Crystal Springs Reservoir & the Local Housing Market
September 1, 2026 · Newsletter archive
Hello San Bruno Neighbors!
Crystal Springs Reservoir is one of the defining geographic features of the San Francisco Peninsula. In the late 1800s, San Francisco sought a reliable water supply for its rapidly growing population and turned to the Crystal Springs Valley, a broad natural valley located on the Peninsula. The development of its dams and reservoirs helped establish one of the region’s most important water storage systems.
The reason there are virtually no homes along the reservoir is that the surrounding land has been protected as a watershed for more than a century. Once the valley became part of San Francisco’s water system, large areas of land were acquired and placed under the control of the San Francisco Public Utilities Commission and its predecessors. Development was intentionally restricted to protect water quality and the integrity of the watershed. As a result, the reservoir remains largely surrounded by open space, forested hills, and utility lands, creating the unusual sight of a vast undeveloped landscape in the middle of one of the nation’s most densely populated regions.
The reservoir has also played an important role in shaping the growth of nearby communities such as Millbrae, San Bruno, Burlingame, and Hillsborough. While these cities expanded throughout the 20th century, development largely stopped at the reservoir’s edge, creating a permanent greenbelt between urban areas and the Santa Cruz Mountains. Today, Crystal Springs Reservoir remains a key component of the regional water system, storing water delivered from local Peninsula watersheds and, later, from the Hetch Hetchy system, while preserving a landscape that looks remarkably similar to how it appeared more than a century ago.
SAN BRUNO MARKET SNAPSHOT · AUGUST 2026
16 single-family sales · Median sale price $1,540,000
August 2025: 18 sales · Median $1,390,000
Median price change: +10.8% year over year
Average sale price reported in the newsletter: $1,439,594
The September edition lists 12 available homes and 9 contingent/pending homes. August closed sales range from $824,000 to $1,950,000. These figures describe the original newsletter snapshot, not current availability.
PENINSULA COMPARISON · AUGUST 2026
Millbrae: 8 sales · Median $2,005,000 (August 2025: 15 sales · $2,050,000)
Burlingame: 11 sales · Median $3,150,000 (August 2025: 14 sales · $3,102,450)
South San Francisco: 16 sales · Median $1,450,000 (August 2025: 16 sales · $1,205,000)
Source: September 1, 2026 Laurel Realty newsletter, adapted for the web. Market figures reflect the original reporting period; monthly medians depend on the mix of homes sold.
Brendan Landeck · Laurel Realty
650-483-5925 · brendan@laurelrealty.com
DRE #01905168
