Cities with the most expensive homes in California
Purchasing a home is among the most important investments a person will make in their lifetime. 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—and, increasingly, is a huge barrier—for buyers.
In March, the typical home value in the United States was $355,696—4.6% higher than the previous year.
High mortgage rates have also had a major impact on affordability: As of April 25, the 30-year fixed mortgage rate stands at 7.17%, three points higher than the average mortgage American households are sitting on. That disparity has kept many people in homes they might otherwise leave—to pursue another job, to downsize, or to upsize—further squeezing an already-tight market.
While home prices are up across the U.S., certain cities command significantly higher prices than others. Location, size, age, and condition are all contributing factors to home values.
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 March 2024. The charts in this story were created automatically using Matplotlib.
Metros with the most cities in the top 30 in California
#1. Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA: 9
#1. San Francisco-Oakland-Berkeley, CA: 9
#3. San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA: 7
#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: $2,741,531
- 1-year price change: +10.1%
- 5-year price change: +15.2%
- Metro area: Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA
#29. Summerland
- Typical home value: $2,778,868
- 1-year price change: +5.3%
- 5-year price change: +63.7%
- Metro area: Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA
#28. Del Monte Forest
- Typical home value: $2,837,054
- 1-year price change: +8.2%
- 5-year price change: +57.7%
- Metro area: Salinas, CA
#27. Palos Verdes Estates
- Typical home value: $2,888,957
- 1-year price change: +5.7%
- 5-year price change: +40.0%
- Metro area: Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA
#26. Laguna Beach
- Typical home value: $3,001,535
- 1-year price change: +6.8%
- 5-year price change: +54.8%
- Metro area: Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA
#25. Cupertino
- Typical home value: $3,023,672
- 1-year price change: +10.7%
- 5-year price change: +30.3%
- Metro area: San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA
#24. Tiburon
- Typical home value: $3,030,011
- 1-year price change: +2.5%
- 5-year price change: +27.7%
- Metro area: San Francisco-Oakland-Berkeley, CA
#23. Manhattan Beach
- Typical home value: $3,097,441
- 1-year price change: +3.7%
- 5-year price change: +31.4%
- Metro area: Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA
#22. Stanford
- Typical home value: $3,140,302
- 1-year price change: +7.0%
- 5-year price change: +20.1%
- Metro area: San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA
#21. Diablo
- Typical home value: $3,195,379
- 1-year price change: -0.6%
- 5-year price change: +34.2%
- Metro area: San Francisco-Oakland-Berkeley, CA
#20. Newport Beach
- Typical home value: $3,359,503
- 1-year price change: +12.1%
- 5-year price change: +65.8%
- Metro area: Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA
#19. Rolling Hills
- Typical home value: $3,392,035
- 1-year price change: +3.9%
- 5-year price change: +37.9%
- Metro area: Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA
#18. Malibu
- Typical home value: $3,512,444
- 1-year price change: +3.2%
- 5-year price change: +35.8%
- Metro area: Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA
#17. Palo Alto
- Typical home value: $3,512,672
- 1-year price change: +4.5%
- 5-year price change: +13.1%
- Metro area: San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA
#16. Del Mar
- Typical home value: $3,665,787
- 1-year price change: +7.8%
- 5-year price change: +54.4%
- Metro area: San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA
#15. Stinson Beach
- Typical home value: $3,676,611
- 1-year price change: +7.7%
- 5-year price change: +56.5%
- Metro area: San Francisco-Oakland-Berkeley, CA
#14. Woodside
- Typical home value: $3,700,949
- 1-year price change: -1.7%
- 5-year price change: +21.3%
- Metro area: San Francisco-Oakland-Berkeley, CA
#13. Beverly Hills
- Typical home value: $3,778,033
- 1-year price change: -1.0%
- 5-year price change: +12.8%
- Metro area: Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA
#12. Ross
- Typical home value: $3,829,846
- 1-year price change: +1.2%
- 5-year price change: +27.5%
- Metro area: San Francisco-Oakland-Berkeley, CA
#11. Portola Valley
- Typical home value: $3,954,052
- 1-year price change: +0.9%
- 5-year price change: +16.8%
- Metro area: San Francisco-Oakland-Berkeley, CA
#10. Saratoga
- Typical home value: $3,992,726
- 1-year price change: +8.4%
- 5-year price change: +39.5%
- Metro area: San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA
#9. Rancho Santa Fe
- Typical home value: $4,261,632
- 1-year price change: +9.3%
- 5-year price change: +72.0%
- Metro area: San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA
#8. Monte Sereno
- Typical home value: $4,306,473
- 1-year price change: +5.3%
- 5-year price change: +37.8%
- Metro area: San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA
#7. Los Altos
- Typical home value: $4,408,921
- 1-year price change: +6.0%
- 5-year price change: +28.3%
- Metro area: San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA
#6. Belvedere
- Typical home value: $4,491,805
- 1-year price change: +0.3%
- 5-year price change: +22.2%
- Metro area: San Francisco-Oakland-Berkeley, CA
#5. Montecito
- Typical home value: $5,054,371
- 1-year price change: +4.6%
- 5-year price change: +67.4%
- Metro area: Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA
#4. Hillsborough
- Typical home value: $5,115,268
- 1-year price change: -2.6%
- 5-year price change: +18.4%
- Metro area: San Francisco-Oakland-Berkeley, CA
#3. Hidden Hills
- Typical home value: $5,403,598
- 1-year price change: +7.9%
- 5-year price change: +54.8%
- Metro area: Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA
#2. Los Altos Hills
- Typical home value: $5,888,761
- 1-year price change: +4.0%
- 5-year price change: +25.0%
- Metro area: San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA
#1. Atherton
- Typical home value: $7,565,693
- 1-year price change: -2.3%
- 5-year price change: +21.9%
- Metro area: San Francisco-Oakland-Berkeley, CA
This story features data reporting and writing by Elena Cox and is part of a series utilizing data automation across 50 states.
