavy, everyday items that we otherwise quickly dispose.
The Los Altos Community Center and surrounding buildings offer a huge array of incredible resources available to the public. At this 24,500 SF community space you can book a multi-purpose room, enjoy the playground, reserve the commercial kitchen, play on the bocce ball courts. And there’s a space for a future café.
The Community Center is surrounded by many other facilities and services for the community including:
- Tennis courts
- Soccer fields (which double as a summer outdoor concert venue)
- Fantastic public library
- Los Altos History Museum
- Bus Barn Theater
Our dogs Issac and Sundae have many favorite spots throughout Los Altos. Just a few blocks from Downtown Los Altos there is a slightly hidden gem, Redwood Grove, a six acre park with a meandering creek. Children sometimes play in the creek and explore the approximately one mile loop trail. During the summer children ages 3.5-11 can participate in Redwood Grove camp (as Annie did as an elementary school student!).
Just next to Redwood Grove is Shoup Park which is a delightful mecca for kids of all ages with large fields for play, grills, trails connected to Redwood Grove, play structures and restrooms.
We also love to take our dogs on walks on the Bike Path – a paved path that’s great for walking and biking. In high school Annie took the Bike Path to neighboring Palo Alto, where she attended school.
- Tal Palo – The menu always changes! We love it – it’s always so fresh and special.
- Los Altos Grill – So many favorites! Salmon, dip duo, artichoke, tuna sashimi salad, french dip sandwich.
- Urfa Bistro – Urfa kebab, salmon salad, stuffed eggplant.
- State of Mind Pizzeria – SOB pizza and Shrooms!
- Pompeii Ristorante – Linguini Alla Vongole, Pollo Picatta.
- Sumika – Any skewer!
- Amadine Lounge – great bar!
- Aurum – Mr. Potato and Mushies (mushroom and peas pot pie).
Local Schools
Los Altos has a reputation for wonderful public schools. What actually makes the district stand out are strong academics without the burnout culture. High expectations, yes—but the schools here tend to emphasize well-rounded education over pure test-score obsession.
Engaged community: Parent involvement is high, PTAs are active, and local funding fills gaps that other districts struggle with.
Solid extracurriculars: Music, arts, and sports programs that don’t get cut every budget cycle.
Neighborhood schools: Most kids walk or bike—there’s a local, community feel that’s harder to find in larger districts.
Great Schools, No Surprise
- Public Elementary Schools - Santa Rita (10/10), Gardner Bullis (10/10), Almond (9/10), Loyola (10/10), Oak (10/10), Covington (9/10), Springer (9/10)
- Public Middle - Egan (8/10), Blach (8/10)
- Private - Pinewood (K-12)
- Private - St. Nicholas (TK-8)
- Charter - Bullis Charter School (TK-8) (10/10)
Los Altos Neighborhoods
Los Altos' Rural Feel Has Environmental Benefits
Much of the city was designed with wide streets and informal edges, and many residential roads lack traditional sidewalks, instead featuring broad dirt shoulders that contribute to Los Altos’s understated, open character. These unpaved shoulders also provide environmental benefits, allowing stormwater to absorb naturally into the ground, supporting local ecosystems and biodiversity, and reducing runoff and the environmental impact associated with extensive paving.