What Homes Sell For
Recent Sales
Median sale prices, last 12 months · Oct 2025 – Oct 2026
- Houses
- $1,850,000
- Condos & co-ops
- $1,250,000
- TICs
- $819,562
Sales in MLS neighborhood 9A (Bernal Heights) reported to the San Francisco MLS, including off-MLS sales; known below-market-rate (BMR) sales excluded. Medians need at least 5 sales. Updated monthly; deemed reliable but not guaranteed. Compare every neighborhood on the price map or ask us what a specific home is worth.
The Good
- Sunny, by San Francisco standards. The hill sits east of the fog line more often than not.
- Bernal Hill is a park on top of the neighborhood, with views in every direction and a reputation as one of the city’s great dog walks.
- Cortland Avenue is a real neighborhood main street, walkable from most of the hill.
- Quick access to I-280 and 101 for Peninsula and South Bay commuters, with BART at 24th Street and Glen Park on the edges.
- Lots of single-family homes. They tend to be smaller than the city average, which keeps the median house price under the citywide figure, not the demand.
The Tradeoffs
- It is one of the most competitive house markets in the city. Well-priced homes draw a crowd, so buyers need a plan, a strong offer and an agent who knows the hill.
- Steep streets, and some are narrow enough to make parking a sport.
- Transit is mostly Muni buses unless you live near the BART edges.
- Older homes, often remodeled in stages, so floor plans can be quirky.
- Freeway noise on the south and east edges.
Bernal Heights is a hill neighborhood that rewards people who like a little character. Most of it grew after the 1906 earthquake, when the hill came through relatively unscathed and families moved up from the burned city. The result is a patchwork of cottages, Victorians and remodels on steep, winding streets, held together by Cortland Avenue, Precita Park and the park at the top of the hill.
The Neighborhood Block by Block
The Hill at the Top
Bernal Heights Park covers the summit, and the loop around it is one of the best walks in the city: downtown and the bay one way, the southern neighborhoods and San Bruno Mountain the other. Dogs consider it theirs.
Looking South From Bernal Hill Toward San Bruno Mountain. photo: matt fuller
Precita Park on the North Slope
At the north foot of the hill, Precita Park is the neighborhood’s front lawn, with a playground, open grass and a café or two across the street.
Precita Park. photo: matt fuller
Cottages, Victorians and Everything In Between
Most homes are single-family, many of them modest cottages that have been expanded over the decades, alongside Victorians and newer infill. Some of the additions are inspired, some are improvised, and when Matt walks into one with a loft ladder, a split-level kitchen and a bay-view bathtub, his verdict is always the same: “That’s very Bernal.” Condos tend to be in small two- to four-unit buildings.
Victorian Details on a Bernal Heights Street. photo: matt fuller
The Longer Story
The Homes in Detail
Primarily single-family homes, with condos in older wood-frame buildings, typically in small two- to four-unit associations. Many homes were built modestly and expanded as owners could afford it, so floor plans can be wonderfully idiosyncratic.
Because the houses run small, the median price lands below the citywide house median. Don’t mistake that for a soft market: Bernal is one of the most competitive neighborhoods in San Francisco, and good houses rarely sit.
A Little History
Bernal Heights was sparsely settled until the 1906 earthquake. The hill came through relatively unscathed, and it filled in quickly with families looking for safer ground after watching the city burn.
Getting Around
Transit is mainly Muni buses. The northwest corner is walkable to the 24th Street BART station, and the southwest side is a few blocks from Glen Park BART. I-280 and 101 make it a favorite for Peninsula and South Bay commuters.
Questions We Hear
What Are Homes Like in Bernal Heights?
Mostly single-family homes, from small cottages to Victorians and modern remodels, plus condos in small two- to four-unit buildings. Expect steep lots and some creative floor plans.
How Do People Commute From Bernal Heights?
Peninsula and South Bay commuters like the fast access to I-280 and 101. For downtown, BART is walkable from the 24th Street and Glen Park edges, and Muni buses cover the rest.
What Is There to Do in Bernal Heights?
Walk the loop around Bernal Hill, spend a Saturday on Cortland Avenue, and use Precita Park as the neighborhood living room. The Mission is just to the north.
Is Bernal Heights Good for Dogs?
Very. The off-leash trails on Bernal Hill are among the most popular dog walks in the city.
What Are the Average Home Prices in Bernal Heights?
Prices in Bernal Heights move block by block and season by season, so a single average hides more than it tells. Our Market Notes track current values across the city. For a read on a specific home or street, ask us: we’ll pull the recent sales and tell you what they mean.