What Homes Sell For
Recent Sales
Median sale prices, last 12 months · Oct 2025 – Oct 2026
- Houses
- $4,285,000
- Condos & co-ops
- $1,890,000
- TICs
- 4 sales
Sales in MLS neighborhood 5E (Cole Valley) 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
- Golden Gate Park, Buena Vista Park and the Haight all within a walk
- A two-block village on Cole and Carl, Cole Hardware included
- The N-Judah out of the Sunset Tunnel and straight downtown
- Milder, sunnier weather than the avenues to the west
- Values hold up: houses sell about 114% over the citywide median, condos about 48% over
The Tradeoffs
- Only 13 houses sold last year: thin choice, and the good ones go fast
- Hills on most streets off the flat village blocks
- Belvedere Street on Halloween: the best block party in the city, and the crowds that come with it
Cole Valley is a two-block village at Cole and Carl, wrapped in tree-lined streets of Victorians and Edwardians, with Golden Gate Park and the Haight to the north, UCSF up the hill, and Tank Hill and Mount Sutro behind. The N-Judah comes out of the Sunset Tunnel right here and runs downtown. It sits a few blocks east of The Inner Sunset, where Matt has lived for more than twenty years, so this is home turf for The Fuller Team, which has been selling San Francisco homes since 2002. On the MLS map it’s neighborhood 5E, paired with Parnassus Heights. Here’s what the houses are really like, what they sell for, and why so few of them come up for sale.
The Neighborhood Block by Block
Victorians and Edwardians
Cole Valley was built out from the early 1900s through the 1920s, so the streets are lined with Victorians and Edwardians: single-family houses, flats, and condos in smaller buildings, often converted from apartments.
Victorians on a Cole Valley street.
The Village on Cole and Carl
The commercial strip on Cole and Carl is two flat blocks where everyone seems to know your name: coffee, dinner, the pet store, and Cole Hardware, which got its start here. Grattan Playground, a few blocks up, is the neighborhood’s backyard for families.
Grattan Playground and Park.
Downtown by Streetcar
The N-Judah comes out of the Sunset Tunnel at Cole and Carl and runs straight downtown. The tunnel opened in 1928 and helped open up the west side of the city. A few bus lines fill in, and the flat village blocks make errands easy on foot.
The streets around Parnassus and Judah.
The Park at the Top of the Street
Kezar Stadium, the Haight, Buena Vista Park and all of Golden Gate Park are a walk away, and UCSF’s Parnassus campus is just up the hill. If Halloween is your holiday, Belvedere Street closes off and goes all out every year.
Kezar Stadium at the edge of Golden Gate Park.
The Longer Story
The Homes in Detail
Properties in Cole Valley are a mix of single-family houses, condominiums in smaller buildings (often conversions from apartment buildings), and units in five- and six-unit buildings. The neighborhood was mainly built out in the early 1900s to 1920s, so Edwardians and Victorians are the norm, many with the details that make them classic San Francisco.
A Very San Francisco Vibe
The Painted Ladies of Alamo Square may show up on postcards, but Cole Valley has an equally San Francisco feel: tree-lined streets, Victorian and Edwardian homes, a bustling little commercial district and Golden Gate Park nearby. It’s a cozy enclave and the birthplace of the city’s beloved Cole Hardware.
The N-Judah and Getting Around
The N-Judah runs on Carl Street near the northern edge of Cole Valley, giving downtown commuters easy access to work, and several bus lines serve the area as well. It’s a great neighborhood for walking: a bit hilly, but the commercial corridor on Cole Street is flat and pedestrian-friendly.
Weather and Neighbors
Cole Valley has a reputation for fairly mild, sunny weather, with geography that shelters it from much of the fog. Within walking distance are Golden Gate Park, Kezar Stadium, the UCSF Parnassus campus and the Haight.
Halloween on Belvedere
If Halloween is your favorite holiday, Cole Valley should be your favorite neighborhood. Every year the residents of Belvedere Street block off their street and turn it into a collection of elaborately decorated houses, with plenty of ghosts and goblins handing out treats to kids in costume. Watching the neighbors outdo each other is half the fun.
Questions We Hear
Are There Any Notable Historical Landmarks or Sites in Cole Valley?
Cole Valley grew up around the western end of the Sunset Tunnel, built in 1928, that connected the city to the “Outside Lands” of the Sunset district, and helped spur development of the districts closer to the Pacific Ocean. For the exclusive use of the N-Judah line, the Sunset Tunnel, like its cousin the Twin Peaks Tunnel, had a major impact on the city and its history, and continues to play a central role in the local transit system.
What Is There to Do in Cole Valley?
Locals shop and dine at Cole Valley’s small but delightful commercial corridor, along Cole and Carl Streets. Stop by the hardware store for home supplies, grab dog biscuits at the pet store, or treat yourself to an oversized, store-made ice cream sandwich at a 1930’s-era soda fountain. Cole Valley is also walking distance from the more bustling Haight Ashbury shopping scene, and a short stroll brings you to all that Golden Gate Park offers - trails, biking, bisons, and museums, just for starters.
How Does the Community Vibe in Cole Valley Contribute to Its Real Estate Appeal?
Cole Valley is a ridiculously charming, family-friendly, self-contained neighborhood with easy access to all the city’s diversions, not to mention convenient public transit on the N-Judah line. With an active neighborhood association and next-door status to UCSF, Cole Valley residents are proud of their little community, and a Sunday stroll through its streets will show you why.
Where Can I Find New Construction in Cole Valley?
As an “already built” neighborhood, Cole Valley is not a neighborhood where you should expect to find substantial new construction projects. Smaller developers may renovate/flip existing properties, or may take advantage of recent housing laws to add additional units to already existing housing. Transit corridors and major neighborhood streets are the most likely areas for new construction buildings in already built neighborhoods with existing housing stock.
What Are the Average Home Prices in Cole Valley and How Have They Trended?
Prices in Cole Valley 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.