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Burlingame Real Estate & Living Guide

What's the Burlingame, CA real estate market like right now? As of April 2026, the median sale price for a single-family home in Burlingame is $3,170,000 — with homes selling at 105% of list price, in a median of just 9 days on market, and only 0.8 months of supply.

On this page

• Overview
• Market Snapshot
• Neighborhoods
• Getting Around
• Schools
• Life in Burlingame
• What Homes Look Like
• What to Know Before You Buy or Sell
• Frequently Asked Questions

Overview

Burlingame is one of the Peninsula's premier small cities — a tree-lined, walkable town of about 30,000 people sitting between San Francisco and Silicon Valley, just south of SFO. It's often called the "City of Trees," and that's not marketing: the city maintains roughly 18,000 trees, and the landmark eucalyptus rows along El Camino Real are a designated California Historical Landmark. The combination of mature streetscapes, a genuinely upscale downtown, and top-rated schools keeps Burlingame at the higher end of the Peninsula market.

What makes Burlingame distinctive is that it grew up as a rail town and still reads like one. The city is organized around two separate commercial districts — Burlingame Avenue, the premier downtown shopping and dining corridor near the main Caltrain station, and Broadway, a smaller five-block neighborhood retail strip with its own identity to the north. Locals tend to describe where they live in relation to one or the other. Most of the residential neighborhoods fill in between them.

Burlingame is also largely built out. Per the city, most new housing now comes from teardowns, additions, or the occasional lot split rather than new subdivisions — which is part of why block character stays consistent even as individual homes are rebuilt. The city runs a residential design review process that pays attention to setbacks, massing, and how a project fits the existing rhythm of the street, so what's already on the block matters.

In the broader Peninsula picture, Burlingame sits in a compelling middle position: more neighborhood-scale retail and transit access than Hillsborough (which has no commercial district at all), while feeling more intimate and residential than San Mateo's larger urban core. For buyers who want a walkable downtown, strong schools, and proximity to the airport and the city — and are prepared for premium pricing — it's one of the most consistently in-demand markets in the county.

Market Snapshot — April 2026 (Single-Family Homes)

Source: SAMCAR / MLSListings. Single-family residential only.

Burlingame is a premium, fast-moving market. The median single-family home trades nearly a million dollars above the county median, and homes are selling in about 9 days — less than half the county's 19-day pace — with under a month of supply on the market. The sale-to-list ratio of 105% sits just under the county average of 107%, which is typical at this price point: list prices in Burlingame are already aggressive, so the percentage premium over asking tends to be a touch tighter than in lower-priced cities even when demand is just as strong. The takeaway for buyers is that well-located homes don't sit, and for sellers, that accurate pricing and preparation are what convert that demand into competing offers.

Neighborhoods

Burlingame's residential areas are best understood by their relationship to the two downtowns, the rail line, and the age of the original subdivision. The neighborhoods below are grouped by location and character. As with any established Peninsula city, small differences from block to block — lot size, rail adjacency, school boundary — can matter as much as the neighborhood name.

Classic & Central (Near the Avenue and Broadway)

Easton Addition — One of Burlingame's defining early neighborhoods, the former Town of Easton, annexed in 1910. Roughly between California Drive and El Camino Real, from Sanchez Creek up to Broadway. This is the area many buyers picture when they think of classic Burlingame: mature trees, a gridded street pattern, and a mix of older bungalows, Victorians, Craftsman and Arts-and-Crafts homes alongside newer custom builds. Close to Broadway's shops and restaurants with reasonable access to Burlingame Avenue, and included on the city's Millbrae–Burlingame commuter shuttle route.

Burlingame Park — Another of the city's earliest and best-known neighborhoods, grouped with Easton Addition in Burlingame's original development pattern. Tree-lined streets, spacious traditional homes, and a high share of thoughtful rebuilds, with strong proximity to Burlingame Avenue. Tends to feel a bit more spacious and polished than the other central areas — often the top of the list for buyers who want to be near the Avenue while keeping a distinctly residential setting.

Burlingame Grove — A smaller central pocket known for narrower streets, early-20th-century homes, eclectic architecture, and heavy tree cover. A useful reference point between the historic core and the more compact neighborhoods.

Oak Grove Manor & Burlingables — East-central, near Burlingame Avenue, Downtown Burlingame Caltrain, and Washington Park, with walkable access to downtown shops and restaurants. The housing mix is varied — Cape Cod, Spanish, Colonial and Dutch Colonial, Tudor, Traditional, and Contemporary — generally on more compact lots than estate-scale areas elsewhere on the Peninsula. Worth evaluating block by block: parts of the area touch the rail line and have been included in city storm-drain and traffic-calming projects.

Lyon-Hoag — A walkable, well-located neighborhood bordering Burlingame High School, with comparatively more approachable pricing than the historic core and easy reach to Caltrain and downtown. Often grouped conversationally with "Burlingables."

North & West (Post-War and Hillside)

Ray Park — A largely post-war neighborhood (1940s–50s) toward the northern edge of town, frequently used as the newer-construction comparison point against the historic central areas. Traditional ranch-era housing stock, convenient commute access, and strong school proximity.

Mills Estate — Off Trousdale Drive in the northwest, built out in the 1950s with comparatively spacious floor plans of the era and easy access to I-280. A practical choice for buyers who prioritize commute access and newer-than-historic housing stock.

Burlingame Hills (unincorporated) — A hillside area west of the city in unincorporated San Mateo County. Larger, more secluded lots and a quieter character; note that it is not within Burlingame city limits, which affects services, permitting, and some tax considerations — confirm jurisdiction on any specific address.

Practical & Edge

Burlingame Gardens — A 1936 subdivision (originally 103 lots, with streets like Toyon, Larkspur, Ross, and Azalea) shaped in part by the old Bayshore Highway and nearby light-industrial land. More compact, practical, and edge-oriented than Burlingame Park or the core of Easton Addition, while remaining a tree-lined residential neighborhood.

Burlingame Terrace — Associated with a denser residential pattern, including pockets near the Rollins Road corridor and Highway 101. A common place to find condos and townhomes alongside single-family homes.

Bayfront & East of Highway 101

Unlike neighboring San Mateo, Burlingame's land east of Highway 101 is largely a commercial and hospitality district rather than residential neighborhoods — the bayfront hotel row, office space, and the Burlingame waterfront. It's where you'll find the Bay Trail and bay views, but very little for-sale housing. Buyers focused on single-family homes will be looking west of 101.

Getting Around

Caltrain: Burlingame's downtown station sits right at Burlingame Avenue and is the city's primary full-service stop, putting you on the line to San Francisco (about 30–35 minutes) and the South Bay. The smaller Broadway station to the north has historically run a limited schedule — confirm the current Caltrain timetable for Broadway before counting on it for a daily commute. A grade-separation project at the Broadway crossing is in the works and expected to change service in the coming years.

BART: The Millbrae Intermodal Station, just north of Burlingame, is the nearest BART connection — useful for one-seat access to San Francisco, the East Bay, and the airport.

Highways: US-101 runs along the eastern, bayfront edge of the city. El Camino Real (CA-82) cuts through the middle. I-280 is a short drive west, most easily reached from the Trousdale/northwest side. Highway 92 and the San Mateo–Hayward Bridge to the East Bay are a few minutes south in San Mateo.

SFO & drive times: San Francisco International is roughly 3.5 miles north — about a 10-minute drive — which is one of Burlingame's signature conveniences (and a noise consideration in parts of town; see below). San Francisco is approximately 20–30 minutes via 101 or 280, and Palo Alto is about 20–25 minutes south, all traffic-dependent.

Schools

Burlingame is served by two public districts. The Burlingame School District covers elementary and middle grades (TK–8), with several TK–5 elementary schools — Franklin, Hoover, Lincoln, McKinley, Roosevelt, and Washington — plus Burlingame Intermediate School for grades 6–8. High school students attend the San Mateo Union High School District, anchored locally by Burlingame High School, an open-enrollment district school.

Critically, school assignments in Burlingame are address-specific — the district uses a boundary map to determine the homeschool for any given property, and neighborhood shorthand is not a substitute for confirming the exact address. If schools are central to your search, verify the boundary directly with the district before you write an offer.

Private options in the area include Mercy High School (an all-girls Catholic high school on the historic Kohl Mansion estate) and Our Lady of Angels (a Catholic parish school), among other independent programs. Confirm current enrollment and admissions details directly with each school.

Life in Burlingame

Burlingame Avenue is the headline — one of the Peninsula's most walkable and upscale downtowns, with national retailers, independent shops, and a deep bench of restaurants and cafés, all within steps of the Caltrain station. Broadway offers a more neighborhood-scale strip of restaurants and local businesses to the north.

For green space, Washington Park anchors the central city with sports courts, picnic areas, and recreation programs, while the Mills Canyon Wilderness Area in the western hills offers natural trails and a genuine canyon setting. Along the bay, the Burlingame waterfront and Bay Trail give you flat, scenic walking and biking with views across to the East Bay. Local landmarks range from the Kohl Mansion (historic estate and concert venue) to the quirky Burlingame Museum of PEZ Memorabilia.

What Homes Look Like

Burlingame's single-family housing stock skews historic in the central neighborhoods — Victorians, Craftsman and Arts-and-Crafts homes, bungalows, Tudors, and Mediterranean and Colonial styles, many on the city's signature tree-lined blocks. Move north and west (Ray Park, Mills Estate) and the stock shifts toward post-war ranch and 1950s designs. Because the city is largely built out, a meaningful share of inventory is high-quality rebuilds and extensive remodels of older homes rather than new construction. Condos and townhomes are concentrated in the Oak Grove Manor area, near Burlingame Terrace and the 101 edge, and around the downtown corridor.

Rough single-family price tiers, April 2026 (approximate):

• Entry / attached & edge: ~$1.5M–$2.5M (condos and townhomes; smaller homes near the 101/Rollins edge)
• Mid-tier: ~$2.5M–$3.5M (much of Burlingame Gardens, Lyon-Hoag, parts of Ray Park and Oak Grove Manor)
• Above median / classic central: ~$3.5M–$5M (Burlingame Park, much of Easton Addition)
• Top of market: $5M+ (estate-scale homes and large lots in Easton Addition and Burlingame Park)

Tiers are approximate, derived from SAMCAR MLS data and local listing activity for April 2026. Individual properties vary widely by lot, condition, and block.

What to Know Before You Buy or Sell

SFO and aircraft noise: Burlingame's proximity to the airport is a convenience, but parts of the city — particularly the north and bayfront areas — sit under flight paths and can experience aircraft noise. Visit a prospective home at different times of day and check current flight-pattern information rather than relying on a single quiet showing.

Protected trees: Burlingame's "City of Trees" identity is backed by a real tree protection ordinance — removing or significantly pruning protected trees, including many in private yards, generally requires a city permit. If your plans involve removing a tree to expand or build, confirm the rules early; it can affect both timeline and design.

Older housing stock and permits: Many Burlingame homes have been added onto, remodeled, or partly rebuilt over the decades. Pull permit history through the City of Burlingame before closing on any home with visible work — unpermitted square footage doesn't count toward your appraisal and can create problems at resale. The city's design-review rules also shape what additions and rebuilds are feasible.

101 and Rollins Road adjacency: Homes near Highway 101 and the Rollins Road corridor can be affected by traffic and rail noise. Do your due diligence on noise and access at different times of day.

Flood and liquefaction (east of 101): Low-lying and bayfront parcels can fall within flood and liquefaction hazard zones. Run the Natural Hazard Disclosure Report on any property near the bay before removing contingencies; zone designations affect insurance availability and cost.

Sewer lateral inspection: California and local requirements typically call for a sewer lateral inspection before close of escrow. Budget for it and review the results before waiving repair requests — older laterals in the historic neighborhoods are prone to root intrusion.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the median home price in Burlingame, CA? As of April 2026, the median sale price for a single-family home in Burlingame is $3,170,000, according to SAMCAR/MLSListings data — well above the San Mateo County median of $2,167,500 for the same period.

Is Burlingame a buyer's or seller's market right now? As of April 2026, Burlingame is a strong seller's market. Single-family homes are selling in a median of about 9 days at 105% of list price, with just 0.8 months of supply. Under one month of supply indicates significant demand relative to available inventory, and well-prepared, well-located homes routinely draw competing offers.

How far is Burlingame from San Francisco? Burlingame is roughly 17 miles south of San Francisco. By Caltrain, the downtown Burlingame station is about 30–35 minutes from San Francisco's 4th and King station. By car on 101 or 280, the drive is typically 20–30 minutes depending on traffic.

How far is Burlingame from SFO? San Francisco International Airport is about 3.5 miles north of Burlingame — roughly a 10-minute drive. The proximity is one of the city's signature conveniences, though it also means parts of town sit under flight paths.

What types of homes are available in Burlingame? Burlingame's central neighborhoods are known for historic single-family homes — Victorians, Craftsman, bungalows, Tudors, and Mediterranean and Colonial styles on tree-lined streets — along with high-quality rebuilds of older homes. North and west, the stock shifts to post-war ranch designs. Condos and townhomes are concentrated near Oak Grove Manor, Burlingame Terrace, and the downtown corridor. Single-family entry pricing starts around $1.5M–$2.5M for attached and edge homes; the top of the market runs $5M+ in Easton Addition and Burlingame Park.

Work With Burt on Your Burlingame Home

Burlingame is one of the most consistently competitive markets on the Peninsula — and when homes sell in about nine days at over asking, preparation and timing matter more than almost anywhere else. Whether you're buying into one of the historic central neighborhoods, looking at a rebuild, or getting ready to sell, I can help you navigate current conditions with data you can rely on.

Call or text Burt Tsuei: 650-274-3598