On the Peninsula
Belmont
On the Peninsula
Belmont
Belmont and Redwood Shores are served by the Belmont-Redwood Shores School District for kindergarten through eighth grade, then by Carlmont High in the Sequoia Union High School District.
Quick summary
Belmont is served by the Belmont-Redwood Shores School District for grades K-8, one of the top 100 districts in California, and by Carlmont High for grades 9-12, one of the higher-ranked public high schools in the state. Most neighborhoods follow a K-5 elementary, then Ralston Intermediate for grades 6-8, then Carlmont High, while the Nesbit area is a combined K-8 campus. School assignment is by address. Median single-family home prices range from about $1.9M in the Homeview and Sterling Downs area to about $3.38M in Belmont Woods.
Belmont-Redwood Shores School District
Belmont-Redwood Shores is a high-performing K-8 district that also serves the Redwood Shores neighborhood, whose schools (Redwood Shores Elementary and Sandpiper) are listed on the Redwood City page. Belmont students go on to Carlmont High in the separate Sequoia Union High School District, assigned by address.
At a glance
Better than 95% of California districts · top 5%
This ranks Belmont-Redwood Shores School District among the top 5% of California public school districts.
Elementary (K-5)
- Central Elementary
- Cipriani Elementary
- Fox Elementary
- Nesbit Elementary (K-8 campus)
Middle (6-8)
- Ralston Intermediate
High school (separate district)
- Carlmont High, via Sequoia Union High School District
3,881
Students
5 stars
District rating
$2,365,000
Median home price
Test proficiency
Percent proficient or above
Last verified: October 2026. Rank and rating from SchoolDigger. Enrollment from the California Department of Education, 2025-26. Test proficiency from CAASPP, 2025-26 (California Department of Education). CA figures are the California statewide average, all grades, 2025-26. Median home price from MLSListings. Buyers should confirm current figures directly with Belmont-Redwood Shores School District, the authoritative source.
Schools in Belmont-Redwood Shores
Proficient means the share of students scoring Advanced or Proficient, the two highest of California's four achievement levels. These were called Standard Met and Standard Exceeded before 2025-26.
Schools are listed by California statewide rank, highest-ranked first.
Address: 525 Middle Rd, Belmont, CA 94002
Grades: K-5
Enrollment: 435
Student-teacher ratio: 25.7 to 1
Per-pupil spending: $18,281
Feeder: Continues to Ralston Intermediate (6-8), then Carlmont High.
Math, English, and science from CAASPP, 2025-26 (California Department of Education). CA figures are the California statewide average, all grades, 2025-26. Enrollment and address from California Department of Education. Rank, rating, ratio, and per-pupil spending from SchoolDigger.
Address: 3100 Saint James Rd, Belmont, CA 94002
Grades: K-5
Enrollment: 418
Student-teacher ratio: 25.9 to 1
Per-pupil spending: $17,813
Feeder: Continues to Ralston Intermediate (6-8), then Carlmont High.
Math, English, and science from CAASPP, 2025-26 (California Department of Education). CA figures are the California statewide average, all grades, 2025-26. Enrollment and address from California Department of Education. Rank, rating, ratio, and per-pupil spending from SchoolDigger.
Address: 2525 Buena Vista, Belmont, CA 94002
Grades: K-5
Enrollment: 481
Student-teacher ratio: 26.9 to 1
Per-pupil spending: $17,825
Feeder: Continues to Ralston Intermediate (6-8), then Carlmont High.
Math, English, and science from CAASPP, 2025-26 (California Department of Education). CA figures are the California statewide average, all grades, 2025-26. Enrollment and address from California Department of Education. Rank, rating, ratio, and per-pupil spending from SchoolDigger.
Address: 500 Biddulph Way, Belmont, CA 94002
Grades: K-8
Enrollment: 541
Student-teacher ratio: 20.8 to 1
Per-pupil spending: $23,240
Nesbit is a combined K-8 campus, so students attend one school from kindergarten through 8th grade rather than moving up to Ralston Intermediate for middle school.
Feeder: Serves K-8 directly, then Carlmont High.
Math, English, and science from CAASPP, 2025-26 (California Department of Education). CA figures are the California statewide average, all grades, 2025-26. Enrollment and address from California Department of Education. Rank, rating, ratio, and per-pupil spending from SchoolDigger.
Address: 2675 Ralston Ave, Belmont, CA 94002
Grades: 6-8
Enrollment: 1,099
Student-teacher ratio: 20.0 to 1
Per-pupil spending: $19,741
Feeder: The district middle school for grades 6-8; continues to Carlmont High.
Math, English, and science from CAASPP, 2025-26 (California Department of Education). CA figures are the California statewide average, all grades, 2025-26. Enrollment and address from California Department of Education. Rank, rating, ratio, and per-pupil spending from SchoolDigger.
Address: 1400 Alameda de las Pulgas, Belmont, CA 94002
Grades: 9-12
Enrollment: 2,385
Student-teacher ratio: 19.6 to 1
Per-pupil spending: $32,538
Feeder: The high school for all of Belmont, in the Sequoia Union High School District.
Math, English, and science from CAASPP, 2025-26 (California Department of Education). CA figures are the California statewide average, all grades, 2025-26. Enrollment and address from California Department of Education. Rank, rating, ratio, and per-pupil spending from SchoolDigger.
Neighborhoods
Where to Look in Belmont
Belmont rises from the flatter east side near El Camino Real up into wooded western hills. Every neighborhood below is in the Belmont-Redwood Shores School District, and all paths lead to Carlmont High for grades 9-12. Most areas feed a K-5 elementary and then Ralston Intermediate for grades 6-8. The exception is Nesbit, a combined K-8 campus on Belmont's east side where students stay at one school from kindergarten through eighth grade instead of moving to Ralston. Because the exact assignment is set by address, always verify.
Belmont Woods
District and schools
Belmont-Redwood Shores → Ralston Intermediate → Carlmont High. Verify the elementary by address.
A classic wooded hillside area, quiet and tucked away with winding streets.
What you'll find
A mix of mid-century and custom homes, often on larger or sloped lots, many with tree or hillside views.
Price context
$3,380,000
Tends to suit
Buyers who want space, trees, and quiet over walkability.
Haskins Estates
District and schools
Belmont-Redwood Shores → Ralston Intermediate → Carlmont High. Verify the elementary by address.
An established hillside neighborhood with a settled feel and elevated views.
What you'll find
Well-kept mid-century homes, many updated over the years, on quiet streets.
Price context
$2,550,000
Tends to suit
Families wanting an established hill neighborhood.
Carlmont
District and schools
Belmont-Redwood Shores → Ralston Intermediate → Carlmont High, which sits right in the neighborhood. Verify the elementary by address.
The desirable, established area around Carlmont High along the Alameda de las Pulgas corridor.
What you'll find
A mix of mid-century and updated homes, some with views, on residential streets close to the high school.
Price context
$2,400,000
Tends to suit
Families who value being close to the high school and a leafy setting.
Belmont Country Club
District and schools
Belmont-Redwood Shores → Ralston Intermediate → Carlmont High. Verify the elementary by address.
A historic neighborhood north of Ralston Avenue named after a 1920s estate development, with winding hillside roads and mature tree cover.
What you'll find
A wide variety of homes ranging from traditional mid-century properties to substantial multi-level view estates on generous lots.
Price context
$2,338,500
Tends to suit
Buyers looking for character, elevated views, and larger homes in a central Belmont location.
Homeview / Sterling Downs
District and schools
Belmont-Redwood Shores → Carlmont High. Verify by address.
Important
Two paths by address. Nesbit area: Nesbit (combined K-8, students stay through 8th grade) → Carlmont High. Other addresses: K-5 elementary → Ralston Intermediate → Carlmont High. Verify by address.
Belmont's flatter east side near El Camino Real and the San Carlos border, with a level-street, close-to-shopping feel.
What you'll find
More modest single-family homes on flat lots, closer to Caltrain, shopping, and the freeway.
Price context
$1,900,000
Tends to suit
First-time Belmont buyers, commuters, and families who like flat streets, easy shopping, or a single K-8 campus.
Price figures show the median sale price of single-family homes in each area over the 12 months ending October 2026, sourced directly from the MLS. Median is used rather than average because it better reflects a typical home in areas with relatively few sales.
Verify before you buy
School assignments in Belmont depend on your specific address and can change year to year, especially when a school reaches capacity. Always confirm the assigned elementary with the Belmont-Redwood Shores School District before making a decision.
Beyond the ratings
Academic Culture and School Community
Belmont pairs strong public schools with an unusually engaged community. The Belmont-Redwood Shores School District is well regarded but, like its neighbors, is funded leanly by the state, so parent and community fundraising through the SchoolForce foundation helps sustain its programs. Belmont students attend Carlmont High, one of the top-ranked high schools in the area and known for a standout biotechnology pathway.
A strong district powered by its community
The Belmont-Redwood Shores School District consistently ranks among the stronger K-8 districts on the Peninsula. Like many high-performing California districts that are funded mainly by the state rather than local property taxes, it relies on community support to fund enrichment beyond the basics. That support comes primarily through SchoolForce, the volunteer-run education foundation founded in 2001 that is the district's sole fundraising organization for its seven schools. SchoolForce raises around 3 million dollars a year, more than 6% of the district's budget, most of it going toward additional teachers and staff, along with music, arts, STEM, and innovation programs.
A distinctive school structure
Belmont's district uses a mix of school types. Most neighborhoods have K-5 elementary schools that feed into Ralston Intermediate for grades 6 through 8. The district also operates combined schools that serve kindergarten through eighth grade on one campus, including Nesbit in Belmont, which can appeal to families who prefer a single school across those years. Which path a home follows depends on its address, so families should verify their assigned schools with the district.
Carlmont High and the Biotechnology Institute
For high school, Belmont students attend Carlmont High, a Sequoia Union school located in Belmont itself and one of the top-ranked high schools in the state. Fittingly named as a blend of San Carlos and Belmont, since its campus sits between the two, Carlmont is known for academic breadth, roughly two dozen Advanced Placement courses, strong performing arts and athletics, and AVID support. Its signature program is the Biotechnology Institute, a three-year cross-curricular pathway for grades 10 through 12 that pairs science-themed coursework with hands-on biotech training, dual enrollment with Skyline College, and a biomanufacturing capstone. It is a genuine draw for science-minded students across the area.
A measured approach to high school stress
Belmont families, like those across the Peninsula, care about balancing rigor with wellbeing. One notable local practice: Carlmont deliberately does not offer Advanced Placement courses to ninth graders, a choice designed to ease the transition into high school and reduce early academic pressure before students take on the heaviest course loads.
What families say
The perspectives below reflect my own research across public data, local forums, and family reviews rather than verified facts, and are worth reading alongside the verified scores above. Families frequently describe Belmont as a close-knit, education-focused community with strong parent involvement and well-regarded schools. Many point to the combination of solid neighborhood schools and access to Carlmont as a key reason they chose the area. As with any high-achieving community, some families note the importance of helping students find balance.
The bigger picture
Belmont offers a strong public school path from elementary through high school, backed by a community that invests heavily in its schools. The right fit depends on the family and the specific address. We encourage buyers to verify school assignments and visit schools directly.
This section reflects a mix of public data and community perspectives. School options and policies change over time. We encourage families to verify details directly with each school or district.
FAQ
Common questions
What school district serves Belmont?
Belmont is served by the Belmont-Redwood Shores School District for grades K-8, and by the Sequoia Union High School District for high school, where Carlmont High is the assigned school for grades 9-12.
What high school do Belmont students attend?
Belmont students attend Carlmont High, which is located in Belmont and part of the Sequoia Union High School District. It is one of the higher-ranked public high schools in the state.
Are Belmont's schools good?
Belmont-Redwood Shores is a highly rated district, ranked among the top 100 of more than 1,500 California districts, and every one of its campuses earns strong state test results. Carlmont High also ranks near the top statewide.
What is the difference between the K-5 elementaries and Nesbit?
Most Belmont neighborhoods feed a K-5 elementary (Central, Cipriani, or Fox) and then Ralston Intermediate for grades 6-8. The Nesbit attendance area is a combined K-8 campus, where students stay at one school from kindergarten through 8th grade rather than changing schools for middle school.
Which elementary school will my Belmont home be assigned to?
Elementary assignment in Belmont depends on your specific address, and boundaries can change year to year, especially when a school reaches capacity. Always confirm the assigned school directly with the Belmont-Redwood Shores School District before making a decision.
Is Redwood Shores part of the Belmont school district?
Yes. Redwood Shores sits inside the city of Redwood City but is served by the Belmont-Redwood Shores School District, so its homes feed into that district and Carlmont High rather than a Redwood City district. Redwood Shores schools are covered on the Redwood City page of this guide.
How much do homes in Belmont cost?
It varies by neighborhood. Over the 12 months ending October 2026, median single-family sale prices ranged from about $1.9M in the Homeview and Sterling Downs area to about $3.38M in Belmont Woods. In between, Belmont Country Club was about $2.34M, Carlmont about $2.4M, and Haskins Estates about $2.55M.
How are Belmont schools funded?
The Belmont-Redwood Shores School District is funded mainly through California's state funding formula rather than local property taxes, which leaves less per student than some neighboring communities. The SchoolForce foundation, run by volunteers since 2001, raises around 3 million dollars a year to fund teachers and programs across the district's seven schools.
What is Carlmont High known for?
Carlmont High in Belmont is a top-ranked Sequoia Union school known for academic breadth, around two dozen AP courses, and a standout Biotechnology Institute that offers a three-year science pathway with college dual enrollment. Notably, it does not offer AP courses to ninth graders, to ease the transition into high school.
Last verified: October 2026 (reflecting 2025-26 state results).
Sources: SchoolDigger, the California Department of Education, and CAASPP. See each school card above for the specific attribution behind its figures.
