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 $366,712 in April, 0.7% higher than the year before.
High mortgage rates are also making monthly payments more expensive; as of May 14, the 30-year fixed mortgage rate sits at 6.36%.
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 April 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: 11
#2. Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA: 8
#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
#30. San Marino
- Typical home value: $2,852,320
- 1-year price change: +7.2%
- 5-year price change: +24.4%
- Metro area: Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA
#29. Menlo Park
- Typical home value: $2,867,595
- 1-year price change: +5.2%
- 5-year price change: +19.6%
- Metro area: San Francisco-Oakland-Berkeley, CA
#28. Emerald Lake Hills
- Typical home value: $2,940,038
- 1-year price change: +1.8%
- 5-year price change: +13.7%
- Metro area: San Francisco-Oakland-Berkeley, CA
#27. Del Monte Forest
- Typical home value: $2,943,635
- 1-year price change: +3.3%
- 5-year price change: +34.9%
- Metro area: Salinas, CA
#26. Laguna Beach
- Typical home value: $3,006,761
- 1-year price change: +3.2%
- 5-year price change: +40.9%
- Metro area: Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA
#25. Summerland
- Typical home value: $3,052,264
- 1-year price change: +0.4%
- 5-year price change: +47.8%
- Metro area: Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA
#24. Tiburon
- Typical home value: $3,078,399
- 1-year price change: +4.0%
- 5-year price change: +14.2%
- Metro area: San Francisco-Oakland-Berkeley, CA
#23. Diablo
- Typical home value: $3,150,795
- 1-year price change: -0.9%
- 5-year price change: +10.5%
- Metro area: San Francisco-Oakland-Berkeley, CA
#22. Rolling Hills
- Typical home value: $3,152,664
- 1-year price change: -1.5%
- 5-year price change: +18.9%
- Metro area: Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA
#21. Cupertino
- Typical home value: $3,183,398
- 1-year price change: +1.8%
- 5-year price change: +36.2%
- Metro area: San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA
#20. Malibu
- Typical home value: $3,232,835
- 1-year price change: -1.6%
- 5-year price change: +19.0%
- Metro area: Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA
#19. Manhattan Beach
- Typical home value: $3,260,960
- 1-year price change: +5.0%
- 5-year price change: +25.2%
- Metro area: Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA
#18. Stanford
- Typical home value: $3,316,685
- 1-year price change: +2.0%
- 5-year price change: +27.0%
- Metro area: San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA
#17. Stinson Beach
- Typical home value: $3,399,314
- 1-year price change: +7.1%
- 5-year price change: +15.3%
- Metro area: San Francisco-Oakland-Berkeley, CA
#16. Beverly Hills
- Typical home value: $3,672,505
- 1-year price change: +4.2%
- 5-year price change: +6.8%
- Metro area: Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA
#15. Palo Alto
- Typical home value: $3,683,761
- 1-year price change: +1.9%
- 5-year price change: +21.1%
- Metro area: San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA
#14. Newport Beach
- Typical home value: $3,709,420
- 1-year price change: +9.0%
- 5-year price change: +65.4%
- Metro area: Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA
#13. Del Mar
- Typical home value: $3,766,719
- 1-year price change: +1.8%
- 5-year price change: +40.8%
- Metro area: San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA
#12. Woodside
- Typical home value: $3,983,811
- 1-year price change: +2.8%
- 5-year price change: +19.3%
- Metro area: San Francisco-Oakland-Berkeley, CA
#11. Ross
- Typical home value: $4,031,406
- 1-year price change: +4.3%
- 5-year price change: +14.2%
- Metro area: San Francisco-Oakland-Berkeley, CA
#10. Saratoga
- Typical home value: $4,209,301
- 1-year price change: +1.8%
- 5-year price change: +39.1%
- Metro area: San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA
#9. Portola Valley
- Typical home value: $4,342,136
- 1-year price change: +9.7%
- 5-year price change: +31.3%
- Metro area: San Francisco-Oakland-Berkeley, CA
#8. Rancho Santa Fe
- Typical home value: $4,428,039
- 1-year price change: +4.3%
- 5-year price change: +59.4%
- Metro area: San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA
#7. Los Altos
- Typical home value: $4,681,519
- 1-year price change: +3.6%
- 5-year price change: +35.3%
- Metro area: San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA
#6. Belvedere
- Typical home value: $4,776,546
- 1-year price change: +5.1%
- 5-year price change: +12.4%
- Metro area: San Francisco-Oakland-Berkeley, CA
#5. Hidden Hills
- Typical home value: $5,252,332
- 1-year price change: +4.5%
- 5-year price change: +45.1%
- Metro area: Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA
#4. Hillsborough
- Typical home value: $5,422,424
- 1-year price change: +7.6%
- 5-year price change: +16.8%
- Metro area: San Francisco-Oakland-Berkeley, CA
#3. Montecito
- Typical home value: $5,630,816
- 1-year price change: +9.2%
- 5-year price change: +64.5%
- Metro area: Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA
#2. Los Altos Hills
- Typical home value: $6,069,528
- 1-year price change: +2.4%
- 5-year price change: +24.6%
- Metro area: San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA
#1. Atherton
- Typical home value: $8,203,578
- 1-year price change: +9.4%
- 5-year price change: +22.5%
- Metro area: San Francisco-Oakland-Berkeley, CA
Copyright 2026 Stacker Media, LLC
This story was originally published April 22, 2025 at 5:50 AM.