How expensive is Manhattan Beach?
Zillow's typical home value of $3,353,430 is about 16 times the city's median household income of $204,306 (Census Bureau, 2020-2024). Values have risen 95.0% in ten years and 9.4% in the last year, and September 2026 was a record. Zillow's typical rent of $6,406 a month is up 9.0% in a year; at that rent, a household earning the median income would spend about 38% of its gross pay on rent alone.
Outside housing, prices are close to the rest of Los Angeles County. The MIT Living Wage Calculator, which works at county level, estimates food at $4,463 a year and transportation at $8,681 for one adult. Those county figures understate housing in Manhattan Beach by a wide margin, which is why this page treats housing separately.
Housing costs in Manhattan Beach
Buying a home in Manhattan Beach
At Freddie Mac's 30-year rate of 7.24% (week of October 29, 2026), a home at Zillow's typical value with 20% down needs a $2,682,744 loan, about $18,283 a month in principal and interest. Redfin's median sale price for the three months to September 2026 was $3,285,935; detached houses in ZIP 90266 had a median of $3,904,015. The lower-priced entry points are condos and townhouses, covered in our Manhattan Beach condos guide.
Renting in Manhattan Beach
Zillow's observed rent index was $6,406 in September 2026, just below its June peak of $6,439. The Census Bureau's median gross rent, which includes older leases, was $3,449 for 2020-2024. About 35% of occupied homes in the city are rented.
Property tax in Manhattan Beach
Most of the city is in tax rate area 6174, where the 2026-27 rate is 1.112987% of assessed value (County Auditor-Controller): the 1% base, 0.081808% for school bonds, 0.022679% for the community college district and 0.0085% for the water district. On $3,353,430 that is $37,323 a year, about $3,110 a month, before fixed charges such as the $225 Measure MB school parcel tax. The Los Angeles County property tax guide explains exemptions and supplemental bills.
Why neighbors pay less property tax in Manhattan Beach
Under Prop 13, explained in our California property tax guide, a home's assessed value resets mainly when it sells, and annual increases are capped after that. In a city where values have nearly doubled in ten years, that creates large gaps on the same street. One County Assessor record we checked, a 1950 house with a 1979 base year, carried an assessed value of $340,433 for 2026, which at 1.112987% is a bill of roughly $3,789. A buyer paying the typical $3,353,430 would owe about $37,323. Budget from your own price, never from the seller's bill.
Homeowners insurance in Manhattan Beach
We did not find an official average premium for the city. Get quotes before you remove your loan contingency, and check the address on the FEMA flood map and the state tsunami hazard maps, which can affect coverage near the beach. See the homeowners insurance guide and the earthquake insurance guide.
HOA dues and Mello-Roos in Manhattan Beach
Recent condo and townhouse sales listed dues from $400 to $830 a month. Check each tax bill for special taxes or assessments; our Mello-Roos guide explains how to read them.
Everyday costs in Manhattan Beach
Electricity and utilities in Manhattan Beach
Manhattan Beach is a Clean Power Alliance city: CPA buys the power and Southern California Edison delivers it. CPA's July 2025 rate document lists Manhattan Beach among the cities whose default product is 100% Green Power, its highest-content option. Customers can switch to Clean Power (50% clean) or Lean Power (40% clean), which CPA says usually costs less than SCE's base rates. Ask the city for current water and sewer rates and the gas utility for gas rates.
Groceries in Manhattan Beach
MIT estimates a single adult in Los Angeles County spends $4,463 a year on food and a family of two working adults and two children $13,062. It does not publish city figures, so treat these as a floor.
Getting around Manhattan Beach
MIT puts transportation at $8,681 a year for one adult in the county. The Census Bureau found 54.7% of Manhattan Beach workers commute by car, truck or van, 39.1% work from home and 0.7% use public transit, with a mean commute of 28.0 minutes. The county's beach page lists Commuter Express route 438 and Beach Cities Transit route 109 near the beach.
Health care and child care in Manhattan Beach
MIT's county figures are $3,255 a year in medical costs for one adult and $13,191 a year for child care for one child, rising to $26,634 for two children. Ask local centers for their current tuition before you budget.
Internet and phone in Manhattan Beach
MIT budgets $1,517 a year for internet and mobile service for one adult and $2,140 for two adults. Check which providers serve your address before you sign a lease or close.
Taxes in Manhattan Beach
Sales tax in Manhattan Beach
The sales and use tax rate is 10.75% from October 1, 2026, according to the California Department of Tax and Fee Administration. That is half a point above Hermosa Beach and Redondo Beach, at 10.25%, and the same as El Segundo and Torrance.
Transfer tax when you sell in Manhattan Beach
Manhattan Beach does not add a city transfer tax. A sale pays the county rate of $1.10 per $1,000 of value, about $3,689 on $3,353,430. Neighboring Redondo Beach adds $2.20 per $1,000. Our California transfer tax guide covers who usually pays.
Salary needed to live in Manhattan Beach
MIT's living wage figures cover basic needs at county prices, and they assume county-average rents. They are a minimum for Los Angeles County, not a Manhattan Beach budget.
| Household (MIT, Los Angeles County) | Living wage per hour | Income needed before tax, per year |
|---|---|---|
| 1 adult, no children | $28.92 | $60,161 |
| 1 adult, 1 child | $50.23 | $104,483 |
| 2 adults (1 working), no children | $38.12 | $79,296 |
| 2 adults (both working), 2 children | $33.83 each | $140,735 |
Housing changes the answer. Our own calculation: renting at Zillow's typical $6,406 and keeping rent to 30% of gross pay takes an income of about $256,000 a year. Buying at the typical value, with 20% down at 7.24%, means about $21,400 a month in principal, interest and tax; keeping that to 36% of gross pay takes about $713,000 a year, before insurance. A larger down payment lowers that figure.
Manhattan Beach cost of living vs nearby cities
Zillow figures are for September 2026; incomes are Census 2020-2024 medians. Each column uses one measure for all cities.
| City | Zillow typical home value (Sept 2026) | 1-year change | Zillow typical rent (Sept 2026) | Median household income (Census 2020-2024) | Sales tax (Oct 2026) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Manhattan Beach | $3,353,430 | +9.4% | $6,406 | $204,306 | 10.75% |
| Hermosa Beach | $2,272,277 | +5.5% | $3,970 | $166,442 | 10.25% |
| El Segundo | $1,719,205 | +3.9% | $3,253 | $150,737 | 10.75% |
| Redondo Beach | $1,473,478 | +2.4% | $3,483 | $150,245 | 10.25% |
| Torrance | $1,100,115 | +1.9% | $3,006 | $116,217 | 10.75% |
Manhattan Beach's typical home value is about $1.08 million above Hermosa Beach's and about three times Torrance's. Rents are closer: Manhattan Beach's typical rent is $2,436 above Hermosa Beach's. See the Redondo Beach, El Segundo and Torrance cost of living pages for those cities in detail.
Ways to lower your costs in Manhattan Beach
- Look at attached homes: townhouses and condos had Redfin medians of $2,881,254 and $1,346,210 in ZIP 90266, against $3,904,015 for detached houses.
- File the homeowners' exemption on your primary home with the County Assessor; see the county tax guide.
- Move your tax base: owners 55 and over may be able to transfer a lower assessed value under Prop 19; see our Prop 19 guide.
- Review your assessment: if your home's market value falls below its assessed value, the Assessor offers a decline-in-value review, and the county's appeals board hears formal appeals.
- Choose your power product: CPA's Lean Power option usually costs less than the 100% Green Power default, according to CPA.
- Shop insurance every year and ask about higher deductibles.