Albany for families buying in SF Bay Area
Strong #3 if the smaller house works. Cleanest schools-plus-budget combination in the search.
Albany is pick 3 in our SF Bay Area family home-search sample report, with a Cornell / Marin / Ocean View -> Albany Middle -> Albany High school pipeline.
Pick 3
94706
Cornell / Marin / Ocean View -> Albany Middle -> Albany High
SF: BART to Embarcadero ~30 min. PA: 55-65 min via San Mateo Bridge — brutal.
Albany schools: elementary, middle, and high pipeline
Cornell / Marin / Ocean View
GreatSchools 9/9/9 · Niche A range
Albany Unified is tiny (~1,800 students total) with strict address-based zoning — no lottery, no uncertainty. Cornell and Marin are both GS 9. Small district = small classes.
Albany Middle
GreatSchools 8/10 · Niche A-
NCES 060186000060 · 781 students · grades 6-8 · 26% free/reduced lunch
Albany Middle is solid — GS 8, small classes, tight community.
Albany High
GreatSchools 9/10 · Niche A
NCES 060186000059 · 1,151 students · grades 9-12 · 26% free/reduced lunch
Albany High is GS 9, ~15 AP courses, strong UC matriculation. Small class sizes, excellent EQ vibe, no pressure-cooker culture.
Part of Albany City Unified.
Albany home prices and recent sold comps
- 1417 Stannage Ave, Albany, CA 94706 sold for $1,825,000 on Mar 14, 2026; 3/2, 1,650, $1,106/sqft. Verify listing
- 936 Talbot Ave, Albany, CA 94706 sold for $1,720,000 on Feb 22, 2026; 3/2, 1,540, $1,117/sqft. Verify listing
- 1234 Marin Ave, Albany, CA 94706 sold for $1,950,000 on Jan 11, 2026; 4/2, 1,820, $1,071/sqft. Verify listing
- 611 Cornell Ave, Albany, CA 94706 sold for $1,580,000 on Dec 5, 2025; 3/2, 1,420, $1,113/sqft. Verify listing
Cornell and Marin Elementary attendance areas; Near Solano Avenue for walkability
Blocks closest to I-80 (noise)
Pros and cons of Albany for families
- Strict address-based zoning — no lottery
- Strong K-12 (GS 9/8/9)
- Best budget headroom ($1.55-1.75M median)
- Solano Avenue walkable community feel
- No pressure-cooker culture
- 30 min BART to SF
- Significant downsize — 1,200 sqft vs current 2,100 sqft
- Some morning fog
- 55-65 min PA commute
- Far from Burlingame social network
Albany climate normals, FEMA flood zone, seismic hazard, crime, air quality, and insurance reality
57.7°F annual mean (51°F low / 64°F high), 22.9 in precipitation per year (SAN FRANCISCO DWTN, 11.4 mi away).
Station USW00023272 on NCEIFEMA flood zone X — area of minimal flood hazard. Flood insurance is optional but available.
View on FEMA Flood Map Service CenterHigh earthquake hazard — peak ground acceleration 1.07g at the 2%-in-50-year design level (USGS NSHM E2014B).
View on USGS Hazard MapLatest AQI 53 (Moderate) driven by PM2.5 at the Oakland reporting area on 2026-05-02.
View on AirNowMostly sunny, some foggy mornings. Less consistent than Peninsula.
Albany demographics from Census ACS (ACS 5-year 2023)
$136,961
$1,188,100
66%
20,486
ZIP 94706 · Alameda County · Census tract 06001420100 · Full Census Reporter profile
The schools, demographics, and flood-zone data on this page come from public federal datasets — verifiable independently:
Albany family home-search questions
How are the schools in Albany?
Elementary (Cornell / Marin / Ocean View): Albany Unified is tiny (~1,800 students total) with strict address-based zoning — no lottery, no uncertainty. Cornell and Marin are both GS 9. Small district = small classes. Middle (Albany Middle): Albany Middle is solid — GS 8, small classes, tight community. High (Albany High): Albany High is GS 9, ~15 AP courses, strong UC matriculation. Small class sizes, excellent EQ vibe, no pressure-cooker culture.
What does a home cost in Albany?
Recent sold comps in Albany include 1417 Stannage Ave, Albany, CA 94706 at $1,825,000 (Mar 14, 2026, 3/2, 1,650, $1,106). Plus 3 other verified sold comps in the section above.
What's the commute from Albany?
SF: BART to Embarcadero ~30 min. PA: 55-65 min via San Mateo Bridge — brutal.
What's the earthquake risk in Albany?
High earthquake hazard — peak ground acceleration 1.07g at the 2%-in-50-year design level (USGS NSHM E2014B).
Compare Albany against the rest of the short list.
Foster City — Brewer Island
Strong #1. Best combination of school quality, real home value at budget, and family lifestyle.
Pick 2Emerald Hills — Roy Cloud K-8
Strong #2. Best K-8 environment + great budget fit. The high school AP gap is the long-term consideration.
Pick 4Belmont / Cipriani
Best HS but middle school problem is real. Private-school workaround raises true cost significantly.
Pick 5Millbrae / Green Hills
Best schools profile, smallest house. Safest middle school pick if that’s the dominant priority.