If you own a home in Santa Clara County and you have been wondering whether this fall is a good time to sell, the latest September figures give you a clear, balanced picture. Well priced homes are still selling above asking and selling fast, buyers have more homes to choose from than a year ago, and mortgage rates just eased to their lowest level this month. If you are thinking about selling or buying in Santa Clara County, San Jose, or Palo Alto, here is what the latest numbers mean for you.
Santa Clara County at a glance
The California Association of Realtors reported a median sold price of $1,920,000 for existing single family homes in Santa Clara County in September 2026, up 1.1 percent from August, and down 4.0 percent from September 2025. Sales rose 15.3 percent from August and 1.5 percent from a year earlier. That combination matters for sellers, prices are holding close to last month, and more sales are closing than a year ago.
The MLSListings county summary for September tells a similar story in slightly different numbers, which is normal because the two reports count sales a little differently. That summary put the county median at $1,880,000 on 726 sales, with homes selling for 103 percent of list price and a median of 12 days on market. Either way you read it, the message is the same, Santa Clara County homes that are priced well and presented well are still moving quickly and above asking.
The biggest change this fall is choice. C.A.R. reported active listings in Santa Clara County up 26.4 percent from a year earlier, one of the largest increases among the counties it highlighted. For sellers, that means your home has more competition on the market at the same time, so pricing and presentation in the first two weeks matter more than they did last fall.
A fresh quarterly view confirms the county’s place at the top. The National Association of Realtors, in its third quarter metro report released October 29, 2026, said San Jose, Sunnyvale and Santa Clara remained the most expensive metro market in the country, at a median of $1.92 million, up 0.3 percent. Nine of the ten most expensive markets in that report were in California or Hawaii.
San Jose, steady and full of options
In San Jose, the Santa Clara County Association of Realtors September 2026 report put the single family median sale price at $1,568,888, with 367 closed sales, 471 new listings, and 606 single family homes in inventory. Single family homes averaged 28 days on market, and closed sales averaged 102 percent of the original list price.
For condos and townhomes in San Jose, the median sale price was $729,000 in September, with 471 units in inventory and 127 closed sales, averaging 44 days on market. That part of the market gives sellers a different playbook, buyers there have more time, so a sharp price and a move in ready home stand out even more.
The weekly data adds a helpful note for sellers. Redfin, in its update released October 29 for the four weeks ending October 25, 2026, put San Jose at the top of the large metros for new listings, up 17.9 percent from a year earlier, while the San Jose metro median sale price was down 4.9 percent from a year earlier in that four week window. More sellers are coming to market, and buyers are choosing carefully among them.
Palo Alto, still fast and still premium
Palo Alto remains the premium end of the county, and it helps to know the contrast. Palo Alto does not publish a September only median sale price through the California Association of Realtors, which reports by county, so the clearest Palo Alto picture comes from MLS data for the third quarter of 2026. In that quarter, 103 single family homes sold in Palo Alto at a median price of $4.2 million. Those homes sold for a median of 107.6 percent of their original list price, and the median time on market was just 9 days.
In plain terms, Palo Alto sellers with a well prepared home are still seeing fast, strong results, while sellers in San Jose and the wider county are working in a market with more listings and more selective buyers. Both can sell well this fall, the strategy is just a little different by city.
The Bay Area overall
Across the San Francisco Bay Area, C.A.R. reported a median sold price of $1,325,000 for existing single family homes in September 2026, up 4.2 percent from August and up 1.9 percent from September 2025. Statewide, the California median was $899,720 in September, down 0.2 percent from August and up 1.7 percent from a year earlier. Nationally, Redfin reported a median sale price of $389,601 for the four weeks ending October 25, down 0.1 percent from a year earlier. Our local market is holding up much better than the national picture, which is exactly why local, city by city pricing matters so much here.
Mortgage rates, moving in a helpful direction
There is welcome news on rates this week, and it helps sellers too. Freddie Mac’s weekly Primary Mortgage Market Survey put the average 30 year fixed rate at 7.24 percent for the week ending October 29, 2026, down from 7.32 percent the week before. The 15 year fixed averaged 6.60 percent, down from 6.68 percent. Freddie Mac’s chief economist noted the rate reached its lowest level this month, modestly boosting purchasing power for prospective buyers.
When rates ease, even a little, more buyers can qualify and more buyers feel ready to write an offer. For a seller listing this fall, that is an opportunity, a home that is ready when a good rate week arrives is the home that prepared buyers compete for. It is one more reason to have your pricing, photos, and paperwork ready before you go live, not after.
Seller tips for Santa Clara County right now
First, price from recent local sold sales, not from a county median and not from hope. With active listings up 26.4 percent in the county, buyers can compare your home with real alternatives, and a fair starting price is what brings offers at 102 to 103 percent of list, and higher in Palo Alto. Second, win the first two weeks. County homes sold at a median of 12 days on market in September on the MLSListings summary, so most of your best buyers will see your home right away. Have it clean, repaired, staged, and photographed before day one. Third, make the home easy to say yes to. Clear disclosures, a pre inspection if it fits your home, and flexible showing times remove the little doubts that slow an offer down. Fourth, treat a longer sit as information. If showings are strong but offers are not coming, the market is usually talking about price or condition, and a small, early adjustment works better than a large, late one. Fifth, remember that condos and townhomes need a sharper edge right now, they averaged longer on market in San Jose in September, so presentation and price carry even more weight there.
What this means if you are buying
Buyers, you have more choice than last fall, and that is a real opening. Use it to compare neighborhoods across San Jose, Santa Clara County, and, if your budget allows, Palo Alto, ask good questions, and still be fully prepared when the right home appears. Well priced homes are still selling fast and above asking, so a full preapproval and a clean plan remain your best tools.
Common questions
1. What is the median home price in Santa Clara County right now?
The latest September 2026 figures put Santa Clara County at $1,920,000 on the California Association of Realtors report, up 1.1 percent from August and down 4.0 percent from a year earlier. The MLSListings county summary for September put the median at $1,880,000 on 726 sales, the two reports count sales a little differently.
2. Is now a good time to sell in Santa Clara County?
Well priced homes are still selling well. On the MLSListings September summary, county homes sold for 103 percent of list at a median of 12 days on market, and C.A.R. sales were up 1.5 percent from a year earlier. With listings up 26.4 percent, pricing and presentation in the first two weeks are the key.
3. What is the current mortgage rate?
Freddie Mac’s latest weekly survey, for the week ending October 29, 2026, put the average 30 year fixed rate at 7.24 percent, down from 7.32 percent the week before, and the 15 year fixed at 6.60 percent. Rates move weekly, so a current quote from your lender is always the right next step.
4. How does San Jose compare with Palo Alto right now?
San Jose’s single family median was $1,568,888 in September 2026, at 102 percent of list, with 606 homes in inventory. Palo Alto’s median was $4.2 million in the third quarter of 2026, at a median of 107.6 percent of list and just 9 days on market.
5. Why are there two different county median prices?
C.A.R. and MLSListings count closed sales a little differently, so their September medians differ slightly, $1,920,000 and $1,880,000. Both point the same way, prices are holding close to last month, a little softer than last year, with strong results for well priced homes.
Thinking about selling or buying in Santa Clara County, San Jose, or Palo Alto? I would love to help you make a clear plan with the latest local numbers. Call or text me at 408-477-6262, or visit NajwaRealEstate.com to get started.
Najwa Khoury, Real Brokerage, DRE #02026194