Santa Monica Looff Hippodrome · Photo: Richard Wang took this photo and has released it under the GDFL. · CC BY-SA 3.0598 homes sold in Santa Monica in the last year, at a typical $1.7M
Houses and condos split the market almost evenly. Below: what each kind of home sells for, what your budget buys, the best months to buy, how hard you’ll have to bid, and a shortcut to every site where Santa Monica homes are listed.
Every place Santa Monica homes are listed, in one stop
We don’t copy listings: the agents’ sites have the photos and the latest price changes. Set what you want once and we open each site already filtered to Santa Monica.
For sale
Rent
New, land & open houses
Links open the listing sites; TownRatings isn’t paid for them and doesn’t rank one above another. Rentals and government-owned homes come from sources outside the MLS.
Half of Santa Monica’s sales are condos, at $2.5M less than a house
207 houses and 301 condos sold in the year to May 2026. Houses sell faster and draw more bidding wars.
typical sale · 207 sold in the year to May 2026
- Per square foot
- $1,649CA $494
- Days to sell
- 46
- Sold over asking
- 45%
- Listings with a price cut
- 15%
typical sale · 301 sold in the year to May 2026
- Per square foot
- $991CA $561
- Days to sell
- 69
- Sold over asking
- 20%
- Listings with a price cut
- 21%
Multi-family (2–4 units): 27 sold, typical $1.8M
Townhouses: 39 sold, typical $1.5M
Too few sales in 12 months for reliable figures.
About as many homes sell as usual, at 1.3 times the 2016 price
598 sales in the last year, against 943 in 2021 and a low of 498 in 2023. The typical sale went from $1.3M in 2016 to $1.7M.
Source: Redfin Data Center, MLS sales; from June 2026 each month is a 3-month rolling window, its counts divided by 3. Typical price and $/sq ft are the monthly medians, weighted by sales. Redfin stopped publishing towns’ figures by property type after May 2026, so houses and condos are shown for the year to then.
What $1.8M buys in Santa Monica
Check a listing against what Santa Monica homes sold for
Against the town’s median price per square foot over the last 12 months. A rough check: condition, lot and location within town move a price more than this can see.
Bidding wars in Santa Monica are rarer than before the pandemic, and more homes are for sale
We read every month of Santa Monica’s home sales since 2012 so you don’t have to. Each figure covers 12 months, because a single month in a town is too few sales to mean much. Latest: the year to September 2026, 598 sales.
If you’re buying in Santa Monica
- Shop in January. It brings about 70 new listings a month, close to the busiest month, with fewer bidding wars (25% over asking).
- Bid near asking. Buyers paid 99.4% of the list price on average; 28% paid over.
- You’ll usually have time. Only 23% of homes go under contract within two weeks; the typical one takes 56 days.
Spring brings both the most homes and the most bidding wars
April has the most new listings (about 85 a month), and the most competition: 47% close over asking. January offers nearly as much choice with fewer homes bid up (25%). January has the least competition (25%).
Averages for each calendar month, 2015 on.
Calmer than the 2021 frenzy, and calmer than California
| Santa Monica now | 2017–19 | 2021 peak | CA now | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sold over askingShare of sales that closed above the list price | 28% | 42% | 42% | 35% |
| Gone within two weeksShare of homes under contract within 14 days | 23% | 34% | 36% | 33% |
| Price paid vs. askingAverage sale price ÷ list price | 99.4% | 100.3% | 100.7% | 99.9% |
| Days to sellMedian days from listing to contract | 56 | 33 | 50 | 43 |
231 homes for sale on a typical day
That’s 2.2 times the 2013 low (107) and 44% more than in 2017–19.
Since 2019, houses are up 43%, condos 21%
A house typically sold for $3.8M in the year to May 2026 (207 sales), a condo for $1.2M (301).
Median sale price, weighted by sales each month. Years with fewer than 4 sales of a type are left out.
Santa Monica ranks 389th of 560 busy California markets for bidding wars
Share of sales over asking in the last year, among towns with 60 or more sales. Santa Monica is in the middle of the pack.
Source: Redfin Data Center, city figures, January 2012 to September 2026 (MLS sales, not seasonally adjusted; from June 2026 each month is a 3-month rolling window, its counts divided by 3). Ratios are weighted by homes sold; price cuts by homes for sale.
Five things worth knowing
New listings in April
The month with the most choice. December has the fewest, about 27.
Best time to buySchools
The schools grade for Santa Monica, from test results, graduation and how much students grow.
Schools in Santa MonicaTypical commute
The average one-way trip to work for people who live in Santa Monica.
Work & commuteCheck the flood map
Flood insurance isn’t in a standard policy, and lenders require it in FEMA flood zones. Check the address before you make an offer.
Natural hazardsLook up any property
Assessed value, lot size and every past sale of a home you’re eyeing are public, at the town or county assessor and the registry of deeds.
Marina del Rey, Los Angeles, Culver City, Ladera Heights and El Segundo sell for less a square foot; Beverly Hills for far more
The busier markets within 25 miles of Santa Monica, by what sold. Prices, taxes and how far a paycheck goes next door are on Cost of living.
| Sold | Typical sale | $/sq ft | Over asking | Days to sell | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Los Angeles | 18,353 | $1M | $632 | 33% | 57 |
| Santa Monica | 598 | $1.7M | $1,092 | 28% | 56 |
| Culver City | 280 | $1.4M | $808 | 41% | 53 |
| Beverly Hills | 274 | $4.4M | $1,395 | 20% | 80 |
| El Segundo | 109 | $1.7M | $964 | 33% | 53 |
| Ladera Heights | 53 | $1.8M | $639 | 20% | 99 |
| Marina del Rey | 38 | $811K | $656 | 5% | 108 |
Redfin Data Center, October 2025 to September 2026. Towns with fewer than 20 sales are left out, and Redfin doesn’t report every town separately.
Post your home to Santa Monica, free
Selling it yourself, renting out an apartment or looking for a roommate? Post it to Santa Monica. People who follow the town see it, and so do people comparing Santa Monica with their own town. No commission, no listing fee.
Questions about buying a home in Santa Monica
What do homes sell for in Santa Monica, CA?
598 homes sold in the year to September 2026 at a typical $1.7M, $1,092 a square foot. Houses sold for about $3.8M, condos for about $1.2M in the year to May 2026.
Is Santa Monica a buyer’s or seller’s market?
A balanced market: 271 homes were for sale in September 2026 and 56 sold, about 4.8 months of supply. Buyers paid 99.4% of asking on average.
When is the best time to buy in Santa Monica?
April brings the most new listings. The sales history shows which months have fewer bidding wars.
Where can I see homes for sale in Santa Monica?
Zillow, Redfin, Realtor.com and Homes.com all carry Santa Monica’s MLS listings; the search links above open each one filtered to Santa Monica.
Sales, prices, days on market and listings: Redfin Data Center (MLS, monthly, not seasonally adjusted; from June 2026 each month is a 3-month rolling window, its counts divided by 3). Property tax rate: Census American Community Survey. Two-bedroom rent: HUD Fair Market Rent. Typical home value: Zillow Home Value Index. Schools grade: TownRatings (how grades work).