Understand the city behind the home price.
Compare housing values, tax-base growth and audited city finances across eight Peninsula cities. Follow the evidence behind each city’s housing research question.
Peninsula comparison
Zillow Home Value Index · Jul 2026. Alphabetical order. Alpha rankings await a validated model.
| City | Typical home value | 10-year change | 20-year change | Value ÷ county |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Burlingame | $2,817,833 | +59.3% | +145.8% | 1.77× |
| Daly City | $1,137,024 | +44.0% | +80.6% | 0.71× |
| Millbrae | $2,055,633 | +55.8% | +133.7% | 1.29× |
| Pacifica | $1,276,738 | +45.9% | +72.5% | 0.80× |
| Redwood City | $1,893,533 | +50.7% | +138.2% | 1.19× |
| San Bruno | $1,308,809 | +64.0% | +112.5% | 0.82× |
| San Mateo | $1,685,162 | +46.8% | +107.8% | 1.06× |
| South San Francisco | $1,235,804 | +51.8% | +86.7% | 0.77× |
| San Mateo County | $1,596,366 | +45.1% | +94.0% | 1.00× |
Source: Zillow Research city series and county series. Changes use the same month 10 and 20 years before Jul 2026. A lower value ratio does not by itself establish underpricing.
Follow the General Fund
FY2025 · July 2024–June 2025. Alphabetical order; figures reflect each city’s reporting scope.
| City | Revenue | Expenditures | Change after financing | Unassigned ÷ expenditures |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Burlingame | $93,701,502 | $79,546,065 | $236,385 | 10.1% |
| Daly City | $130,096,253 | $121,057,885 | -$948,024 | 50.0% |
| Millbrae | $45,228,377 | $41,139,043 | $1,030,916 | 41.1% |
| Pacifica | $50,571,184 | $45,513,387 | $3,895,197 | 36.1% |
| Redwood City | $209,134,159 | $185,843,331 | -$2,302,645 | 18.3% |
| San Bruno | $72,530,696 | $56,416,769 | $5,239,848 | 94.8% |
| San Mateo | $179,094,076 | $176,559,810 | $1,581,520 | 60.6% |
| South San Francisco | $181,740,074 | $149,354,355 | $20,293,372 | 61.8% |
Source: each city’s FY2025 Annual Comprehensive Financial Report, General Fund column in the audited basic statements. Open a city for the reconciliation and source pages. Fund classifications, consolidation and one-time items limit comparisons. These figures do not establish fiscal health or predict home-price returns.
Explore each city
Each thesis is a hypothesis to test. Pages show the history, opposing case and evidence still needed.
Burlingame
How much of Burlingame’s quality and economic base is reflected in housing values?
Explore history and evidence →Daly City
Can proximity to San Francisco and constrained supply support housing outperformance?
Explore history and evidence →Millbrae
What explains Millbrae’s valuation premium, and is that premium durable?
Explore history and evidence →Pacifica
Does coastal scarcity outweigh access constraints and location-specific risks?
Explore history and evidence →Redwood City
Does Redwood City provide evidence that employment and downtown investment lead residential revaluation?
Explore history and evidence →San Bruno
How much of the price gap with Millbrae reflects durable differences, and how much could narrow?
Explore history and evidence →San Mateo
Can San Mateo’s amenities and employment access sustain strong long-run housing performance?
Explore history and evidence →South San Francisco
Has growth in the commercial tax base created residential value that home prices have yet to reflect?
Explore history and evidence →What this edition covers
Housing values from Jan 2000 to Jul 2026 and net assessed values from 2006 to 2026, with source links and a San Mateo County benchmark. FY2025 General Fund results are available for all eight cities. Earlier fiscal years, demographics and development research are still being assembled.
Alpha Scores and forecasts are withheld until their inputs and methodology are ready. Read the draft score framework and publication standards.