They sit side by side on I-680, but the numbers are different. In August 2026 Pleasant Hill’s median sale price was $948,372 and Walnut Creek’s was $868,425 (Redfin, housing market pages for each city, August 2026, checked September 24, 2026), and that gap says more about the kinds of homes that sold than about which city costs more.
Below is a straight side-by-side of prices, housing, taxes, BART, school districts, parks and city services. It tells you what each city has. Which one fits you is your call.
How do home prices compare?
Pleasant Hill homes sold faster and closer to or over asking in August 2026. Both columns come from the same source and the same month.
| August 2026 | Pleasant Hill | Walnut Creek |
|---|---|---|
| Median sale price, all home types | $948,372 | $868,425 |
| Change from a year earlier | up 0.6% | down 2.2% |
| Homes sold | 97 | 317 |
| Median days on market | 18 | 28 |
| Sale-to-list ratio | 101.8% | 99.7% |
| Sold above list price | 43.2% | 36.3% |
| Homes with a price drop | 23.8% | 32.1% |
| Median price per square foot | $609 | $549 |
Source: Redfin, Pleasant Hill housing market page and Walnut Creek housing market page, August 2026, checked September 24, 2026.
Don’t read the top row as “Pleasant Hill is more expensive.” An all-types median blends condos, townhomes and houses, and the two cities sell them in very different shares (see the next section). A Walnut Creek month heavy with condo sales pulls its median down. To compare fairly, price the same kind of home, same size and age, in each city.
What kinds of homes does each city have?
Pleasant Hill is mostly detached houses. Walnut Creek is split close to evenly between detached houses and larger buildings. These are U.S. Census Bureau estimates for 2020 to 2024:
| Housing units | Pleasant Hill | Walnut Creek |
|---|---|---|
| Total housing units | 13,939 | 34,389 |
| Single-family detached | 60.0% | 36.8% |
| Single-family attached (townhomes and similar) | 10.2% | 16.3% |
| Buildings with 2 to 4 units | 5.5% | 9.9% |
| Buildings with 5 or more units | 22.9% | 36.9% |
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2020-2024 five-year estimates, table B25024, Units in Structure (checked September 24, 2026). Percentages are our math on the Census counts. ACS figures are survey estimates with margins of error.
That mix is the reason the medians above don’t compare like for like. If you want a detached house, most of Pleasant Hill’s housing is that type. If you want a condo or a unit in a larger building, Walnut Creek has more of them.
How old are the homes?
About the same median age, but built in different waves. The Census estimates the median home in Pleasant Hill was built in 1972 and in Walnut Creek in 1974.
| Year built | Pleasant Hill | Walnut Creek |
|---|---|---|
| Before 1970 | 47.3% | 37.4% |
| 1950 to 1959 | 23.8% | 9.1% |
| 1970 to 1979 | 15.1% | 28.8% |
| 2010 or later | 4.5% | 6.3% |
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2020-2024 five-year estimates, tables B25034 and B25035 (checked September 24, 2026). Percentages are our math on the Census counts.
In practice: nearly a quarter of Pleasant Hill’s housing dates to the 1950s, so plan on inspections that look hard at original plumbing, electrical panels, foundations and sewer laterals. Walnut Creek’s biggest single decade is the 1970s. In either city, newer construction is a small slice.
How do taxes compare?
Sales tax is the same. The California Department of Tax and Fee Administration lists a 9.25% total sales tax rate for both Pleasant Hill and Walnut Creek, effective July 1, 2026, and the same rate on its October 1, 2026 table. Unincorporated Contra Costa County is 8.75% (CDTFA, Tax Rates by County and City, checked September 24, 2026).
Part of Pleasant Hill’s rate is Measure K, a half-cent local sales tax voters approved on November 8, 2016. It took effect April 1, 2017 for 20 years, and the city says it brings in over $4 million a year for city services such as street repaving (City of Pleasant Hill, Measure K page, checked September 24, 2026).
Property tax works the same way in both cities because both are in Contra Costa County: one county assessor, one county tax collector. The total rate and any special assessments depend on the parcel, not the city name, so ask for the current tax bill on any home you’re considering. For what a purchase means for your own taxes, talk to a tax professional or the Contra Costa County Assessor.
How does BART access compare?
Walnut Creek has a station inside city limits. Pleasant Hill’s namesake station is just outside its limits, in unincorporated Contra Costa Centre. Both stations are on the same Yellow Line, one stop apart.
| Pleasant Hill/Contra Costa Centre | Walnut Creek | |
|---|---|---|
| Address | 1365 Treat Blvd., Walnut Creek | 200 Ygnacio Valley Road, Walnut Creek |
| Daily parking | $3.40 | $5 in the North Garage ($8 in the privately owned South Garage) |
| Monthly reserved parking | $93.80 | $136.50 |
| Morning train to Embarcadero | 7:33 a.m., arrives 8:11, 38 min | 7:35 a.m., arrives 8:11, 36 min |
| Adult Clipper fare to Embarcadero | $7.15 | $6.95 |
Sources: BART station pages for each station; BART official schedule and fare data for Thursday, October 1, 2026 (all checked September 24, 2026).
Notice the times. That 7:33 a.m. train stops at Walnut Creek two minutes later and arrives downtown at the same minute. The real difference is the trip from your front door to the platform and what you pay to park. Our separate answer on whether Pleasant Hill BART is in Pleasant Hill covers buses and bikes to that station.
Which school districts serve each city?
Pleasant Hill is served by Mt. Diablo Unified School District. MDUSD says it serves the cities of Clayton, Concord and Pleasant Hill, plus portions of Martinez, Pittsburg and Walnut Creek (MDUSD, About Our District page, checked September 24, 2026).
Walnut Creek is split among three districts:
- Walnut Creek School District, a K-8 district, in parts of the city.
- Acalanes Union High School District for high school in those areas. Las Lomas High is its Walnut Creek campus.
- Mt. Diablo Unified in other parts of Walnut Creek.
Sources: Walnut Creek School District, Acalanes Union High School District and MDUSD websites (checked September 24, 2026).
The city name on the listing does not pick the school. The street address does. Verify every address with the district before you write an offer: MDUSD’s school site locator, Walnut Creek School District’s boundary listings, and Acalanes’ schoolsite locator. For test results and other official numbers, look up the individual school on the California School Dashboard at caschooldashboard.org.
How do parks and open space compare?
Different agencies run them. In Pleasant Hill, parks come from the Pleasant Hill Recreation and Park District, a special district with its own elected board, separate from the City. It maintains 269 acres of parkland (Pleasant Hill Recreation and Park District, About Us page, checked September 24, 2026). For Walnut Creek parks and open space, check the City of Walnut Creek’s own pages.
The Iron Horse pedestrian and bicycle trail runs to the Pleasant Hill/Contra Costa Centre station between the two cities (BART station page, checked September 24, 2026). For a specific home, map the walk to the nearest park or trailhead yourself.
What about fire maps and other city services?
Both cities are in the Contra Costa County Fire Protection District’s area. The district adopted updated Fire Hazard Severity Zone maps effective July 10, 2025, and posts a separate map for each city, including Pleasant Hill and Walnut Creek (Con Fire, Local Responsibility Area Maps page, checked September 24, 2026). Check the parcel on those maps and read the Natural Hazard Disclosure for any home you’re considering. Insurance questions go to a licensed insurance agent.
Pleasant Hill’s library, a Contra Costa County Library branch, opened in a new 24,000 square foot building on July 30, 2022 (City of Pleasant Hill, Pleasant Hill Library page, checked September 24, 2026).
Pleasant Hill also has a zoning change to know about. The City Council adopted Ordinance No. 978, a full update of the zoning code and a new rezoning map, effective December 17, 2025, and set a study session on possible further map changes for October 19, 2026 (City of Pleasant Hill, Comprehensive Zoning Ordinance Amendment and 2026 General Plan Land Use and Zoning Map Study pages, checked September 24, 2026). Look up the zoning for the parcels around any home you like.
So how do I decide?
Pick your top two factors, then test real addresses in both cities.
- Home type. Price the exact kind of home you want in each city. Not the median.
- Commute. Time door to platform from each home, or the drive at your real hour.
- Monthly cost. Pull each home’s tax bill and add any HOA dues.
- School district. Confirm the address with the district.
- What’s changing nearby. Check the zoning map and the planning pages for the blocks around each home.
Questions people also ask
Is Pleasant Hill cheaper than Walnut Creek?
Not by the median. Redfin’s August 2026 median sale price was $948,372 in Pleasant Hill and $868,425 in Walnut Creek, checked September 24, 2026. But Census estimates show 60.0% of Pleasant Hill’s housing is detached single-family, versus 36.8% in Walnut Creek, so the medians mix different home types. Compare the same kind of home in both cities.
Do Pleasant Hill and Walnut Creek have the same sales tax?
Yes. The California Department of Tax and Fee Administration lists a 9.25% total rate for both cities, effective July 1, 2026, checked September 24, 2026. Pleasant Hill’s rate includes Measure K, a half-cent local tax that took effect April 1, 2017 for 20 years, per the City of Pleasant Hill’s Measure K page.
Which BART station is closer, Pleasant Hill or Walnut Creek?
It depends on the address. The two stations are one stop apart on the Yellow Line, and the same morning train reaches Embarcadero at the same minute from either one, per BART’s schedule for October 1, 2026. Daily parking is $3.40 at Pleasant Hill/Contra Costa Centre and $5 in Walnut Creek’s North Garage, per BART’s station pages checked September 24, 2026.
What school district is Pleasant Hill in?
Mt. Diablo Unified School District, which says it serves Pleasant Hill along with Clayton, Concord and parts of Martinez, Pittsburg and Walnut Creek, per its About page checked September 24, 2026. Walnut Creek addresses can instead fall in Walnut Creek School District and Acalanes Union High. Verify the assigned school for any address with the district.
Your next step
Send us one home you like in each city. We’ll put the recent sales of homes like it, the tax bill, the school district check and the trip to BART side by side for both. Talk to a Pleasant Hill agent on our team or call (510) 949-5525.
More: Living in Pleasant Hill, CA · Living in Walnut Creek, CA · Pleasant Hill market update · What’s my home worth?
By Bill Davis, DRE #01880656, The Davis Team at eXp Realty, Pleasant Hill, CA. Updated September 24, 2026.
Sources
- Redfin, Pleasant Hill housing market page, August 2026: redfin.com/city/14983/CA/Pleasant-Hill/housing-market (checked September 24, 2026)
- Redfin, Walnut Creek housing market page, August 2026: redfin.com/city/20635/CA/Walnut-Creek/housing-market (checked September 24, 2026)
- U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2020-2024 five-year estimates, tables B25024, B25034 and B25035, Pleasant Hill city and Walnut Creek city, California, via censusreporter.org (checked September 24, 2026)
- California Department of Tax and Fee Administration, Tax Rates by County and City, effective July 1, 2026 and October 1, 2026: cdtfa.ca.gov (checked September 24, 2026)
- City of Pleasant Hill, Measure K, Pleasant Hill Library, Comprehensive Zoning Ordinance Amendment and 2026 General Plan Land Use and Zoning Map Study pages: phillca.gov (checked September 24, 2026)
- BART, Pleasant Hill/Contra Costa Centre and Walnut Creek station pages, and official schedule and fare data for October 1, 2026: bart.gov (checked September 24, 2026)
- Mt. Diablo Unified School District, About Our District: mdusd.org/about (checked September 24, 2026)
- Walnut Creek School District: walnutcreeksd.org (checked September 24, 2026)
- Acalanes Union High School District: acalanes.k12.ca.us (checked September 24, 2026)
- California School Dashboard: caschooldashboard.org
- Pleasant Hill Recreation and Park District, About Us: pleasanthillrec.com (checked September 24, 2026)
- Contra Costa County Fire Protection District, Local Responsibility Area Maps: cccfpd.org/205/Local-Responsibility-Area-Maps (checked September 24, 2026)