Which coastal Los Angeles neighborhood is right for you?
Nine Westside coastal markets compared, with current data
The coastal corridor west of the 405 is not one market. It is nine, and they behave differently on price, pace and inventory. Over the 30 days preceding September 21, 2026, median sold prices ran from $1,205,000 in Marina del Rey to $4,807,500 in Brentwood, with sale to list ratios from 95% to 102% and median days on site from 33 to 60, sourced from CRMLS via iHomeFinder. Pacific Palisades is in active recovery from the January 2025 fire. The Highlands above it was largely undamaged. Santa Monica is the fastest mover. Venice and Westchester are the entry points, Brentwood the most expensive, Malibu the most property-specific. This page compares all nine and links to the community page for each. Monica Antola, Compass, DRE 01826288. Call 310.595.5181.
Which coastal Los Angeles market suits what you want?
| Market | Median sold | Sale to list | Days on site | Active | Suits |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pacific Palisades | $3,429,563 | 97% | 60 | 90 | Village life, canyon and bluff settings, rebuild opportunity |
| Palisades Highlands | Not broken out separately | Trails, elevation, sun above the marine layer, varied housing types | |||
| Malibu | Not shown, see note | Oceanfront and bluff property, privacy, land holdings | |||
| Santa Monica | $3,440,000 | 102% | 33 | 79 | Walkability, city services, fastest pace in the corridor |
| Venice | $2,437,000 | 97% | 36 | 108 | Architecture, walk streets, creative and mixed-use blocks |
| Brentwood | $4,807,500 | 95% | 60 | 123 | Large lots, established streets, the most room to negotiate |
| Marina del Rey | $1,205,000 | 99% | 60 | 166 | Waterfront condos, boating, lock-and-leave ownership |
| Westchester | $1,580,000 | 100% | 36 | 58 | Single-family value near the coast, airport access |
| South Bay | $2,991,500 | 100% | 48 | 102 | Beach-town living, strand access, school-adjacent streets |
The Malibu row is blank by choice. The Malibu widget on this site reports a land and lots market, so publishing it as a home price would be wrong. The market report explains why, and Malibu lots for sale and Pacific Palisades lots for sale cover land directly.
What is each Westside coastal market like?
Pacific Palisades
A village-centred community between the Santa Monica Mountains and the ocean, in active recovery from the January 2025 fire. Inventory now spans intact homes, fire-affected property and cleared lots, which is why the 97% sale to list ratio and $3,429,563 median are context rather than a benchmark for any address. See Pacific Palisades homes for sale.
Pacific Palisades Highlands
Elevated ground in the Santa Monica Mountains above the village, reached by one road in and out, and largely undamaged by the fire. Housing runs from condos and townhomes through gated pockets with associations to large single-family homes, and the microclimate stays sunny when the coast is fogged in. See the Highlands guide.
Malibu
Twenty-one miles of coastline, from oceanfront and bluff property to canyon and ranch parcels. Much of it sits under Coastal Commission jurisdiction, so what a future remodel or rebuild will require is a parcel-level question rather than a city-level one. See Malibu real estate and Malibu lots.
Santa Monica
Its own municipality with its own planning rules, running from the bluffs and the beach to walkable commercial streets. The fastest-moving market in the corridor on current data: 102% of list across a 33 day median with 79 active listings. See Santa Monica homes for sale.
Venice
Walk streets, canals and a dense mix of architecture, from restored bungalows to contemporary infill. Median sold $2,437,000 at 97% of list across 36 days, with 108 active listings, the second-deepest inventory on this list. See Venice real estate.
Brentwood
Established streets and large lots between Sunset and the mountains. The highest median on this list at $4,807,500, and at 95% of list across 60 days with 123 active listings, the market with the most room to negotiate. See Brentwood homes for sale.
Marina del Rey
A built harbour community of waterfront condominiums, townhomes and slips. The most inventory in the corridor at 166 active listings and the lowest median at $1,205,000, reflecting a condominium-weighted market rather than a cheaper version of the same product. See Marina del Rey real estate.
Westchester
Single-family streets on the bluff south of the Marina, close to the coast and to the airport. Median sold $1,580,000 at exactly 100% of list across 36 days, with the tightest inventory on this list at 58 active listings. See Westchester homes for sale.
South Bay
Manhattan Beach, Hermosa Beach and Redondo Beach, where the strand and the sand define the geography. Median sold $2,991,500 at 100% of list across a 48 day median with 102 active listings. See South Bay homes for sale.
How should you choose between them?
Start with the two constraints you cannot design around: how far you are willing to be from the water, and whether you want a finished house or a project. Those two answers remove most of this list. Then test the shortlist against pace and inventory, because a 33 day market and a 60 day market call for different offer strategy. Then confirm insurance on the specific address, since availability and price vary parcel by parcel across the whole corridor.
Work the mechanics on the buyers page, the pricing and launch side on the sellers page, and the loan and rebuild-gap questions on the financing page. If you would rather rent in a market before buying into it, see Westside luxury leasing.
Frequently asked questions
Which Westside neighborhood has the highest home prices?
Of the markets reported here, Brentwood had the highest median sold price at $4,807,500 over the 30 days preceding September 21, 2026, ahead of Santa Monica at $3,440,000 and Pacific Palisades at $3,429,563, sourced from CRMLS via iHomeFinder. Malibu is not included because that widget reports a land and lots market.
Which coastal Los Angeles market moves fastest?
Santa Monica on current data, closing at 102% of list across a 33 day median days on site. Venice and Westchester both ran a 36 day median, while Pacific Palisades, Brentwood and Marina del Rey each ran 60 days. Figures cover the 30 days preceding September 21, 2026.
Why are no Malibu home prices shown on this page?
Because the Malibu market feed on this site is bound to a land and lots market rather than to homes, so its figures describe parcels, not houses. Publishing them as home prices would mislead. The market report explains the distinction, and separate pages cover Malibu lots and Pacific Palisades lots.
Was the Pacific Palisades Highlands affected by the January 2025 fire?
Parts of the area were affected, but the Highlands was largely undamaged and people have been living there since shortly after the fire. Highlands-specific medians are not broken out, so the Pacific Palisades figures on this page describe the wider community, not the Highlands.
Where do you find the most inventory on the Westside?
Marina del Rey led with 166 active listings over the 30 days preceding September 21, 2026, followed by Brentwood at 123, Venice at 108 and the South Bay at 102. Westchester was tightest at 58. Inventory depth changes continuously, so reconfirm before relying on it.
Which market is the entry point into coastal Los Angeles?
On median sold price, Marina del Rey at $1,205,000 and Westchester at $1,580,000 are the lowest of the markets reported here, though Marina del Rey is condominium-weighted while Westchester is largely single-family, so they are not comparable products at the same number.
Not sure which market fits?
Tell us how you want to live and we will narrow the corridor to two or three streets worth walking. Monica Antola, Compass, DRE 01826288. Call 310.595.5181 or use the contact page.
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