The Burlingame Real Estate Market: 6 Big Changes Shaping the City’s Future

The Burlingame real estate market has always been expensive, competitive, and deeply tied to quality of life. But what is happening right now goes beyond another strong sales season. Burlingame is investing in its downtown, waterfront, schools, parks, streets, and long-term resilience. These are the kinds of decisions that shape a city for decades.

We cannot predict the future, and anybody who says they can is probably selling something. But after years of working in and around this city, we can say that Burlingame has several real advantages that are becoming even more meaningful. From a new town square to shoreline planning, there is real momentum here.

A New Town Square in Downtown Burlingame

The new Town Square, just south of Burlingame Avenue, is one of the clearest signs that downtown Burlingame is evolving without losing its identity. This was formerly the site of the historic Burlingame Post Office. After the United States Postal Service sold the property in 2014, the site went through years of acquisition, community input, planning, and development.

The finished project includes a six-story office building, public gathering space, outdoor seating, landscaping, games, a public restroom, and room for community events. There is even a foosball table and cornhole setup. It sounds like a small thing, but a well-designed public space changes how a downtown feels. It gives people a reason to linger, meet friends, bring kids, attend events, or simply grab a coffee and sit outside.

The space has already hosted community celebrations, music, fitness programming, balloon art, and other seasonal events. This is not just a plaza that looks good in a rendering. It is designed to be used.

Preserving history while adding something new

One of the coolest details is what happened to the old post office. Because the building was historic, it was preserved as part of the project. The structure, weighing more than 1,000 tons, was lifted, placed on rollers, moved during construction, and then returned to its location. That is a pretty incredible engineering effort.

The former post office is expected to become an approximately 8,000-square-foot high-end restaurant operated by Bacchus Management Group, the team behind the Village Pub in Woodside and other notable Bay Area restaurants. The historic mail slots are still visible inside, which is exactly the type of detail that gives a new restaurant some real character.

The Town Square also carries forward Burlingame’s appreciation for local art and history. A mural on the project references Burlingame High School and downtown landmarks, connecting the new development to the city’s broader visual story.

For the Burlingame real estate market, a more active and inviting downtown matters. Walkability, restaurants, gathering spaces, and a strong sense of place all influence how people feel about living near Burlingame Avenue, Easton Addition, Burlingame Gardens, and other nearby neighborhoods.

Burlingame Hotel Tax Revenue and the Waterfront Advantage

One of the less obvious strengths behind the Burlingame real estate market is the city’s revenue base. Burlingame benefits from a major concentration of airport hotels, many of which are within city limits even though they are located east of Highway 101, away from most residential neighborhoods.

The city’s three biggest tax revenue sources are:

• Transient occupancy tax, commonly called the hotel tax
• Property taxes
• Sales taxes

Burlingame had maintained a 12% hotel tax for roughly 17 years. The city was considering an increase to 15%, which could generate an estimated additional $5.7 million annually if implemented. Before the pandemic, hotel tax revenue was around $29 million a year. More recently, it was approximately $22 million.

That hotel-tax engine is a huge advantage. The city receives revenue from hotels, business activity, and the airport corridor without placing all of that density directly in the residential neighborhoods west of 101. Burlingame residents get the benefit of a substantial commercial and hospitality base while maintaining the tree-lined, neighborhood-oriented character that people love.

More revenue does not magically solve every municipal issue. But it gives Burlingame additional capacity to fund parks, recreation, downtown improvements, infrastructure, public safety, and other unfunded needs. Those services may feel basic when they work well, but they are a major part of day-to-day livability.

Shoreline Resilience and the Burlingame Bay Trail

The waterfront is beautiful, but it also represents one of Burlingame’s most important long-term planning challenges. Sea-level rise affects low-lying shoreline areas and the infrastructure that supports the Peninsula economy, including Highway 101, SFO, water treatment facilities, hotels, restaurants, research and development campuses, and the Bay Trail itself.

The Millbrae and Burlingame Shoreline Resilience Project is focused on identifying vulnerabilities and developing a more resilient future for this stretch of the Bay. It is a big, complicated effort, and it needs to be. This is not just about making a path look nicer. It is about protecting regionally important infrastructure while improving public access and ecological conditions.

There is also a recreational upside. From Bayside Park near Broadway south toward Redwood Shores, there is an approximately 13-mile stretch where we can walk, run, or bike without dealing with stoplights, stop signs, or car traffic. It is awesome.

However, the trail is not consistently connected through the full Burlingame and Millbrae waterfront corridor. Some segments are older, less landscaped, or interrupted. One long-term goal is a more continuous Bay Trail experience, with shoreline protection and access improvements working together.

For buyers evaluating the Burlingame real estate market, this matters because resilient infrastructure and outdoor amenities are not side issues. They are increasingly central to how communities are valued over time.

El Camino Real Reconstruction in Burlingame Through 2029

El Camino Real is undergoing a major reconstruction project, and yes, it has been a headache. Construction zones, narrowed routes, noise, disrupted sidewalks, and changing traffic patterns are frustrating. There is no way around that.

But this is one of those situations where short-term pain can create a much better long-term result. The project is scheduled to continue through 2029 and includes major roadway, streetscape, and safety upgrades.

The tree component has received a lot of attention. The plan involves removing 382 trees and adding 429 new trees. Burlingame is the City of Trees, and the eucalyptus canopy along El Camino is iconic. Losing mature trees is not nothing. Still, some of these trees have become safety issues, growing into the roadway and limiting sightlines at side streets.

The project represents a compromise between preserving the city’s character and dealing with real infrastructure and safety needs. The immediate visual change will take some getting used to, but the goal is better pavement, safer circulation, improved streetscape conditions, and a renewed tree canopy over time.

The Burlingame real estate market is shaped by more than the condition of a single street. Still, well-maintained major corridors signal a city that is willing to invest in its future rather than defer difficult projects indefinitely.

Burlingame Schools and the Proposed $100 Million Bond

Schools are one of the biggest reasons families consider Burlingame, and maintaining strong schools is expensive. The Burlingame School District includes six public elementary schools and Burlingame Intermediate School. Burlingame High School is part of the San Mateo Union High School District.

The school district trustees approved placing a proposed $100 million bond on the November 2026 ballot. The funds would be aimed at infrastructure upgrades such as repiping, building improvements, Wi-Fi, and other essential facility needs.

These are not always glamorous investments. Nobody gets overly excited about pipes or network infrastructure. But those basic systems are exactly what keep schools functional, safe, and competitive over the long run.

The estimated cost was described as $25 per $100,000 of assessed value. For a home assessed at $3 million, that would be under $1,000 annually. It is not cheap to live here, and property taxes are already substantial. Still, for many homeowners, continued investment in school quality is closely connected to long-term property values and community stability.

The Burlingame Community for Education Foundation also raises approximately $3 million annually. Its funding helps support roughly 20 additional teachers and programs including art, music, and physical education.

A strong school ecosystem does not happen accidentally. It comes from teachers, staff, parents, local support, facilities, and a community that stays engaged. That remains a meaningful factor in the Burlingame real estate market.

Burlingame Parks, Recreation, and Community Connection

Washington Park is one of the best examples of Burlingame’s community fabric. It sits near Burlingame High School, downtown, and the recently opened Burlingame Community Center, a $52 million facility that has become a major local asset.

Burlingame Parks and Recreation does a good job of communicating with the community and seeking input. That may sound basic, but it matters. Updates about field availability, dog park access, seasonal off-leash hours, recreation programs, and park projects help residents feel connected to the place where they live.

The city has a rare combination of amenities:

• Walkable downtown shopping and restaurants
• Broadway businesses and dining
• Neighborhood parks and ballfields
• Bay Trail access and waterfront views
• Quick access to SFO, Highway 101, and Interstate 280
• Tree-lined residential streets and hillside privacy

This is the small-town part of Burlingame that is hard to quantify in a spreadsheet. There are Rotary meetings, Lions Club events, parks staff who respond to community feedback, and a sense that people are generally trying to move the city forward. That kind of local engagement is a genuine quality-of-life advantage.

What It Means for the Burlingame Real Estate Market

So what does all of this mean for the Burlingame real estate market? It means the city is continuing to invest in the things that make a place desirable: public spaces, schools, infrastructure, parks, beauty, community connection, and long-term resilience.

Home prices are already high. Average and median prices have moved above $3 million, and Burlingame has never been a high-volume market. In a typical month, only about 10 to 15 homes sell. That is a remarkably small number.

When the market is balanced, we need roughly 10 to 15 qualified buyers a month who are ready to buy at prevailing prices. If fewer buyers show up, prices can soften. If more than 10 to 15 serious buyer groups are competing for a limited number of homes, prices tend to rise.

That is the simple supply-and-demand reality of the Burlingame real estate market. There are not many homes available, and there are many different types of buyers who want to be here:

• Families prioritizing schools and parks
• Professionals seeking airport and commuter access
• Move-up buyers looking for more space
• Downsizers who want walkability and convenience
• Multigenerational households
• People returning to the community where they grew up

There is also potential for increased liquidity from future major technology company IPOs. We should not treat any one event as a guarantee, but new liquidity can matter in a market with limited inventory and limited monthly sales volume.

Single-family home prices rose 8% in Burlingame from the end of the fourth quarter of 2025 to the end of the first quarter of 2026. Markets can move in both directions, of course, but the underlying appeal of Burlingame remains durable.

People move here for the schools, tree canopy, downtowns, parks, airport access, waterfront, restaurants, and community. And once people establish roots here, many do not want to leave. That is why the Burlingame real estate market has historically been so resilient.

Whether you're buying, selling, or relocating to San Mateo County , we're here to help you navigate the Burlingame real estate market with confidence. From finding the right neighborhood to understanding local market trends, we'll help you make informed decisions every step of the way.

Schedule a consultation to discuss your plans, or email hello@burlingameproperties.com . Whether you're moving across town or across the country, we'd love to help you make your move to Burlingame and San Mateo County a success.

Frequently Asked Questions About the Burlingame Real Estate Market