City · 30,698 residents · Santa Clara County, California
Los Altos, California
In Los Altos, a typical home is worth $2,000,001 and typical rent is $3,501 a month. Compared with all of Santa Clara County, typical household income is 52% higher, the typical home value is 34% higher, and the share of households that own their home is 27 points higher.
Typical home value from Zillow, September 2021 to September 2026: from $3,576,624 to $4,591,005.
Typical rent
$6,886a month
▲ 18.2% more than 12 months ago
Typical rent from Zillow, September 2021 to September 2026: from $4,976 to $6,886.
From Zillow (ZHVI/ZORI), September 2026. The Census figures above are 5-year averages (2020–2024).
Los Altos is in Santa Clara County. The FHA loan limit ($1,249,125 for a one-unit home), the fair market rents and the help on this page are those of all of Santa Clara County. See the county
What this place has that others do not, from public data, most unusual first.
1
Los Altos has the highest typical rent of the 648 cities in California with more than 5,000 people: $3,501.
2
Los Altos has the highest typical household income of the 659 cities in California with more than 5,000 people: $250,001.
3
Los Altos has the highest typical home value of the 654 cities in California with more than 5,000 people: $2,000,001.
4
82% of households in Los Altos own their home, against 55% in Santa Clara County.
5
According to Zillow, in the 12 months to September 2026 the typical home value in Los Altos rose 8.4%; in California, it rose 0.6%.
6
Los Altos has the 29th smallest share of rent-burdened renters of the 616 cities in California with more than 5,000 people (40%).
Sources: U.S. Census Bureau (Average 2020–2024); Zillow (September 2026 data). Zillow data
The homes here
Housing in Los Altos
What homes there are in Los Altos, what they cost, how that changed and how people live, from Census figures (2020–2024).
What homes there are
U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-year, 2020–2024
Kind of home
Detached houseAttached houseBuilding of 2 to 4Apartments (5 or more)Mobile homeBoat, RV and otherUnreliable estimate
Los Altos
Santa Clara County
California
United States
Kind of home: Los Altos and its comparisons
Measure
Los Altos
Santa Clara County
California
United States
Detached house
82%
51%
57%
61%
Attached house
5%
11%
7%
6%
Building of 2 to 4
2%
7%
8%
8%
Apartments (5 or more)
11%
29%
24%
19%
Mobile home
Unreliable estimate
3%
4%
6%
Boat, RV and other
Unreliable estimate
0%
0%
0%
In Los Altos, 8 in 10 homes are single-family detached houses; in Santa Clara County, 5.
Year built
Before 19601960–19791980–19992000–20092010 or later
Los Altos
Santa Clara County
California
United States
Year built: Los Altos and its comparisons
Measure
Los Altos
Santa Clara County
California
United States
Before 1960
43%
22%
27%
26%
1960–1979
30%
38%
29%
24%
1980–1999
9%
20%
25%
25%
2000–2009
6%
9%
11%
14%
2010 or later
11%
11%
8%
11%
The typical home in Los Altos was built in 1964, 11 years before the typical one in Santa Clara County.
Homes in Los Altos are bigger: 81% have 3 bedrooms or more; in Santa Clara County, 56%.
What it costs here
U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-year, 2020–2024
Value of owner-occupied homes
Unreliable estimate
Under $100KUnreliable
$100K–$200KUnreliable
$200K–$300KUnreliable
$300K–$500KUnreliable
$500K–$750KUnreliable
$750K–$1MUnreliable
$1M or more96%
Value of owner-occupied homes: Los Altos and its comparisons
Measure
Los Altos
Under $100K
Unreliable estimate
$100K–$200K
Unreliable estimate
$200K–$300K
Unreliable estimate
$300K–$500K
Unreliable estimate
$500K–$750K
Unreliable estimate
$750K–$1M
Unreliable estimate
$1M or more
96%
Monthly rent with utilities
Unreliable estimate
Under $500Unreliable
$500–$999Unreliable
$1,000–$1,499Unreliable
$1,500–$1,999Unreliable
$2,000–$2,499Unreliable
$2,500–$2,999Unreliable
$3,000 or more87%
Monthly rent with utilities: Los Altos and its comparisons
Measure
Los Altos
Under $500
Unreliable estimate
$500–$999
Unreliable estimate
$1,000–$1,499
Unreliable estimate
$1,500–$1,999
Unreliable estimate
$2,000–$2,499
Unreliable estimate
$2,500–$2,999
Unreliable estimate
$3,000 or more
87%
Owners with a mortgage
61%
Santa Clara County: 67%
How people live
U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-year, 2020–2024
How people live: Los Altos and its comparisons
Measure
Los Altos
Santa Clara County
California
United States
Rental vacancy
Unreliable estimate
5.1%
4.2%
5.5%
Homeowner vacancy
Unreliable estimate
0.7%
0.8%
0.9%
More than one person per room
Unreliable estimate
7.5%
8.2%
3.4%
People per household
2.81
2.82
2.84
2.53
Drive alone
51%
60%
66%
69%
Carpool
4%
9%
10%
9%
Public transit
Unreliable estimate
2%
3%
3%
Walk or bike
4%
3%
3%
3%
Work from home
39%
24%
17%
15%
Other means
Unreliable estimate
2%
2%
2%
Typical commute
20 to 29 minutes
20 to 29 minutes
20 to 29 minutes
20 to 29 minutes
A household in Los Altos has 2.81 people on average, about the same as in Santa Clara County (2.82).
Working from home is more common in Los Altos: 39%, against 24% in Santa Clara County.
Do the math
What would you pay each month for a home in Los Altos?
A typical home costs more than the typical income allows
We start with a typical home in Los Altos, worth $2,000,001, an FHA loan with 3.5% down and the latest average rate (7.18%). That payment would take 78% of the typical household income in Los Altos, which is $250,001 a year. For that payment to be 28% of income, a household would need to earn about $693,267 a year. Note: at that price the loan is above the FHA limit for Santa Clara County ($1,249,125), so FHA would not insure it; the payment is only a reference.
The calculator's FHA and conventional loan limits are those of all of Santa Clara County.
Change the price, the down payment or the loan: the payment updates right away.
Your numbers
Local data
$
Starts at the typical home value in Los Altos. Change it to the price you have in mind.
Your score changes which loans apply and FHA's minimum down payment. Your real rate also depends on your credit.
Down payment
%
That is $70,000 (3.5% of the price). The usual minimum for this loan is 3.5%.
This loan usually requires at least 3.5% down.
This week's average ± a quarter or half point.
National average as of November 5, 2026 (Freddie Mac); your rate may be different.
Adjust advanced details⌄
Estimated monthly payment
Local data
$16,176
at 7.18% · 30 years
Loan amount
$1,963,776
Total interest
$2,825,413
Paid off in
November 2056
Includes $33,775 FHA upfront mortgage insurance premium.
Does it fit the income?
Comfortable
up to $5,833 a month
Tight
$5,833 to $7,500 a month
Hard
more than $7,500 a month
Your payment · 78%
Compared with the typical household income in Los Altos ($250,001 a year). Reference: HUD calls paying more than 30% of income for housing a cost burden.
Monthly payment breakdown
Principal & interest
$13,303
Property tax
$833
Home insurance
$833
FHA mortgage insurance (MIP)
$1,206
This loan is over the FHA limit
You'd borrow $1,930,001, but the FHA limit for a one-unit home in Los Altos is $1,249,125. You'd need a bigger down payment or a different loan.
You need at least $70,000 for the down payment, plus closing costs.
This is an estimate to give you an idea, not a loan offer. Your real payment depends on your rate, your credit, and the insurance and taxes on the home you buy.
Total monthly payment $16,176; principal and interest $13,303.
The city and its county
Los Altos and Santa Clara County
Los Altos is in Santa Clara County, California. The U.S. Census Bureau publishes its own numbers for the city: home values, rent, household income, how many households own their home and the property tax. They are American Community Survey estimates (average 2020–2024).
Los Altos
Map of Santa Clara County, California, with Los Altos marked. Around it, the neighboring counties.
Los Altos
Santa Clara County
Other cities with a page
Los Altos's own numbers
Typical home value
$2,000,001
Typical monthly rent
$3,501
Typical yearly household income
$250,001
Households that own their home
82%
Effective property tax rate
0.5%
U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey (average 2020–2024).
Numbers for all of Santa Clara County
FHA limit, one-unit home
$1,249,125
Conventional limit, one unit
$1,249,125
HUD fair market rent, 2 bedrooms
$3,272
Price change over 5 years (FHFA)
+35%
Homes in a high flood-risk zone
6.7%
HUD, FHFA and FEMA don't publish these numbers by city.
Other numbers are not published by city, only for the whole county: FHA and conventional loan limits, HUD’s fair market rents, FHFA’s price index and FEMA’s flood data. On this page, those numbers always say they are for all of Santa Clara County.
A typical home in Los Altos is worth $2,000,001: 34% above the county and 172% above California. With the typical household income in Los Altos ($250,001 a year), a typical home costs 8.0 times what the household earns in a year.
Years of income to pay for a typical home
The typical home value divided by the typical household income for one year. The lower it is, the less buying weighs.
Los Altos8.0 years
Santa Clara9.1 years
California7.4 years
United States4.1 years
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Average 2020–2024
How prices have changed in Santa Clara County
According to FHFA’s house price index, home prices in Santa Clara County rose 64% in the 10 years through 2025.
FHFA does not publish this index by city: these are the numbers for all of Santa Clara County.
Yearly change in FHFA’s price index in Santa Clara County, 2016 to 2025
2016: +9.7% +9.7% 2016
2017: +4.0% +4.0% 2017
2018: +11.8% +11.8% 2018
2019: −1.9% −1.9% 2019
2020: −3.0% −3.0% 2020
2021: +4.8% +4.8% 2021
2022: +15.7% +15.7% 2022
2023: +6.2% +6.2% 2023
2024: +5.3% +5.3% 2024
2025: −0.6% −0.6% 2025
Change in FHFA’s price index in Santa Clara County, California and the United States
Period
County
California
U.S.
Last year (2025)
−0.6%
+0.8%
+2.9%
5 years (2020–2025)
+35%
+40%
+47%
10 years (2015–2025)
+64%
+80%
+85%
The index follows the price of the same homes over time (sales and appraisals with Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac loans). It is not the average price of a home. FHFA considers its annual county indexes experimental. Source: FHFA, 2025 data
Los Altos next to Santa Clara County, California and the U.S.
Three numbers side by side. “Typical” means the median: half are above it and half below.
Typical home value
Los Altos$2,000,001
Santa Clara$1,490,600
California$734,700
United States$332,700
Typical monthly rent
Los Altos$3,501
Santa Clara$2,857
California$2,036
United States$1,413
Typical yearly household income
Los Altos$250,001
Santa Clara$164,281
California$99,122
United States$80,734
See the full table
Los Altos next to Santa Clara County and California
Measure
Los Altos
Santa Clara County
California
U.S.
Typical home value
$2,000,001 ▲34% above the county
$1,490,600
$734,700
$332,700
Typical monthly rent
$3,501 ▲23% above the county
$2,857
$2,036
$1,413
Typical yearly household income
$250,001 ▲52% above the county
$164,281
$99,122
$80,734
Households that own their home
82% ▲27 points above the county
55%
56%
65%
Typical yearly property tax
$10,001
$10,001
$5,124
$3,119
Effective property tax rate
0.5% ▼0.17 points below the county
0.67%
0.7%
0.94%
Renters with high rent for their income
40% ▼5 points below the county
45%
55%
51%
“Typical” means the median: half are above and half are below. ▲ and ▼ say whether the city is above or below Santa Clara County. “High rent” is the Census measure: renter households that pay 30% or more of their income in rent.
Four ways to pay for a typical home in Los Altos
For a typical $2,000,001 home in Los Altos, at Freddie Mac's average rate (7.18% as of November 5, 2026) over 30 years. The monthly payment adds principal and interest, Los Altos's typical property tax, an example home insurance and mortgage insurance when it applies.
FHA, 3.5% down$16,176a month
Above the FHA limit for Santa Clara County ($1,249,125)
Down payment
$70,000
Cash to close
$130,000
Rate
7.18%
Mortgage insurance
FHA MIP · $1,206
Conventional, 5% down$15,488a month
Above the conventional limit for Santa Clara County ($1,249,125): it would be a "jumbo" loan
Down payment
$100,000
Cash to close
$160,000
Rate
7.18%
Mortgage insurance
PMI · $950
Conventional, 20% down, no PMI$12,506a month
Above the conventional limit for Santa Clara County ($1,249,125): it would be a "jumbo" loan
Down payment
$400,000
Cash to close
$460,000
Rate
7.18%
Mortgage insurance
None
ITIN, 15% down (example)$14,355a month
Down payment
$300,000
Cash to close
$360,000
Rate
8.18%
Mortgage insurance
None
Four ways to pay for a typical home in Los Altos
Loan
Monthly payment
Down payment
Loan amount
Rate
Mortgage insurance
Cash to close
Minimum score
FHA, 3.5% down Above the FHA limit for Santa Clara County ($1,249,125)
$16,176
$70,000
$1,963,776
7.18%
FHA MIP · $1,206
$130,000
580
Conventional, 5% down Above the conventional limit for Santa Clara County ($1,249,125): it would be a "jumbo" loan
$15,488
$100,000
$1,900,001
7.18%
PMI · $950
$160,000
620*
Conventional, 20% down, no PMI Above the conventional limit for Santa Clara County ($1,249,125): it would be a "jumbo" loan
$12,506
$400,000
$1,600,001
7.18%
None
$460,000
620*
ITIN, 15% down (example)
$14,355
$300,000
$1,700,001
8.18%
None
$360,000
Set by the lender
Cash to close = down payment plus 3% of the price in closing costs (example).
Minimum score: FHA requires 580 or higher for the minimum down payment (HUD Handbook 4000.1). * Fannie Mae requires 620 when a loan is underwritten by hand; its automated system has no fixed minimum.
The ITIN row is an example with a rate 1 percentage point higher: ITIN loans follow no federal rule and each lender sets its own down payment and rate. Nothing in this table promises an approval.
Typical rent in Los Altos is $3,501 a month: 23% above the county. In Los Altos, 40% of renter households pay 30% or more of their income in rent.
HUD publishes a fair market rent for all of Santa Clara County, by unit size. To pay the 2-bedroom one ($3,272 a month) without spending more than 30% of your income, you would need to earn $62.92 an hour working full time.
HUD fair market rent for all of Santa Clara County
What you need to earn to pay it without spending more than 30% of income, working full time.
HUD fair market rent in Santa Clara County (Fiscal year 2027)
Size
Fair rent a month
Hourly wage
Yearly income
Studio
$2,458
$47.27
$98,320
1 bedroom
$2,778
$53.42
$111,120
2 bedrooms
$3,272
$62.92
$130,880
3 bedrooms
$4,396
$84.54
$175,840
4 bedrooms
$4,688
$90.15
$187,520
Includes basic utilities. It isn't the lowest or highest rent: it's a reference point. Source: HUD, Fiscal year 2027
By ZIP code
Fair market rent by ZIP code in Los Altos
HUD also publishes a fair market rent for each ZIP code (Small Area FMR, fiscal year 2027). Los Altos has 2 ZIP codes with their own.
For 2 bedrooms it runs from $3,990 in 94022 to $4,030 in 94024.
2 of the 2 are above the fair market rent for Santa Clara County ($3,272).
Fair market rent by ZIP code and size in Los Altos, fiscal year 2027.
94022
$3,010
$3,350
$3,990
$5,330
$5,660
94024
$3,030
$3,420
$4,030
$5,420
$5,770
ZIP code2 bd3 bd
94022 $3,990$5,330
94024 $4,030$5,420
2 of these ZIP codes cross the city line: HUD sets the rent by ZIP code, not by city. A ZIP code counts for Los Altos when at least 50% of its land is inside the city or it covers at least 15% of the city (Census 2020 boundaries). Source: Small Area Fair Market Rents (HUD)Fiscal year 2027Small Area Fair Market Rents (HUD) (external site)Source: Census Bureau ZCTA-to-place relationship fileData from 2020 dataCensus Bureau ZCTA-to-place relationship file (external site)
You do not have to do this alone. A HUD-approved housing counseling agency helps for free or at low cost: getting ready to buy, understanding your credit, or solving a problem with your rent.
There are 3 HUD-approved agencies with an office in Santa Clara County; 2 say they serve in Spanish.
No down payment, repair or rent-help program on our list is for Los Altos or Santa Clara County. The ones below are statewide in California: they work in Los Altos the same as in the rest of the state.
CalHFA second loan with deferred payments for the down payment or closing costs of first-time buyers in California.Offered by California Housing Finance Agency (CalHFA).
CalHFA down payment loan for first-generation buyers in California; when you sell, you repay the loan plus a share of the home's appreciation.Offered by California Housing Finance Agency (CalHFA).
CalHFA second loan with deferred payments for the down payment or closing costs of first-time buyers who use the CalPLUS Access mortgage (FHA or conventional).Offered by California Housing Finance Agency (CalHFA).
No legal help resource on our list is for Los Altos or Santa Clara County in particular.
If you have a problem with your landlord, an eviction notice or a scam, the Legal Services Corporation (LSC) search shows the free legal aid offices that serve your area.
Short answers with the numbers for Los Altos and all of Santa Clara County. If your case is different, a HUD-approved counseling agency can guide you for free or at low cost.
How much does a typical home cost in Los Altos?
The typical home value in Los Altos is $2,000,001, according to the U.S. Census Bureau (average 2020–2024). For comparison, in Santa Clara County it is $1,490,600.
How much does it cost to rent in Los Altos?
Typical rent in Los Altos is $3,501 a month, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. HUD’s fair market rent for 2 bedrooms in Santa Clara County is $3,272.
What is the FHA loan limit in Los Altos?
Los Altos uses the FHA limit for all of Santa Clara County (2026): $1,249,125 for a one-unit home and $2,402,625 for a four-unit home.
How much property tax do owners pay in Los Altos?
The typical homeowner in Los Altos pays $10,001 a year, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. That is 0.5% of the home’s value; in Santa Clara County, the rate is 0.67%.
Where can I find free help to buy or rent in Los Altos?
There are 3 HUD-approved counseling agencies with an office in Santa Clara County. 2 say they serve in Spanish. They can help you get ready to buy, with your credit, or with rent.
