Los Altos, California Housing Market Prices
Los Altos Home Prices and Rent at a Glance
The median home price (often called the average home price), rent costs, affordability metrics, and housing stock characteristics for this housing market.
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Median home price 180% above the California median$1,821,410
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Median rent 79% above the California median$3,645
Housing Market Overview
| Metric | Los Altos | California Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median Home Price | $1,821,410 | $650,794 | $248,835 |
| Price Trend (Annual %) | -1.1% | 8.9% | 7.5% |
| Median Gross Rent | $3,645 | $2,036 | $1,407 |
| Rent Trend (Annual %) | 4.6% | 5.8% | 5.1% |
| Household Income Trend (Annual %) | — | — | — |
The median home price in Los Altos is about 180% higher than in California. Rent is about 79% higher than the California average.
Median Home and Rent Price Trends
Median Home Prices, 2015-2024
Median Rent Prices, 2015-2024
Home prices and rent are moving in opposite directions in Los Altos: home prices fell about 1.1% a year while rent rose about 4.6% a year. That is an unusual pattern worth watching.
Median rent in Los Altos rose about 54.7% between 2015 and 2024, from $2,356 to $3,645. Over the same span, rent in California rose about 62.2%.
Affordability
On average, housing unit costs 8.6 yearly household incomes in Los Altos.
Buying the median-priced home in Los Altos costs roughly 41.6 years of rent at the median monthly rate. That is a relatively high price-to-rent ratio, which tends to favor renting over buying in Los Altos. The price-to-rent ratio in California is about 26.6.
| Metric | Los Altos | California Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median Home Price | $1,821,410 | $650,794 | $248,835 |
| Median Household Income | $211,028 | $99,161 | $80,455 |
| Price-to-Income Ratio | 8.6 | 6.6 | 3.1 |
Home Prices vs Income Over Time
Between 2015 and 2024, the median home price in Los Altos fell about 13.2%, while median household income rose about 124.3% between 2009 and 2025 — income grew faster than the home price.
Income Growth vs Housing Cost Growth (Year-over-Year %)
Compare income and housing cost trends.
Occupancy & Tenure
| Metric | Los Altos | California Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Homeownership Rate | 75.2% | 51.7% | 58.5% |
| Rental Rate | 16.8% | 40.8% | 31.2% |
| Vacancy Rate | 8.0% | 7.5% | 10.2% |
| Median Tenure (years) | 17.0 | 15.0 | 15.0 |
| Median Year Moved In | 2009 | 2011 | 2011 |
Los Altos has a homeownership rate of 75.2%, higher than the California average of 51.7%. Its housing vacancy rate is 8.0%, compared with 7.5% in California.
Housing Stock
| Metric | Los Altos | California Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average Household Size | 2.81 people | 2.84 people | 2.53 people |
| Median Structure Built Year | 1966 | 1975 | 1978 |
| Median Number of Rooms | 6.9 | 5.0 | 5.5 |
The typical housing unit in Los Altos was built around 1966. On average, 2.8 people live in a home with about 6.9 rooms, staying for about 17.0 years on average.
Los Altos, CA Housing Compared With Nearby Cities
How Los Altos, CA compares with the 2 cities closest to it.
| Area | Population | Median home price | Median rent | Homeownership |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Los Altos, CA | 30,560 | $1,821,410 #3/3 | $3,645 #1/3 | 81.7% #1/3 |
| Mountain View, CA | 81,842 | $2,085,161 | $3,067 | 39.0% |
| Palo Alto, CA | 68,352 | $2,034,923 | $3,446 | 53.6% |
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about the housing market in Los Altos, California.
What is the median home price in Los Altos, California?
The median home price in Los Altos, California is $1,821,410, higher than the California average of $650,794.
What is the average home price in Los Altos, California?
The typical home price in Los Altos, California, reported as the median sale price, is $1,821,410. The median is used instead of a mathematical average because it is not skewed by a small number of very expensive or very cheap homes, so it better reflects what a typical buyer pays.
What is the median rent in Los Altos, California?
The median gross rent in Los Altos, California is $3,645 per month, higher than the California average of $2,036.
What was the median gross rent in Los Altos in 2020?
In 2020, the median gross rent in Los Altos, California was $3,432 per month.
What is the price-to-rent ratio in Los Altos, California?
The price-to-rent ratio in Los Altos, California is about 41.6, meaning it would take roughly 41.6 years of rent payments at the median rent to equal the median home price. That is a relatively high price-to-rent ratio, which tends to favor renting over buying in Los Altos.
Are home prices or rent rising faster in Los Altos, California?
Home prices and rent are moving in opposite directions in Los Altos: home prices fell about 1.1% a year while rent rose about 4.6% a year. That is an unusual pattern worth watching.
What is the homeownership rate in Los Altos, California?
75.2% of households in Los Altos, California own their home, higher than the California average of 51.7%.
What is the vacancy rate in Los Altos, California?
The housing vacancy rate in Los Altos, California is 8.0%, higher than the California average of 7.5%.
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