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Santa Clara County, CA Real Estate & Homes for Sale

By Matthew Martinez, Founder, CEO & Managing Broker, Diamond Real Estate Group. California DRE #01869679.

Santa Clara County wraps the southern end of San Francisco Bay and holds San Jose and the Silicon Valley cities, from Palo Alto and Mountain View south through Cupertino, Saratoga and Los Gatos to Morgan Hill and Gilroy. In September 2026 the median price of an existing single-family house was $1,920,000, down 4.0% from $2,000,000 a year earlier, according to the California Association of REALTORS® (C.A.R.). San Jose, Mountain View and Palo Alto charge city transfer taxes, with Measure E tiers on San Jose sales that title guides list from $2.3 million and a higher Mountain View rate over $6 million, and San Jose and Mountain View have their own rent rules.

San Jose is the county seat and the largest city. The rest of the county splits into the north county cities along Caltrain and US 101, the west valley towns at the foot of the Santa Cruz Mountains, the mountain communities themselves, and the South County farm belt around Morgan Hill, San Martin and Gilroy. Portola Valley, Menlo Park and Atherton sit just across the line in San Mateo County, and Hollister and Santa Cruz are in other counties, even when a search treats them as Silicon Valley. Below are the housing cost figures, every town we cover, and the taxes, rent rules, hazards, utilities and transit that change by jurisdiction.

Santa Clara County homes for sale

Santa Clara County market report

Santa Clara County housing costs in numbers

Measure	Figure	Period and source
Median price, existing single-family homes	$1,920,000 ($2,000,000 a year earlier)	September 2026, C.A.R.
Change in sales from a year earlier	Up 1.5%	September 2026, C.A.R.
Median value, owner-occupied homes	$1,490,600	2020–2024, Census ACS
Median monthly owner costs with a mortgage	$4,000 or more (the survey’s top category)	2020–2024, Census ACS
Median monthly owner costs without a mortgage	$1,155	2020–2024, Census ACS
Median gross rent	$2,857 a month	2020–2024, Census ACS
Owner-occupied share of homes	55.1%	2020–2024, Census ACS
Housing units	711,927	July 1, 2025 estimate, Census
Residential building permits	5,323	2025, Census
Mean travel time to work	26.2 minutes	2020–2024, Census ACS
Land area	1,291.08 square miles	2020, Census

Santa Clara County has more than twice San Mateo County’s housing units on nearly three times the land, and its 2025 permit count, 5,323, was more than double San Mateo’s 2,216. The survey’s mortgage-cost figure stops at “$4,000 or more”, so it understates what recent buyers pay; C.A.R. reported the 30-year fixed rate averaging 6.86% in September 2026.

Against nearby markets

Area	C.A.R. median, September 2026	Price change from a year earlier	Sales change
Santa Clara County	$1,920,000	−4.0%	+1.5%
San Mateo County	$2,327,500	+8.3%	−8.6%
Alameda County	$1,265,000	+1.2%	−4.4%
Santa Cruz County	$1,250,000	+1.2%	−4.6%
SF Bay Area region	$1,325,000	+1.9%	−3.1%
California	$899,720	+1.7%	−6.5%

Santa Clara was the only one of these areas whose median fell from a year earlier, though its sales count rose. A single month can swing with the mix of homes that closed, so read it next to the closed sales for your own neighborhood.

Santa Clara County cities, towns and communities

The table covers every Santa Clara County place guide on our site, grouped from the north county through the west valley, the mountains, San Jose and the South County. The transfer tax column follows the title company guides cited below; check the jurisdiction column before you rely on it.

Town or area	Jurisdiction	Setting and what to check	City transfer tax
Palo Alto	City	Older neighborhoods and Eichler tracts; Caltrain at University Avenue and California Avenue	$3.30 per $1,000
Stanford	Unincorporated; university land	Campus homes offered through Stanford’s ground lease program to eligible buyers	None
Los Altos	City	Larger single-family lots around a compact downtown	None
Los Altos Hills	Town	Hillside lots of an acre or more; check water district, septic and slope	None
Mountain View	City	Caltrain and light rail downtown; city rent stabilization (CSFRA)	$3.30 per $1,000; $15 per $1,000 over $6 million
Sunnyvale	City	Postwar tracts, Eichler neighborhoods and condos; Caltrain	None
Cupertino	City	Postwar houses and newer townhomes running up to the foothills	None
Santa Clara	City	Caltrain, ACE and Capitol Corridor stops; houses, condos and apartments	None
Campbell	City	Small city with a walkable downtown on VTA’s Green Line	None
Saratoga	City	Large-lot and hillside neighborhoods at the foot of the Santa Cruz Mountains	None
Monte Sereno	City	Small residential city beside Los Gatos	None
Los Gatos	Town	Downtown at the Highway 17 gateway; many Los Gatos mailing addresses are unincorporated mountain parcels	None
Redwood Estates	Unincorporated	Santa Cruz Mountains community off Highway 17; roads, water and septic vary	None
Holy City	Unincorporated	Mountain locality off Highway 17; confirm legal access, water and wastewater	None
San Jose	City	The county’s largest city: downtown towers, postwar tracts and hillside edges; Apartment Rent Ordinance	$3.30 per $1,000, plus Measure E above a threshold title guides list at $2,300,000.01
Willow Glen	City of San Jose	Older neighborhood around Lincoln Avenue with early-1900s to postwar houses	San Jose rates
Almaden Valley	City of San Jose (confirm the parcel)	South San Jose valley and foothill neighborhoods; hillside rules on upper lots	San Jose rates inside the city
Alviso	City of San Jose	Low-lying bay-edge neighborhood; flood zone and levee questions	San Jose rates
Cambrian Park	County or San Jose, depending on the parcel	Postwar neighborhood between San Jose and Campbell; confirm which agency has the parcel before relying on city rules	Depends on the parcel
New Almaden	Unincorporated	Historic mining village in the Almaden hills	None
Milpitas	City	BART and light rail at Milpitas station; hills to the east	None
Mount Hamilton	Unincorporated	Mountain land east of San Jose below Lick Observatory; long access roads	None
Coyote	County or San Jose, depending on the parcel	Valley farmland and rural homes between San Jose and Morgan Hill	Depends on the parcel
Morgan Hill	City	South County city with limited weekday Caltrain service	None
San Martin	Unincorporated	Rural lots between Morgan Hill and Gilroy; wells and septic are common	None
Gilroy	City	Southern end of the Caltrain line, ringed by farmland	None
Unincorporated Santa Clara County	County	Everything outside the cities, from Stanford to San Martin and the mountain communities	None

A neighborhood or mailing name is not a city boundary. San Jose surrounds unincorporated pockets, names such as Cambrian Park and Coyote do not settle jurisdiction on their own, and many mountain addresses carry a Los Gatos or Saratoga mailing city while sitting under county rules. The unincorporated Santa Clara County guide in the table explains how to confirm the agency for a parcel.

North county

Palo Alto, Stanford, Los Altos, Los Altos Hills, Mountain View, Sunnyvale and Santa Clara line Caltrain and US 101. Two of the three city transfer taxes and one of the two city rent laws are here, along with much of the county’s Eichler housing, covered in our Silicon Valley Eichler guide.

West valley and the mountains

Cupertino, Campbell, Saratoga, Monte Sereno and Los Gatos run along the base of the Santa Cruz Mountains, and Redwood Estates and Holy City sit up in them off Highway 17. Lot slope, road access, fire zones and septic records matter more here than in the valley; estate buyers can start with our Santa Clara County luxury homes page.

San Jose

San Jose covers neighborhoods from Alviso at the bay to Almaden Valley in the south hills and Willow Glen in between. The city’s transfer tax and Apartment Rent Ordinance apply only inside city limits, so confirm the parcel before running the numbers.

South County and the east hills

Morgan Hill and Gilroy are cities; Coyote, San Martin, New Almaden and Mount Hamilton are unincorporated. Farm, ranch and rural residential parcels here raise zoning, well, septic and Williamson Act questions, so get the county zoning, any Williamson Act contract and the well and septic records before writing an offer.

Transfer tax by city

The county tax is $0.55 per $500 of value, or $1.10 per $1,000, under Revenue and Taxation Code section 11911, excluding loans that remain on the property. Three cities add their own:

Where	City rate	On $1,920,000 (county median)	Higher-price example
San Jose	$3.30 per $1,000, plus Measure E on the whole price, as Ticor and Old Republic list it: 0.75% from $2,300,000.01 to $5,000,000; 1% from $5,000,000.01 to $10,000,000; 1.5% above $10,000,000	$6,336 city; $8,448 with county tax	$3,000,000: $9,900 base + $22,500 Measure E + $3,300 county = $35,700
Mountain View	$3.30 per $1,000 up to $6,000,000; $15.00 per $1,000 on the whole price when it is above $6,000,000 (Measure G)	$6,336 city; $8,448 with county tax	$7,000,000: $105,000 city + $7,700 county = $112,700
Palo Alto	$3.30 per $1,000	$6,336 city; $8,448 with county tax	$3,000,000: $9,900 city + $3,300 county = $13,200
All other cities and unincorporated areas	No city tax	$2,112	$3,000,000: $3,300

San Jose’s Measure E

San Jose voters approved Measure E on March 3, 2020. The city’s Measure E page still describes it as a tax on transfers of $2 million or more, while Ticor Title’s 2026 guide and Old Republic Title’s Santa Clara County manual list the first tier as starting at $2,300,000.01. We could not find a city source that explains the difference, so confirm the threshold in effect on your closing date with escrow before pricing near either figure. Because each tier applies to the entire price, a sale just over the line costs about $17,250 more in Measure E than one just under it, which belongs in any pricing discussion near the threshold.

Mountain View’s Measure G

Mountain View voters approved Measure G on November 5, 2024, with more than 72% in favor, and it took effect December 20, 2024. The city’s base rate is written as $1.65 per $500, the same $3.30 per $1,000 that San Jose and Palo Alto charge, and the county recorder collects it for the city.

Who pays

Ticor’s 2026 guide lists the county tax, the escrow fee and the owner’s title policy as seller costs by custom in Santa Clara County, and the city tax as split; it does not say who pays Measure E. Old Republic’s Bay Area sheet shows the transfer taxes split equally. These are customs, so negotiate and write the split into the purchase agreement. Our Silicon Valley and Peninsula transfer tax guide runs more price bands, and the California transfer tax overview covers exemptions.

Rent rules by city

Where	Rule and coverage	Allowed increase	What to check before buying
San Jose	Apartment Rent Ordinance: buildings of three or more units built and occupied before September 7, 1979; duplexes exempt	One increase of up to 5% in any 12 months	Rent registry status, notices and any just cause or Ellis Act history; mobilehome parks have a separate ordinance, split off in 1985
Mountain View	Community Stabilization and Fair Rent Act (CSFRA): most apartments in buildings of three or more units; built before 1995 fully covered, 1995 to 2017 eviction protections only; government-subsidized units not covered	The Annual General Adjustment, at most once in 12 months; latest posted when we checked: 2.4% for September 1, 2024 to August 31, 2025	Rental Housing Fee payments, city registration, code compliance and any banked increases, all of which affect whether the adjustment can be used
Other cities and unincorporated areas	State Tenant Protection Act (AB 1482) for covered units	8.6% for increases taking effect August 1, 2026 to July 31, 2027	Whether the unit is exempt, and whether the city has added its own rules

Mountain View’s posted adjustments since 2017 have ranged from 2.0% (2021) to 5.0% (2022 and 2023), and unused adjustments can be banked, so a building’s legal rents can differ from what tenants now pay. San Jose’s 5% limit is a cap, not an automatic raise. Before you buy, match every lease, rent ledger and notice to the city’s records; our guides to the San Jose rent ordinance for investors, buying a CSFRA property in Mountain View and AB 1482 for landlords go further. This is general information, not legal or tax advice; talk to a California real estate attorney or tax adviser about your situation.

Seismic, wildfire and flood risk

Earthquakes

The U.S. Geological Survey puts the odds of a magnitude 6.7 or larger Bay Area earthquake between 2014 and 2043 at 72%, with 33% on the Hayward or Rodgers Creek fault and 22% on the San Andreas. In Santa Clara County the San Andreas runs through the Santa Cruz Mountains on the southwest side, and the Hayward and Calaveras faults lie along the east side of the valley; the state’s fault zone maps show whether a given parcel is affected. The magnitude 6.9 Loma Prieta earthquake of 1989 was centered near Loma Prieta peak in the Santa Cruz Mountains, about 9 miles northeast of Santa Cruz, and the USGS says it caused damage over a region nearly 100 miles long.

The California Geological Survey’s seismic hazard zone maps, for liquefaction and earthquake-induced landslides, cover parts of Santa Clara County, and fault zones are mapped separately. A seller must look the parcel up on them and report the answer on the Natural Hazard Disclosure Statement, and most new building in a mapped zone needs a site investigation before the permit is issued. Valley floor parcels near creeks and the bay raise liquefaction questions; foothill and mountain lots raise landslide questions. Read the NHD report during the inspection period.

Fire hazard severity zones

State Responsibility Area zones from CAL FIRE have been in effect since April 1, 2024, and its Local Responsibility Area maps for cities came out in four phases between February 10 and March 24, 2025; CAL FIRE sends owners to the local jurisdiction for a specific parcel. Check the hillsides of Los Gatos, Saratoga, Monte Sereno, Los Altos Hills and Cupertino, the mountain communities along Highway 17, the east foothills and the Mount Hamilton range. Where a zone applies, read our AB 38 defensible space inspection guide, and price insurance before you remove contingencies.

Flood

Valley Water manages 333 miles of waterways and says its flood protection projects have protected nearly 100,000 parcels. Flood risk still varies by lot: Alviso sits at the bay’s edge, and neighborhoods along Coyote Creek, the Guadalupe River and smaller creeks have their own mapped zones. Look up the parcel on FEMA’s Flood Map Service Center, read the disclosure report, and ask your lender early about flood insurance.

Water, sewer and getting around

Valley Water, founded in 1929, manages the county’s imported, local and groundwater supplies, sells water to local retailers, and is its groundwater management and flood protection agency; a city utility, district or private water company delivers to each home, and Valley Water’s Find My Water Retailer tool names it. Palo Alto, Mountain View, Sunnyvale, Santa Clara, Milpitas, Stanford, the Purissima Hills Water District and the north part of San Jose also buy water from the San Francisco regional system as members of the Bay Area Water Supply and Conservation Agency. In San Martin, Coyote, the mountains and parts of Los Altos Hills, ask for well and septic records along with the inspection reports.

Caltrain’s Santa Clara County stations are Palo Alto, California Avenue, San Antonio, Mountain View, Sunnyvale, Lawrence, Santa Clara, College Park (two trips each way on weekdays), San Jose Diridon and Tamien; south of Tamien, Capitol, Blossom Hill, Morgan Hill, San Martin and Gilroy get only a few weekday trains. BART reaches the county at Milpitas and Berryessa/North San Jose. VTA runs three light rail lines, the Blue Line (Baypointe to Santa Teresa), the Green Line (Old Ironsides to Winchester) and the Orange Line (Mountain View to Alum Rock), plus rapid and express buses, and it is working on BART Silicon Valley Phase II, the next extension of BART in San Jose. ACE trains to the Central Valley stop at Great America, Santa Clara and San Jose Diridon, and Capitol Corridor trains to Oakland and Sacramento stop at Santa Clara Great America, Santa Clara University and San Jose Diridon.

The county’s mean commute was 26.2 minutes in the 2020–2024 Census survey. Commutes from the South County and the mountains run longer, so test the drive at your actual hours.

Property types buyers meet

Postwar tract and Eichler houses in Palo Alto, Sunnyvale, Cupertino, Santa Clara and San Jose: radiant heat, flat roofs and single-story overlays are common questions; the Eichler guide linked above covers them.
Townhomes and condos near rail in Mountain View, Sunnyvale, Santa Clara, Milpitas and downtown San Jose: compare dues, reserves and special assessments along with the unit.
Hillside and estate properties in Los Altos Hills, Saratoga, Monte Sereno and Los Gatos: slope, geology, access and fire zone shape value as much as the house.
Stanford ground-lease homes: Stanford Faculty Staff Housing runs ground lease purchase programs with an eligibility check, and owners pay ground rent and association fees, so these homes are priced differently from nearby fee-simple houses.
Mountain homes around Redwood Estates and Holy City: private roads, road maintenance agreements, water systems and septic.
Rural and farm parcels in Coyote, San Martin and around Gilroy: zoning, wells and any Williamson Act contract come first.
Apartment buildings in San Jose and Mountain View: local rent rules set the income; see our multifamily investment services.
Inherited homes: our probate and trust sales page explains timing for court-supervised and trust sales.

For a purchase, see our Santa Clara County buyer services, and anyone comparing the Peninsula can read our San Mateo County guide.

Selling a home in Santa Clara County

In this county the seller’s biggest local variables are transfer tax and, for rentals, the city’s rent records. Work through them in this order:

Confirm the jurisdiction from the parcel record. In San Jose, Mountain View or Palo Alto, estimate the city tax, and near $2.3 million in San Jose or $6 million in Mountain View, run the numbers at the list price and at likely offer prices.
Agree on the split of transfer tax, escrow and title fees early; custom here puts more of them on the seller than in San Mateo County.
Gather permit history for additions, garage conversions and accessory dwelling units.
Order the Natural Hazard Disclosure, and the defensible space inspection where the home is in a high fire zone.
Assemble rent records for any tenant-occupied unit under San Jose’s ordinance, the CSFRA or AB 1482.
Price from closed sales of the same property type in the same neighborhood; the 4.0% drop in the countywide median does not tell you what your street did.

Every Diamond listing goes on the MLS; we also contact likely buyers from our own client database and run targeted campaigns, in line with MLS rules and NAR’s Clear Cooperation policy. Our Santa Clara County seller services page covers preparation and pricing, and you can ask for a valuation of your home online.

Questions people ask

What is the median home price in Santa Clara County?

C.A.R. reported $1,920,000 for existing single-family homes in September 2026, down 4.0% from $2,000,000 a year earlier, with sales up 1.5%. A countywide median blends Gilroy with Los Altos Hills, so use nearby comparable sales for any one home.

Which Santa Clara County cities have a city transfer tax?

San Jose, Mountain View and Palo Alto, according to Ticor Title’s 2026 guide and Old Republic Title’s sheets. Every other city and the unincorporated county pay only the county’s $1.10 per $1,000.

How does San Jose’s Measure E transfer tax work?

Voters approved it on March 3, 2020. Title guides list it at 0.75% of the whole price from $2,300,000.01 to $5,000,000, 1% to $10,000,000 and 1.5% above that, on top of San Jose’s $3.30 per $1,000 and the county tax. A $3,000,000 San Jose sale would owe about $35,700 in all. The city’s own Measure E page still says $2 million or more, so confirm the threshold with escrow.

What is Mountain View’s transfer tax after Measure G?

$3.30 per $1,000 up to $6,000,000, rising to $15.00 per $1,000 on the whole price when the sale is above that. Voters approved Measure G on November 5, 2024, and it took effect December 20, 2024.

Who pays transfer tax, escrow and title fees in Santa Clara County?

Ticor’s 2026 guide lists the county tax, escrow fee and owner’s title policy as seller costs by custom, with city tax split between buyer and seller. Old Republic’s sheet shows the transfer taxes split equally. It is negotiable, so put it in the contract.

Does San Jose have rent control?

Yes, for apartments in buildings of three or more units built and occupied before September 7, 1979: one increase of up to 5% in 12 months under the Apartment Rent Ordinance. Duplexes are exempt from that ordinance, and other rentals may fall under AB 1482.

How much can rent go up in Mountain View?

Under the CSFRA, fully covered apartments, generally in buildings of three or more units built before 1995, can rise once a year by the Annual General Adjustment. The latest figure posted on the city’s rent page when we checked was 2.4% for September 2024 through August 2025, so ask the city for the current one.

What is the AB 1482 rent cap in Santa Clara County?

8.6% for increases taking effect August 1, 2026 through July 31, 2027, per the Attorney General. Santa Clara County is not in one of the four metro areas the law names, so the California CPI sets its cap.

Can anyone buy a home at Stanford?

No. Homes on Stanford land are offered through Stanford Faculty Staff Housing’s ground lease programs, which check buyer eligibility, and owners pay ground rent and association fees. Nearby Palo Alto and Menlo Park homes are ordinary fee-simple property.

Is a Los Gatos address always in the Town of Los Gatos?

No. Many mountain parcels with Los Gatos mailing addresses are unincorporated, so county planning, private roads, wells and septic can apply. Confirm jurisdiction from the parcel record.

Which Santa Clara County cities have BART?

Milpitas and San Jose, at the Milpitas and Berryessa/North San Jose stations. Caltrain, VTA light rail, ACE and Capitol Corridor cover much of the rest of the county.

Which faults affect Santa Clara County?

The San Andreas Fault runs through the Santa Cruz Mountains on the west side, and the Hayward and Calaveras faults lie along the east side of the valley; the state maps show whether a parcel is in a zone. The USGS gives the Bay Area a 72% chance of a magnitude 6.7 or larger quake between 2014 and 2043.

Who provides water in Santa Clara County?

Valley Water manages the county’s water supply, groundwater and flood protection, and a local retailer delivers to each home; Valley Water’s Find My Water Retailer tool names it. Several north county cities, including Palo Alto, Mountain View and Sunnyvale, also buy from the San Francisco regional system.

If you are buying, selling or investing anywhere from Palo Alto to Gilroy, get in touch with Diamond Real Estate Group and we will start with the parcel, its city or county rules and the numbers that follow from them.

Sources & notes

Last reviewed October 2026 by Matthew Martinez.