Millbrae
Millbrae real estate is shaped by transit. The Millbrae station brings BART, Caltrain and SamTrans together on the Peninsula, and San Francisco International Airport sits just to the northeast, with San Bruno to the northwest and Burlingame to the southeast. The city covers only a few square miles, running from a wetland edge beside U.S. 101, across a flat downtown on El Camino Real, and up to the hills near San Andreas Lake on the west.
Much of the single-family housing dates from the mid-twentieth century, with stucco bungalows, ranch houses and cottages on the flatter streets. Condominiums, townhomes and apartments cluster near the station and along El Camino Real, and a newer mixed-use project beside the station added a hotel, offices, apartments and retail. This guide explains how those areas differ and what we plan to check with you before you buy or sell.
About Millbrae
The land was part of Rancho Buri Buri, occupied under an 1827 permission and formally granted in 1835. In the 1860s banker Darius Ogden Mills bought a portion for a country estate, which became known as Millbrae by joining his surname to the Scottish word brae, meaning a hillside. Downtown follows El Camino Real and Broadway with small shops and restaurants, and Millbrae Square holds larger retailers. To the southeast, Burlingame real estate offers two separate shopping streets, and Hillsborough real estate lies farther south with much larger lots.
Millbrae station is a regional hub where BART and Caltrain meet, with SamTrans buses and rail service toward SFO. El Camino Real runs through the middle of town, U.S. 101 passes near the eastern boundary and Interstate 280 near the western edge. The Gateway at Millbrae, completed in 2023 beside the platform, shows how the station area is changing. A short BART ride north, San Bruno real estate offers a different mix of hillside and flatland streets.
Residential Overview
Property Types
Millbrae's housing runs from flat-block cottages to hillside homes on the west side.
Single-family stock
Stucco bungalows, ranch houses and Spanish-influenced cottages, with hillside homes on the west side where streets climb toward Interstate 280 and the lake.
Around the station
Condominiums and townhomes cluster around the station, Broadway and El Camino Real, and newer apartment and mixed-use buildings stand beside the platform.
Small multi-unit buildings
Small multi-unit buildings appear mainly along the main corridors.
Ownership
Ownership is usually fee-simple single-family or condominium within an association. Tenancy-in-common and co-op structures are uncommon.
Market Trends
Competition in Millbrae often centers on station access. Homes within walking distance of BART and Caltrain tend to draw steady interest because of the commute options, and updated single-family houses frequently attract multiple offers. New construction near the station adds condominium and rental supply, while single-family inventory stays limited in most months, and many sales close above the list price when the market is active. West-side hillside homes bring their own checks: slopes, drainage and the San Andreas Fault, which runs along the western edge of the city, so buyers should review seismic zone maps and geotechnical reports. For wider context, see our Bay Area real estate guide.
Price Range
(Rolling 12-month average, not a valuation for any one home. Updated November 2026.)
Median price per square foot:
$1,159
Millbrae typically sits between San Bruno and Burlingame in price, with the widest spread between condominiums near the station and single-family homes on the hillier west side. Lot size, remodel quality, views and walking distance to the station or to Broadway account for most of the difference between similar homes.
Median sale price:
$2,110,000
Aircraft noise from SFO and proximity to El Camino Real or the freeway can narrow the premium on otherwise comparable properties. The data suggests comparing sales within a few blocks rather than across the whole city.
Time from listing to closing:
34 days
Measured from the listing date to the recorded sale, so it includes the escrow period and runs longer than a days-on-market figure.
Asking rent (monthly):
$4,081
Typical asking rent on a newly signed lease across all home types, not what sitting tenants pay.
Sources. Sale price, price per square foot and time from listing to closing: our analysis of county records and MLS data via Realist, sales from October 2025 to September 2026, all property types, Millbrae city limits. Asking rent: Zillow Observed Rent Index, month ending September 2026. Figures move month to month; ask us for the current read on a specific block or price band.
Data covers the twelve months ending September 2026 and is subject to change. Last updated November 2026.
Want today's exact numbers, including active listings and recent sales?
Community and Neighborhood Life
Millbrae Art & Wine Festival
Local Events and Festivals
Held on Broadway between Victoria and Meadow Glen avenues over Labor Day weekend, the festival fills downtown with art, wine and food; the 2025 edition ran August 30 and 31, and a 2026 edition is listed for early September.
Millbrae Farmers' Market
Support for Local Businesses and Markets
A Saturday market on Broadway from 8 a.m. to 1:30 p.m., with produce, bread, eggs and occasional plant vendors.
Millbrae Library
Recreational and Educational Programs
The library at 1 Library Avenue is open seven days a week, lends games as well as books and has a children’s area with an airplane-shaped play structure.
Millbrae Recreation Center
Recreational and Educational Programs
At 477 Lincoln Circle beside Central Park, the center hosts children’s music classes, room rentals and community gatherings.
Central County Fire Department CERT
Emergency Preparedness and Safety Programs
The department’s free CERT basic training is held in neighboring Burlingame, including a fall 2026 course that ran September 29 to October 20.
Our Favorite Spots
Parks and Recreation
Central Park
at 477 Lincoln Circle is a large park with a playground, a sports field and four lighted hard courts that are free to use.
Junipero Serra County Park
at 1801 Crystal Springs Road is just over the line in San Bruno, with a small visitor center, the Meadow View Playground with double slides, the self-guided Live Oak Nature Trail Loop and an overlook toward San Bruno Mountain.
Bayside Park
at 1125 Airport Boulevard is in neighboring Burlingame, a shoreline park with a gated off-leash dog area, athletic fields and a paved Bay Trail path with a place to watch aircraft.
Shopping and Dining
Milli Cafe
at 299 Broadway is a coffee shop with a window bar that opens to the outdoors, known among reviewers for seasonal lattes such as rose matcha and pumpkin pie with oat milk.
Nom Nom Bistro
at 309 Broadway serves Hong Kong-style noodles and rice dishes, including pork and shrimp wonton noodle soup, braised beef brisket and tendon noodles, and black bean spare ribs rice.
O Sole Mio
at 352 Broadway is a Neapolitan-style Italian restaurant with red-checkered tables; look for the pumpkin and crab ravioli, and note it serves dinner Tuesday through Sunday.
Hana Izumi
at 293 El Camino Real is a small kaiseki-style Japanese restaurant.
Cafe Istanbul
at 360 Adrian Road serves Turkish and Mediterranean dishes, from hummus and falafel to gyro and kofte wraps and plates, with outside seating and takeout.
Health and Wellness
VENNU
at 227 El Camino Real is the heated studio of a Millbrae yoga and Pilates studio offering over 40 class styles, with a non-heated studio and a reformer Pilates studio nearby.
J8 Hot Pilates & Yoga
at 1887 El Camino Real is just over the line in Burlingame and offers heated classes such as hot power Pilates sculpt, 26/2 hot yoga, hot vinyasa and Inferno Hot Pilates, with showers and lockers on site.
Peninsula Health Care District Health & Fitness Center
at 1875 Trousdale Drive, in neighboring Burlingame, offers gym equipment and a class list that includes chair yoga, tai chi, Pilates, Zumba and balance workshops.
Sutter Mills-Peninsula Medical Center, Burlingame Campus
at 1501 Trousdale Drive is a full hospital in neighboring Burlingame offering emergency and surgical care, heart and vascular care, childbirth services and a Mobile Stroke Unit.
Neighborhood Map
Millbrae Real Estate FAQs
Single-family homes make up most of the market, from stucco bungalows and ranch houses on the flatter streets to hillside houses on the west side. Condominiums and townhomes sit near the station, Broadway and El Camino Real, and newer apartment and mixed-use buildings surround the platform. A few small multi-unit properties appear along the main corridors. We usually start by deciding how much you value station access against lot size and hillside setting.
Millbrae is small and transit-driven. Its station connects BART, Caltrain and SamTrans, and SFO is immediately northeast. Downtown is compact, centered on Broadway and El Camino Real, and the city runs from a wetland edge near U.S. 101 to hills near San Andreas Lake. Neighboring Burlingame and San Bruno each have a different feel and street pattern, so a direct comparison comes from walking each area.
Review aircraft noise, since flight paths vary block to block, and visit at different times of day. On the west side, check seismic zone maps and any geotechnical reports because the San Andreas Fault runs along the city’s edge. For condominiums near the station, read association budgets, reserves and assessments. California’s Proposition 13 framework generally sets property tax at about 1% of the assessed purchase price, plus local assessments.
Updated single-family homes within a short walk of the station or Broadway often receive several offers, and many sales close above the list price in active periods. Condominiums and homes on busier streets typically take longer. New construction beside the station adds some supply, but single-family inventory remains limited. We plan to review recent sales on the specific street with you and prepare financing and inspections ahead of time.
Central Park, beside the recreation center, is the main neighborhood park, with a playground, courts and picnic areas. Junipero Serra County Park in San Bruno and Bayside Park in Burlingame are both a short drive away, and the watershed lands and regional trails along the Crystal Springs reservoirs lie just west of Interstate 280. Single-family lot sizes are modest on the flatter streets and larger on the hillside.
We begin with your commute and how often you expect to use BART, Caltrain or the airport, then tour blocks at different times of day to hear traffic and aircraft. We compare nearby sales, flag hillside and condominium questions early and help you prepare an offer. This site is a neighborhood guide rather than a listing search, so we work through the options with you directly.
Blakely Hull and The Best Coast Collective work block by block in Millbrae and across the northern Peninsula. If you are planning to buy or sell, contact us and we will begin with your timeline and commute.