It’s no surprise that the cost of living has risen significantly since the pandemic hit in 2020, not just in the US but around the world, especially in densely populated areas. This increase is reflected not only in everyday consumer goods but also in the soaring costs of housing.
In fact, according to a report by Zillow, the American tech real estate marketplace, California tops the list of states where starter homes are valued at over one million dollars. A total of 113 cities in our state are included in the survey, which covers 233 cities overall. The Real Estate platform and databank describes starter homes as those that fall within the lowest third of home values in a particular region.
The $1 million starter home is no longer exclusive to our state. While California still leads by a large margin, half of all U.S. states now have at least one city on the list, including Minnesota and Rhode Island. Following California, New York (32) and New Jersey (20) have the next highest numbers.
According to the data Zillow shared with Patch, these are the 10 most expensive cities in the state:
- Los Altos Hills – $4,751,547
- Atherton – $4,508,013
- Hillsborough – $3,900,868
- Hidden Hills – $3,437,837
- Los Altos – $3,429,800
- Monte Sereno – $3,282,398
- Saratoga – $3,084,123
- Portola Valley – $3,009,913
- Montecito – $2,977,178
- Belvedere – $2,925,462
Meanwhile, the full list of cities in California with starter home prices over $1 million is as follows:
- Los Altos Hills
- Atherton
- Hillsborough
- Hidden Hills
- Los Altos
- Monte Sereno
- Saratoga
- Portola Valley
- Montecito
- Belvedere
- Rancho Santa Fe
- Diablo
- Palo Alto
- Ross
- Rolling Hills
- Emerald Lake Hills
- Woodside
- Palos Verdes Estates
- San Marino
- Manhattan Beach
- Del Mar
- Stinson Beach
- Laguna Beach
- Alamo
- Cupertino
- Del Monte Forest
- Newport Beach
- Villa Park
- Summerland
- La Canada Flintridge
- Belmont
- Kentfield
- Burlingame
- Bell Canyon
- Stanford
- Tiburon
- San Carlos
- Menlo Park
- Beverly Hills
- Malibu
- Coronado
- Los Gatos
- Piedmont
- Orinda
- Hermosa Beach
- Millbrae
- Rolling Hills Estates
- Lafayette
- Carmel-by-the-Sea
- Sunnyvale
- Mill Valley
- North Tustin
- Solana Beach
- Danville
- Bradbury
- Moss Beach
- Redwood City
- Coto de Caza
- Corte Madera
- Rancho Palos Verdes
- Campbell
- Montara
- San Martin
- Santa Barbara
- Los Olivos
- Encinitas
- Foster City
- Santa Clara
- Half Moon Bay
- San Anselmo
- Isla Vista
- Kensington
- Pleasanton
- Los Alamitos
- San Clemente
- Bolinas
- Mountain View
- Santa Ynez
- Milpitas
- El Segundo
- Dana Point
- Ladera Heights
- San Ramon
- Pacifica
- Redondo Beach
- La Habra Heights
- Avila Beach
- Nicasio
- Irvine
- Pacific Grove
- South Pasadena
- Sunol
- Fremont
- Point Reyes Station
- San Mateo
- Moraga
- Fountain Valley
- La Crescenta-Montrose
- Big Sur
- Somis
- The Sea Ranch
- Sierra Madre
- Larkspur
- Morgan Hill
- Santa Monica
- Newark
- Calabasas
- Yorba Linda
- Colma
- Saint Helena
- Altadena
- San Jose
- Walnut