What a local Hermosa Beach agent helps you decide
Hermosa Beach is small. The Census Bureau's 2024 Gazetteer puts its land area at 1.426 square miles, and the 2020-2024 American Community Survey (ACS) counts 19,063 residents and 10,385 homes, which works out to roughly 13,400 people per square mile. Los Angeles County's Beaches and Harbors department describes almost 2 miles of ocean frontage and 94 acres of public beach, ending at King Harbor in Redondo Beach. Manhattan Beach sits to the north and Redondo Beach to the south and east.
The housing is a mix. ACS counts 46.3% of homes as detached houses, 9.3% as attached single-family homes such as townhouses, and 43.7% in buildings with two or more units. Owners live in 50.6% of occupied homes and renters in 49.4%. More than half the housing stock was built before 1970: 18.7% in the 1950s alone, and just 4.4% since 2010.
That mix shapes the questions a local agent helps with. Is the home a detached house, one half of a two-on-a-lot townhouse pair, or a unit in a 1970s complex with a pool and an association? How do the comparable sales line up when the whole city produces only about 18 sales a month? Is the asking price close to Redfin's median of $1,173.76 per square foot, which fell 12.8% in a year even as the median price held near $2.3 million? And for sellers, which features buyers in 90254 pay for, such as an ocean view from a roof deck, a walk to the pier, or a newer rebuild.
Buying a home in Hermosa Beach
Redfin's three-month figures to September 2026 show a market that has slowed but not stalled: 2.5 months of supply, a median of 46 days on market, sale prices averaging 99.15% of list, and 17% of homes selling above list. Pending sales stood at 60 and new listings at 56, up 26% on a year earlier.
Hermosa Beach buying step 1: work out the payment at today's rate
Freddie Mac's 30-year rate was 7.24% in the week of October 29, 2026. On Zillow's typical value of $2,272,277, a 20% down payment is about $454,455, and principal and interest on the remaining loan comes to about $12,388 a month. Add property tax at the 2026-27 rate of 1.065787% for tax rate area 4340 (a Hermosa Beach area on the county Auditor-Controller's list), after the $7,000 homeowners' exemption, and the total reaches about $14,400 a month before insurance. Loans this size are above the conforming limit, so compare jumbo lenders.
Hermosa Beach buying step 2: compare prices by home type
In ZIP 90254, Redfin's three-month median was $2,864,277 for detached houses (21 sales), $2,522,504 for townhouses (15 sales), $2,032,500 for two-to-four-unit buildings (10 sales) and $729,478 for condos and co-ops (8 sales). Those counts are small, so ask for the individual sales behind any median before you write an offer. Our Hermosa Beach condos guide covers the attached market.
Hermosa Beach buying step 3: read the HOA or shared-lot documents
Many townhouses here share a lot and a driveway with a second home. Ask whether there is a recorded association, what it covers and whether it has a budget and reserves. For a condo complex, read the reserve study and the balcony inspection status; our California HOA laws guide lists what the seller must hand over.
Hermosa Beach buying step 4: check the parcel record
The county Assessor's portal shows the year built, square footage, lot size, zoning code and tax rate area for any parcel. Compare the square footage with the listing, because MLS and Assessor figures often differ. Our guide to buying a house in California walks through contingencies and escrow.
Selling a home in Hermosa Beach
Sellers face a split market. Homes that are priced well still go fast: 29.7% went under contract within two weeks in the three months to September 2026. The rest wait, and the median time on market was 46 days.
Hermosa Beach selling step 1: price from your own segment
A two-bedroom condo east of Pacific Coast Highway and a rebuilt house a block from the sand share a ZIP but not a market. Ask for comparable sales of your type within a few blocks, adjusted for view, lot size and age, rather than the citywide median.
Hermosa Beach selling step 2: prepare disclosures early
California sellers owe a Transfer Disclosure Statement and a Natural Hazard Disclosure. Near the beach, the hazard report covers flood and tsunami mapping. Order it before you list, so buyers see it early. See our California seller disclosure guide.
Hermosa Beach selling step 3: count the closing costs
Hermosa Beach is not on the Los Angeles County Registrar-Recorder's list of five cities with their own transfer tax rate, so the county rate of $1.10 per $1,000 applies, or about $2,500 on a $2,272,277 sale. Commission is the larger cost: each 1% is about $22,723 at that price. Our California transfer tax guide and closing costs guide cover the rest.
Hermosa Beach areas at a glance
Hermosa Beach has no official neighborhood map, so agents and listings use informal names. These are the parts of town you will see in listings.
The Sand Section near the beach
Listings use "Sand Section" for the blocks closest to the beach. A detached townhouse at 608 Palm Drive, described as about one block from the sand and a short walk to the pier, sold for $2,805,000 on May 15, 2026 (1,985 square feet, built in 1989). Detached townhouses and full rebuilds trade here; check the lot size and the permit history on any home you consider.
Pier Avenue and the pier
Pier Avenue runs down to the Hermosa Beach Pier and is the center of the dining, shopping and coffee scene that listings point to. Homes within a few blocks trade convenience for noise and weekend crowds. Visit at night and on a summer Saturday before you buy here.
The south end near Herondo Street
The south edge of town meets Redondo Beach and King Harbor. The Mooring townhomes at 501 Herondo Street sit along a greenbelt with a pool and spa; a three-bedroom unit there sold for $1,499,000 on March 31, 2026, with $665 a month in association dues.
The north end and the 20s and 30s streets
North of the pier, the numbered streets climb from the beach toward Manhattan Beach. Hermosa Vista School is at 417 25th Street, and the county lists the beach's main access at Hermosa Avenue and 33rd Street. A five-bedroom house built in 2016 at 826 18th Street, with a water view on the Assessor's record, is listed as sold at $4,400,000 on MLSListings.
The greenbelt and Valley Drive
Listings inland from the beach often mention the greenbelt, a strip of open space. Hermosa Valley School, the district's grades 5 to 8 campus, is at 1645 Valley Drive. Homes here are farther from the sand but closer to the schools and parks.
East of Pacific Coast Highway
East of PCH, around Prospect Avenue and Ardmore Avenue, you find more 1970s condo complexes and the lowest prices in the city. A two-bedroom condo at 2411 Prospect Avenue sold for $725,000 on March 27, 2026, after two price cuts. Hermosa View School is at 1800 Prospect Avenue.
Local property checks in Hermosa Beach
- Flood and tsunami: look up the parcel on FEMA's Flood Map Service Center and the California Geological Survey's tsunami hazard maps, and read the Natural Hazard Disclosure.
- Earthquake: 18.7% of the city's homes date from the 1950s and 11.2% from before 1940 (ACS). Ask about foundation bolting and soft-story work, and see our California earthquake insurance guide.
- Insurance: get a homeowners or HO-6 quote before you remove contingencies. Our California homeowners insurance guide explains the options.
- Property tax: the 2026-27 rate for tax rate area 4340 is 1.065787%, made up of the 1% base plus voter-approved debt for the elementary school district, the community college district and the water district. Check the rate for your parcel on the Auditor-Controller's site, and see our Los Angeles County property tax guide.
- Permits: many houses here were rebuilt or split into two units. Ask the city for the permit history of any addition or roof deck.
- Rental use: if you plan to rent the home, confirm the city's current short-term rental rules before you buy.
Schools are run by the Hermosa Beach City School District through grade 8; our Hermosa Beach schools guide covers results and high school options.
How to choose a real estate agent in Hermosa Beach
There is no official ranking of agents, so judge them on evidence. These questions help.
- Sales in 90254: how many homes of your type did they buy or sell in Hermosa Beach in the last year, and at what price compared with list?
- License: check the name on the California Department of Real Estate public lookup, which shows status, responsible broker and any discipline.
- Pricing method: ask for a written analysis with sales of the same type within a few blocks.
- Townhouses and condos: ask how they review shared-lot agreements, HOA budgets and balcony reports.
- Who does the work: on a team, ask who shows the home, who negotiates and who runs escrow.
Since the August 2024 settlement involving the National Association of Realtors, buyers sign a written agreement with their agent before touring, and buyer-agent pay is negotiated rather than offered on the MLS. Get fees in writing. Our California real estate commission guide explains the options. If you want a starting point, read about our featured local agent, and interview more than one.
For more on life in town, see living in Hermosa Beach and Hermosa Beach crime data, and for ZIP history see the ZIP 90254 data page.