Santa Clara County Price per Square Foot Statistics
The median Santa Clara County home sold for $969 per square foot across 10,536 closed residential transactions in the trailing twelve months. Palo Alto tops the county at $1,937 and Gilroy sits lowest at $524, a 3.7x spread inside one county.
Key Santa Clara County Price per Square Foot Statistics
MLSListings Inc. closed data- The median Santa Clara County home sold for $969 per square foot. (MLSListings Inc.)
- Palo Alto is the most expensive market in Santa Clara County at $1,937 per square foot. (MLSListings Inc.)
- Gilroy is the least expensive at $524, a 3.7x spread across one county. (MLSListings Inc.)
- Six Santa Clara County cities exceed $1,400 per square foot: Palo Alto, Los Altos, Los Altos Hills, Cupertino, Saratoga and Monte Sereno. (MLSListings Inc.)
- Only two cities sit below $700: Morgan Hill at $632 and Gilroy at $524. (MLSListings Inc.)
- Los Altos Hills carries the highest median sale price in Santa Clara County at $5,475,000 yet ranks third per square foot, because large homes dilute the rate. (MLSListings Inc.)
- San Jose, the county’s largest market at 5,175 closings, prices at $878 per square foot, under the county median. (MLSListings Inc.)
- At median rates, $1,000,000 buys roughly 516 square feet in Palo Alto and 1,908 square feet in Gilroy. (MLSListings Inc.)
What Is the Price per Square Foot in Santa Clara County?
The median Santa Clara County home sold for $969 per square foot, computed as closed price divided by living area across 10,536 closed residential transactions in the trailing twelve months.
The countywide median sits inside a very wide range of city level rates. Fifteen cities span from $524 in Gilroy to $1,937 in Palo Alto, and most of the county's transaction volume clears below the median rate because San Jose, the largest market by far, prices at $878. The single number is a starting point; the city table below is the working document. For the national frame, see United States home price statistics.
| Measure | Value | Detail |
|---|---|---|
| County median | $969 | 10,536 closed sales |
| Highest city | $1,937 | Palo Alto |
| Lowest city | $524 | Gilroy |
| Spread | 3.7x | Highest city against lowest |
| Cities above $1,400 | 6 | All in the west valley and north county hills |
Source: MLSListings Inc. closed residential transactions, trailing twelve months to August 11, 2026.
Which Santa Clara County City Costs the Most per Square Foot?
Palo Alto, at a median of $1,937 per square foot. Los Altos follows at $1,876, then Los Altos Hills at $1,580, Cupertino at $1,504, Saratoga at $1,494 and Monte Sereno at $1,471. The gap between first and second is $61, while first to sixth is $466.
| City | Price per sq ft | Median sale price | Median days on market | Closed sales |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Palo Alto | $1,937 | $3,510,000 | 9 | 530 |
| Los Altos | $1,876 | $4,515,000 | 8 | 338 |
| Los Altos Hills | $1,580 | $5,475,000 | 14 | 109 |
| Cupertino | $1,504 | $3,055,000 | 9 | 257 |
| Saratoga | $1,494 | $4,100,000 | 11 | 278 |
| Monte Sereno | $1,471 | $4,668,000 | 13 | 41 |
| Sunnyvale | $1,263 | $1,865,000 | 9 | 794 |
| Los Gatos | $1,207 | $2,577,500 | 13 | 412 |
| Mountain View | $1,112 | $1,852,500 | 9 | 498 |
| Santa Clara | $1,092 | $1,690,000 | 11 | 651 |
| Campbell | $1,078 | $1,920,000 | 11 | 281 |
| San Jose | $878 | $1,402,000 | 13 | 5,175 |
| Milpitas | $800 | $1,315,000 | 13 | 299 |
| Morgan Hill | $632 | $1,350,000 | 15 | 443 |
| Gilroy | $524 | $1,100,000 | 22 | 387 |
Source: MLSListings Inc., median per city, trailing twelve months to August 11, 2026. Living area greater than zero required; cities with fewer than 10 closed transactions are not reported.
Why Does Palo Alto Cost More per Square Foot Than Los Altos Hills?
Because the two cities sell different products. Los Altos Hills sells large homes on one-acre-minimum lots, and large living areas divide the sale price across more square feet even at a $5,475,000 median price. Palo Alto sells smaller homes on smaller lots, so the same sale price is divided across fewer square feet. Differences in typical home size, lot size, housing type and land value can all move the rate across cities.
The rank shifts between the two measures are the most informative rows in the county. Los Altos Hills is first by median price and third by rate. Saratoga is fourth by price and fifth by rate. Palo Alto climbs from fifth by price to first by rate. Read across cities, price per square foot reflects differences in typical home size, lot size and housing type as much as it reflects price level.
| City | Price rank | Median sale price | Rate rank | Price per sq ft |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Los Altos Hills | #1 | $5,475,000 | #3 | $1,580 |
| Monte Sereno | #2 | $4,668,000 | #6 | $1,471 |
| Los Altos | #3 | $4,515,000 | #2 | $1,876 |
| Saratoga | #4 | $4,100,000 | #5 | $1,494 |
| Palo Alto | #5 | $3,510,000 | #1 | $1,937 |
| Cupertino | #6 | $3,055,000 | #4 | $1,504 |
Source: MLSListings Inc., trailing twelve months to August 11, 2026. Full price analysis on the Santa Clara County home price statistics page.
Where Are the Price Tiers in Santa Clara County?
Santa Clara County breaks into four clean tiers: six cities at $1,400 and above, five between $1,000 and $1,399, two between $700 and $999, and two below $700.
The tiers are uneven in both width and volume. The top tier holds six of the fifteen cities and the middle tier five, while the two lowest tiers hold two cities each. San Jose and Milpitas sit in the $700 to $999 band and account for the largest share of county transaction volume. Gilroy and Morgan Hill are the only two cities below $700, at roughly a third of the top city rate. What those rates mean against local earnings is covered on the Santa Clara County income to home price statistics page.
| Tier | Cities | Members |
|---|---|---|
| $1,400 and above | 6 | Palo Alto, Los Altos, Los Altos Hills, Cupertino, Saratoga, Monte Sereno |
| $1,000 to $1,399 | 5 | Sunnyvale, Los Gatos, Mountain View, Santa Clara, Campbell |
| $700 to $999 | 2 | San Jose, Milpitas |
| Below $700 | 2 | Morgan Hill, Gilroy |
Source: MLSListings Inc., trailing twelve months to August 11, 2026.
How Much House Does $1,000,000 Buy in Each Santa Clara County City?
At each city's median rate, $1,000,000 buys roughly 516 square feet in Palo Alto, 1,139 square feet in San Jose and 1,908 square feet in Gilroy.
The square footage column below is a derived illustration: one million dollars divided by each city's median rate. It is not a prediction that a specific home of that size sells for that price, and small homes in expensive cities often carry a premium above the citywide rate. It is the cleanest way to see what the 3.7x spread means in floor area. The income required to carry a purchase at each city rate is set out on the Income to home price ratio by city page.
| City | Price per sq ft | Sq ft per $1,000,000 |
|---|---|---|
| Palo Alto | $1,937 | 516 |
| Los Altos | $1,876 | 533 |
| Los Altos Hills | $1,580 | 633 |
| Cupertino | $1,504 | 665 |
| Saratoga | $1,494 | 669 |
| Monte Sereno | $1,471 | 680 |
| Sunnyvale | $1,263 | 792 |
| Los Gatos | $1,207 | 829 |
| Mountain View | $1,112 | 899 |
| Santa Clara | $1,092 | 916 |
| Campbell | $1,078 | 928 |
| San Jose | $878 | 1,139 |
| Milpitas | $800 | 1,250 |
| Morgan Hill | $632 | 1,582 |
| Gilroy | $524 | 1,908 |
Source: MLSListings Inc., trailing twelve months to August 11, 2026. The square footage column is derived: $1,000,000 divided by the median rate, rounded to the nearest square foot.
How These Santa Clara County Figures Are Calculated
Every figure comes from MLSListings Inc. closed transaction records for Santa Clara County, filtered to residential property. Price per square foot, sale prices and days on market are reported as medians computed across the full population; closed sale counts are direct counts; square feet per $1,000,000 is derived and flagged where shown.
| Element | Definition |
|---|---|
| Source | MLSListings Inc., the multiple listing service covering Santa Clara County |
| Window | Trailing twelve months to August 11, 2026 |
| Property types | Single family residence, condominium, townhome |
| Excluded | Land, commercial, manufactured housing, income property, lease listings |
| Price per square foot | Closed price divided by living area, living area greater than zero |
| Living area | MLS-reported interior square footage; lot size is not part of the calculation |
| Statistic | Median in every case, computed server side across the full population |
| Derived figures | Square feet per $1,000,000 only, flagged where shown |
| Minimum sample | Cities with fewer than 10 closed transactions are not reported |
No figure on this page originates from a consumer portal, a commercial aggregator, or an automated valuation model. Every number is computed from transaction records in the multiple listing service that Santa Clara County brokers use to list and sell homes.
Official Sources for Santa Clara County Market Data
Every figure on this page can be checked at its origin. These are the primary records, not summaries of them.
Using these figures
Journalists, researchers, students, and other sites are welcome to reproduce any statistic on this page. No permission is required. Please cite the page and link to the permanent URL so readers can check the figure against its source and see the current version.
Timothy Alston. "Santa Clara County Price per Square Foot Statistics." Aegis Luxury Real Estate, DRE# 01328224, updated August 11, 2026. https://aegishomesre.com/santa-clara-county-price-per-square-foot-statistics/
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This URL does not change. The page is updated in place rather than republished, so a link placed today continues to resolve to the current figures. For data questions, contact Timothy Alston at aegishomesre.com/contact.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the price per square foot in Santa Clara County?
The median Santa Clara County home sold for $969 per square foot, computed as closed price divided by living area across 10,536 closed residential transactions in the trailing twelve months to August 11, 2026.
Which Santa Clara County city has the highest price per square foot?
Palo Alto, at a median of $1,937 per square foot. Los Altos follows at $1,876, then Los Altos Hills at $1,580, Cupertino at $1,504, Saratoga at $1,494 and Monte Sereno at $1,471.
Which Santa Clara County city has the lowest price per square foot?
Gilroy, at a median of $524 per square foot, followed by Morgan Hill at $632. The two south county cities are the only markets in Santa Clara County below $800.
Why is Palo Alto more expensive per square foot than Los Altos Hills?
Because the two cities sell different products. Los Altos Hills sells large homes on one-acre-minimum lots, so the sale price is divided across more square feet even at a $5,475,000 median price. Palo Alto sells smaller homes on smaller lots, so the same sale price is divided across fewer square feet. Differences in typical home size, lot size, housing type and land value can all move the rate across cities.
How much house does $1,000,000 buy in Santa Clara County?
At each city's median rate, roughly 516 square feet in Palo Alto, 1,139 square feet in San Jose and 1,908 square feet in Gilroy. The same budget buys 3.7 times more living area at the south end of Santa Clara County than at the north.
Is price per square foot a reliable way to value a Santa Clara County home?
It is a comparison tool, not an appraisal. The figure blends land value and structure value, so it favors comparisons between similar homes on similar lots within one city. Across cities it also reflects differences in typical home size, lot size and housing type.
Timothy Alston
Timothy Alston is a licensed California real estate Broker serving all 15 cities of Santa Clara County. This reference page is maintained as part of an ongoing statistical series and is updated in place when its source data or methodology materially changes.