$4,321,368Average Value$1,828Average Price per Sq Ft20Homes For Sale
Los Altos is a Silicon Valley city with a small-town feel
Despite its location near the heart of tech-centric Silicon Valley, the city of Los Altos is often regarded as an escape from the valley’s high-speed working environment. “People who work in Silicon Valley grind it out and work really hard, but when we go home to Los Altos, it’s very quiet and like a small town,” says Nicholas French, a resident and a broker associate at Christie’s International Real Estate Sereno who’s sold homes here for 23 years. “I always say my blood pressure drops when I come home because I can relax and take a deep breath.” Los Altos’ highly rated school system, proximity to nature and low crime rates are just some of the city’s major draws. “It’s like middle America,” says Lynn North, a Realtor with The Agency who’s lived in Los Altos since 1986. “You see families walking the kids to school morning and night and people walking dogs all the time.”
Because of its laid-back atmosphere and small-town feel, the city has become one of Silicon Valley’s most desirable places to live. “Once you’re in Los Altos,” French says, “you tend to stick around.” However, constant demand coupled with limited housing stock has led to increasingly high home prices, making Los Altos one of the country’s most expensive suburban cities.
Los Altos is a beautiful neighborhood in Silicon Valley.
Los Altos is location near the heart of tech-centric Silicon Valley.
Rosita Park offers wide trails for riding scooters, walking, or jogging in Los Altos.
Los Altos is one of Silicon Valley’s most desirable places to live.
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A competitive housing market
In late 2024, the median price for a single-family home in Los Altos was approximately $4.6 million, with the vast majority of single-family properties ranging from $3 million to $6 million. The median price for a townhouse is $2.8 million. According to Jane Shen, a local Realtor with Christie’s International Real Estate – Sereno, many homes listed for sale in Los Altos sell above asking price, and despite the high costs, cash offers are frequent. Midcentury ranch-style homes are most common; buyers can also find Craftsman, contemporary and Mediterranean-style homes. “The minimum lot size for most residential housing is one-quarter of an acre,” North says, adding that many homeowners build accessory dwelling units, or ADUs, to host visiting family members and guests.
Midcentury ranch-style homes are most common in Los Altos.
Craftsman-style homes are beautiful additions to the Los Altos neighborhood.
Mediterranean-style homes Los Altos are popping up all over Los Altos.
Townhomes are spread throughout Los Altos.
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Highly ranked Los Altos schools
Students in kindergarten through eighth grade are served by the Los Altos School District, which receives an overall A-plus rating from Niche and includes seven elementary schools and two intermediate schools. In 2025, the district was ranked No. 4 on Niche’s “Districts with the Best Teachers in California” list. Los Altos High School is an A-plus-rated secondary institution that serves grades nine through 12. It was ranked No. 14 on Niche’s 2025 list of the best public high schools in California. Los Altos High regularly hosts TEDx events with speakers including Stanford University faculty, local entrepreneurs and students.
In the neighboring town of Los Altos Hills, Foothill College is a public community college offering about 80 associate’s degree programs, over 120 certificate programs and two bachelor’s degree programs for dental hygiene and respiratory care studies. Niche ranks Foothill College as the best community college in California and the fourth-best community college in America. Foothill graduates can transfer to any of six University of California institutions.
Covington Elementary School is a highly appraised school in Los Altos.
Almond Elementary School is located in the Los Altos neighborhood of California.
Bowman School offers a 12-month program for busy, working families in Los Altos.
Close-up of Los Altos High School located in the Los Altos neighborhood.
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Exploring nature in year-round balmy weather
With a Mediterranean-like climate, residents of Los Altos can enjoy year-round outdoor recreation. “The climate is to die for, really,” Shen says. “It’s pretty temperate weather year-round. Cold to us is like 50 degrees.” The Los Altos Parks & Recreation Department oversees 18 parks and community facilities throughout the city, including the 6-acre Redwood Grove Nature Preserve. Local schools host local youth athletic programs, including Los Altos Little League and Mountain View Los Altos Soccer Club. The city also backs up to the foothills of the Santa Cruz Mountains, where residents can explore miles of outdoor space at the Rancho San Antonio Preserve and the Foothills Nature Preserve. “There’s so much nature here,” North says. “Whatever you like, whatever you want to do, it’s here. We’re 30 minutes to the ocean. Wine country is within an hour, and the ski slopes are three hours away.”
Enjoy a tennis match with friends and family at Rosita Park in Los Altos.
Foothills Nature Preserve is a nature lover's paradise.
Redwood Grove Nature Preserve is home to the popular Redwood Grove Summer Camp.
Los Altos backs up to the foothills of the Santa Cruz Mountains.
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Downtown Los Altos is a community hub home to more than 150 businesses
The pedestrian-friendly Downtown Los Altos is home to over 150 local shops, restaurants and businesses. With rows of retail and dining options along Main and State streets, this commercial hub is the center of community activity. “When you go downtown, you typically run into someone you recognize,” French says. The Los Altos Village Association, or LAVA, organizes events and festivities hosted in the downtown area throughout the year, including numerous holiday celebrations, the annual Los Altos Arts & Wine Festival and the Downtown Los Altos Farmers’ Market, which is hosted weekly between May and October. “Our biggest festival is the Festival of Lights Parade,” French says. Since 1977, this nighttime parade has kicked off the holiday season with light-festooned floats, marching bands and Santa Claus. “If you want to feel small-town Los Altos, you come to the Festival of Lights. Our whole downtown is packed for it.” Near the edge of the city along the El Camino Real is Chef Chu’s, a widely popular Chinese restaurant that opened in 1970 and has since become a Silicon Valley icon. “From Ronald Reagan to Justin Bieber, everyone who comes to the Bay Area comes to Chef Chu’s,” North says. “You never know who you’re going to run into or see.”
Downtown Los Altos has over 150 local shops, restaurants, and businesses.
Downtown Los Altos rows of retail and dining options along Main and State streets.
P&K Farms is a popular vendor at the Los Altos Farmers Market.
Chef Chu’s is a popular Chinese restaurant that opened 19 years ago in Los Altos.
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Commuting in Silicon Valley and to major tech employers
Los Altos is sandwiched between Route 82 (or the El Camino Real) to the north and Interstate 280 to the south. Both highways are major Silicon Valley thoroughfares running between San Francisco, which is 37 miles away, and downtown San Jose 17 miles away. Residents can hop on the regional Caltrain or the Valley Transportation Authority (VTA) light rail at the Mountain View Station, 4 miles away. VTA buses stop regularly along Los Altos’ main roads, most of which have dedicated bike lanes. Air travelers can make the 14-mile trip to San Jose Mineta International Airport or drive 26 miles to San Francisco International Airport.
Many Los Altos residents work at world-renowned tech companies headquartered in surrounding Silicon Valley cities. Google and LinkedIn are situated in bordering Mountain View; directly south is Cupertino and its iconic Apple campus; nearby Santa Clara is home to NVIDIA, Intel and McAfee; and Zoom and Adobe are located in downtown San Jose.
Safety and environmental awareness in Los Altos
The Los Altos Police Department reported an approximately 9% decrease in total reported crimes from 2022 to 2023. Nearly 90% of the 762 crimes reported between those two years were property-related, primarily theft. Compared to state-level and national crime rates, Los Altos trends lower in both violent and property crime.
Because of Los Altos’ location near seismic faults, earthquakes are somewhat frequent throughout the year; however, these quakes usually occur at a low magnitude and don’t tend to cause injuries or damage to buildings. The Los Altos Police Department also oversees the city’s emergency preparedness resources and training programs, which aim to mitigate the effects of events like power outages and natural disasters. Los Altos is at low risk for wildfires, but residents may experience poor air quality from fires in nearby high-risk areas such as the Santa Cruz Mountains. Most of the city is at low risk of flooding, but properties along Adobe Creek have a slightly higher risk of water damage if the creek overflows.
Written By
Hayley Simms
Photography Contributed By
Christopher Lau
Video By
Jessica Johnson
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GreatSchools:
The GreatSchools Rating helps parents compare schools within a state based on a variety of school quality indicators and provides a helpful picture of how effectively each school serves all of its students. Ratings are on a scale of 1 (below average) to 10 (above average) and can include test scores, college readiness, academic progress, advanced courses, equity, discipline and attendance data. We also advise parents to visit schools, consider other information on school performance and programs, and consider family needs as part of the school selection process.
View GreatSchools Rating Methodology
On average, homes in Los Altos, CA sell after 22 days on the market compared to the national average of 49 days. The median sale price for homes in Los Altos, CA over the last 12 months is $4,320,000, up 4% from the median home sale price over the previous 12 months.
Light-filled and spacious, this beautiful and expanded mid-century home feels a little like an elegant mountain retreat yet is just 10 minutes from downtown Los Altos. Contemporary styling and sophisticated luxury combine in this home, which features soaring vaulted ceilings with exposed wood beams and a dramatic wall of windows with sliding glass doors to an entertainers deck for enjoying the
1989 Scott Lane is a thoughtfully designed four-bedroom, two-and-a-half-bathroom ranch-style home with an exceptional floor plan and mid-century charm. The home features an updated kitchen, spacious living and dining areas, two-car garage plus office, and a large terrace and south-facing garden. The Los Altos Highlands Neighborhood is renowned for its proximity to the some of the area's best
Generational opportunity to own a stunning and modern asset just a short walk from downtown Los Altos! Built in 2011, this exceptional property was designed by world-renowned architect Ray Kappe as his first multi-family residence and earned a prestigious LEED Gold certification for its environmentally conscious design. The property has two spacious 3-Bedroom / 2.5 Bathroom units, each with
Light-filled and spacious, this beautiful and expanded mid-century home feels a little like an elegant mountain retreat yet is just 10 minutes from downtown Los Altos. Contemporary styling and sophisticated luxury combine in this home, which features soaring vaulted ceilings with exposed wood beams and a dramatic wall of windows with sliding glass doors to an entertainers deck for enjoying the
1989 Scott Lane is a thoughtfully designed four-bedroom, two-and-a-half-bathroom ranch-style home with an exceptional floor plan and mid-century charm. The home features an updated kitchen, spacious living and dining areas, two-car garage plus office, and a large terrace and south-facing garden. The Los Altos Highlands Neighborhood is renowned for its proximity to the some of the area's best
Generational opportunity to own a stunning and modern asset just a short walk from downtown Los Altos! Built in 2011, this exceptional property was designed by world-renowned architect Ray Kappe as his first multi-family residence and earned a prestigious LEED Gold certification for its environmentally conscious design. The property has two spacious 3-Bedroom / 2.5 Bathroom units, each with
Embrace authentic Bay Area living at MV Apartments, where modern one and two bedroom homes meet meticulously landscaped grounds and premier community amenities in a prime Mountain View, California, location. Every detail inside our pet-friendly layouts is intentionally designed, from must-have features like in-home laundry appliances and high-speed internet access to thoughtful touches like
Conveniently located just blocks from all Silicon Valley has to offer, this 3 bed, 2 bath townhouse is nestled in a quiet oasis surrounded by mature trees and wonderful amenities. Plenty of natural light showcases the gleaming hardwood floors, vaulted ceilings, spacious living and dining rooms, and large kitchen with Quartz countertops and stainless appliances. Ground-floor primary suite has dual
In the heart of Silicon Valley, just minutes from the best parks, dining, entertainment, and steps away from tech employers, Verve offers unparalleled, luxurious apartment living. Distinctly designed with modern finishes and exclusive amenities including a resort-style swimming pool, outdoor veranda deck, thoughtfully designed fitness center and so much more. It's the perfect pairing of style and
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