Blog > Moving Up in Palo Alto: From a Condo or Townhome to a House, by the Numbers (2026)
Moving Up in Palo Alto: From a Condo or Townhome to a House, by the Numbers (2026)
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Moving up from a Palo Alto condo or townhome to a house is a big jump here. The median condo or townhome sold for $1.5M in the last 12 months, the least expensive quarter of houses for $3.2M or less, and the median house for $4M. With 20% down at 7.24%, the monthly cost goes from about $9,670 to $20,640 for an entry-level house and $25,810 for the median. Here’s the math, what the entry-level houses look like, and how much your condo’s value may help. We’re the Property Nerds, so the numbers come from real sales.
The short answer
- The price gap: $1.7M from the median condo or townhome to an entry-level house, $2.5M to the median house.
- The monthly gap (20% down, 7.24%, tax included): about $10,980 more for an entry-level house, $16,140 more for the median. HOA dues go away, which offsets part of it.
- The entry-level house: a median 1,320 sq ft with 3 bedrooms on a 6,020 sq ft lot (95 sales at $3.2M or less).
- Your condo’s value: the median Palo Alto condo or townhome sold for $1.43M in 2020 and $1.5M in the last 12 months.
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Buying or selling in Palo Alto?
- What’s my home worth? Ask for the recent sales on your street.
- Selling a home in Palo Alto: pricing, prep and what’s selling now.
- Talk to a Property Nerd about your plans.
The three steps, side by side
The last 12 months (October 28, 2025 to October 27, 2026). The entry-level row prices the 25th percentile, the price a quarter of houses sold at or below; its size and lot are the medians of those houses. Monthly cost: 20% down, a 30-year fixed loan at 7.24% (Freddie Mac’s average, week of October 29, 2026), and property tax at Palo Alto’s 1.20135% rate after the homeowners’ exemption.
| Home | Median price | Living area | Beds | Lot | 20% down | Per month |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Median condo or townhome | $1.5M | 1,390 sq ft | 2 | — | $300,000 | $9,670 |
| Entry-level house (25th percentile) | $3.2M | 1,320 sq ft | 3 | 6,020 sq ft | $640,000 | $20,640 |
| Median house | $4M | 1,910 sq ft | 4 | 7,000 sq ft | $800,000 | $25,810 |
How much your condo helps
The median Palo Alto condo or townhome sold for $1.52M in 2016, $1.43M in 2020 and $1.5M in the last 12 months. Your equity is your sale price, less your loan balance and selling costs. Set it against 20% down on an entry-level house, $640,000, plus closing costs. Many move-up buyers add savings or company stock; see using RSUs and company stock for a down payment.
Sell first or buy first?
- Sell first: you know your cash and can write a clean offer, but you may need a rent-back or a short-term rental.
- Buy first: you move once, but you carry two homes for a while or need a bridge loan, and sellers may weigh a contingent offer lower.
- Property tax: the house is assessed at its purchase price, so plan for the supplemental bill (how it works).
- Capital gains: the home-sale exclusion ($250,000, or $500,000 for most married couples) can cover much or all of the gain on a condo you’ve lived in (details); ask your tax advisor.
Palo Alto against nearby cities
The last 12 months (October 28, 2025 to October 27, 2026).
| City | Median condo or townhome | Entry-level house | Median house | Gap to entry-level house |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Los Altos | $1.77M | $4.19M | $4.9M | $2.42M |
| Palo Alto | $1.5M | $3.2M | $4M | $1.7M |
| Sunnyvale | $1.35M | $2.05M | $2.63M | $700K |
| Cupertino | $1.26M | $2.95M | $3.33M | $1.69M |
| Santa Clara | $883K | $1.68M | $1.97M | $797K |
| Los Gatos | $1.45M | $1.97M | $2.67M | $516K |
| Saratoga | $1.43M | $3.45M | $4.28M | $2.02M |
How competitive the entry-level houses are
In the last 12 months, houses at $3.2M or less in Palo Alto typically closed 3.4% over asking, with 63% selling over asking, against 5.7% over asking and 69% for all Palo Alto houses. The entry point has been less contested than the market as a whole.
Questions we get
How much more is a house than a condo in Palo Alto?
The median house sold for $4M and the median condo or townhome for $1.5M in the last 12 months, a gap of $2.5M. The least expensive quarter of houses sold for $3.2M or less.
What does an entry-level house look like in Palo Alto?
Among houses that sold for $3.2M or less, the median had 1,320 square feet and 3 bedrooms on a 6,020 square-foot lot.
How much more a month is a house?
About $10,980 more for an entry-level Palo Alto house than the median condo or townhome, with 20% down at 7.24%, tax included, before HOA dues and insurance.
How we counted
Medians of closed sales reported to the MLS and read through the IDX feeds that power our home search, one record per sale with a usable living area and map position, the same rules as our city price posts. Houses are MLS property type “single family home”; condos include townhomes. The window is the last 12 months (October 28, 2025 to October 27, 2026); condo prices by year use calendar 2016 and 2020. Payments use Freddie Mac’s 30-year average (7.24%, week of October 29, 2026); jumbo rates can differ. Tax uses Palo Alto’s typical 2025–26 rate from the county’s rate book. Past sales aren’t a forecast or the value of any one home, and nothing here is financial, tax or legal advice.
Go deeper
what it costs to own in Palo Alto, what your budget buys in Palo Alto, Mortgage Lab and Palo Alto condo and townhome prices.
More Palo Alto numbers from the Property Nerds
Talk to a Property Nerd
We’re the Property Nerds at Compass, recognized as NextGenAgents by a national real estate portal. We’ll pull the sales that matter for your home and your plans, and walk you through what they mean. Call (408) 373-1660 or (650) 383-8606, or book a strategy call. Commissions are negotiable, and we offer bundled services, so ask us what’s included.