Santa Monica Real Estate Market Report: July and August 2026 MLS Sales by Zip Code, and What Is Coming to the City This Fall

By Jocelyn Kelley | Last updated September 25, 2026

The question I hear most from friends and clients is not "how is Santa Monica doing?" It is "how is my part of Santa Monica doing?"

So this month I went straight to the MLS. I pulled every single-family home that closed in July and August in each Santa Monica zip code and compared it with the same two months last year. I have had my office on Wilshire Boulevard for years, and I grew up just up the coast in the Palisades. Santa Monica has always been four or five towns sharing one name, and this summer the numbers show it more clearly than ever. This zip-by-zip report will be a monthly feature here, written for my friends, my family, my clients and anyone trying to make a smart move in this city.

1. Summer at a Glance, by Zip Code

Single-family homes, closed July 1 through August 31, 2026, with the same period of 2025 in parentheses:

Across the four zip codes, 57 single-family homes sold this summer, compared with 58 last summer. Citywide, volume was flat. Underneath, the pace was anything but.

2. Zip by Zip: My Read

90405: Ocean Park, Sunset Park and Main Street, the hottest market in Santa Monica right now. Twenty-two homes sold, up from 18. The median home went into escrow in ten days, and homes sold for 104.9% of asking on average. Nineteen of the 22 sold within a month, and those averaged 108% of list price. The median rose 15% to $2,755,000. This is where young families and move-up buyers in the $2 million to $3.5 million range are competing, and they are competing hard. If you own in Sunset Park or Ocean Park and have been thinking about selling, this is as strong a position as I have seen.

90403: Wilshire-Montana and the north side, small but fast. Only seven single-family homes sold, the same as last year, because most of this zip is condos and townhomes. The ones that sold went quickly: a median of five days on market and nearly 102% of asking. The median dipped to $3,350,000, but with seven sales, that reflects which homes sold more than any change in value.

90404: Mid-City and Pico, very few houses, strong demand. Just three single-family homes closed, all of them at or above asking. With so few sales, I would not read anything into the median. What it does tell me is that there are very few houses for sale in this part of the city, and the ones that come up find buyers. Longer term, 90404 has more change ahead than anywhere else in Santa Monica: a federally funded study of capping part of the I-10 between 11th and 20th Streets, and the Expo/Bundy rezoning.

90402: North of Montana, the top of the market is negotiating. This is the one zip where buyers have the upper hand. Sales dipped from 31 to 25, the median time on market went from 12 days to 32, and homes sold for 90.4% of list price on average, down from 96.7% last summer. The median sold price still rose 8% to about $6.4 million, because well-located, well-presented homes are still commanding strong prices. The difference is in how listings were priced. Nearly half sold within a month at about 103% of asking. The rest took longer and gave up real money to get sold. Measure GS, the city's transfer tax that jumps to 5.6% of the full price at $8 million, also shapes how the top of this market is priced and negotiated.

3. The Rate Picture

Freddie Mac's survey on September 24 put the 30-year fixed at 7.03%, up from 6.30% a year ago. On a home at the 90405 median of $2,755,000 with 20% down, principal and interest now runs about $14,700 a month, roughly $1,070 more than at last year's rate.

That is real money for the families competing in Ocean Park and Sunset Park, yet they are still paying over asking. That tells me how much demand there is for a house in a walkable Santa Monica neighborhood. North of Montana, where many buyers pay cash or use private-bank financing, rates matter less than pricing and presentation. For sellers in the financed tiers, a credit toward a rate buydown can often do more than a price cut, and it protects your sale price as a comparable for your neighbors.

4. What Is Coming to Santa Monica

Juicy Ladies opens on Ocean Park Boulevard. The organic cafe and juice bar opened at 2727 Ocean Park Boulevard, with cold-pressed juices, acai bowls, specialty coffee and breakfast. Co-owner Magal Nagar called it "resilience, hope, and a true labor of love." The owners ran their Pacific Palisades location on Sunset until the fire and hope to return there one day. As a Palisades native, it means a great deal to me that Santa Monica keeps giving our neighbors, and our businesses, a place to land.

New school buildings are open, and more are on the way. The Santa Monica-Malibu Unified School District opened new and renovated buildings this fall, including a $33.5 million classroom building at McKinley Elementary, a $58.5 million modernization at the Ocean Park School House, a $10.3 million library and courtyard renovation at Grant Elementary, and an $18 million modernization at Lincoln Middle School. Next up are a $31 million early education and library building at Roosevelt Elementary in January 2027, a STEM building at John Adams Middle School in August 2027, and an $80 million student services building at Samohi in 2028. Strong schools are one of the most dependable drivers of Santa Monica home values, and about $480 million in work is underway.

The Museum of Flying extends its hours. The museum at Santa Monica Airport added an after-school window for families. With the airport scheduled to close at the end of 2028 and the land planned as a park, Sunset Park is one of the most interesting long-term stories in the city, and the MLS numbers suggest buyers already see it.

The Pier Bridge replacement means a two-month ramp closure. Starting September 28, the Moomat Ahiko Way on- and off-ramps to Pacific Coast Highway close for about two months for demolition work on the Santa Monica Pier Bridge. Expect more traffic on Ocean Avenue through late November, and plan showings and move-ins downtown accordingly.

The Expo/Bundy rezoning moves forward. The City Council advanced its upzoning of 89 single-family parcels near the Expo/Bundy station on a 4 to 2 vote, reported September 25. If you own in that area, a land-value analysis is worth doing before you list or refinance.

A long-term water plan. On September 24, the council unanimously endorsed a strategy that includes piping purified wastewater into the city's tap water supply within a decade, as part of its goal of water self-sufficiency.

5. What This Means for You

If you are selling in 90405 or 90403: This is a very good fall to list a well-prepared home. Buyers are paying full price or better, and most homes are selling within a month. Price to the closest recent sales, not to the zip code median.

If you are selling North of Montana: The homes that priced right sold quickly and above asking. The ones that did not sat, and sold for well under list. Get the price right from day one, and invest in presentation. If you are anywhere near $8 million, the strategy around Measure GS matters more than almost any other number.

If you are buying: North of Montana offers the most room to negotiate right now, especially on homes that have been on the market for more than a month. In Ocean Park and Sunset Park, expect competition and come in fully underwritten with a clean offer.

6. Hometown Heroes

Kinzie Oppenheim and Magal Nagar of Juicy Ladies, for opening in Santa Monica while keeping a door open to come home to the Palisades.

The teachers, staff and bond oversight volunteers of SMMUSD, who opened new classrooms this fall and keep the community informed on every dollar. As board member Maria Leon-Vazquez put it, "The people in the community have to see what they paid."

The Museum of Flying, for giving Santa Monica kids an after-school reason to learn about the airport's history before it becomes the city's next great park.

And, as always, the Santa Monica families and landlords who have welcomed Palisades neighbors since January 2025. My commitment as a born-and-raised Westside Realtor is to help both towns thrive as genuine places for generations.

Frequently Asked Questions

Which Santa Monica zip code has the highest home prices? 90402, North of Montana. The median single-family home sold for $6,412,195 in July and August 2026, according to the MLS.

Which part of Santa Monica is most competitive right now? 90405, which includes Ocean Park, Sunset Park and Main Street. Homes sold in a median of 10 days at 104.9% of asking this summer, and 19 of 22 sold within 30 days.

Are Santa Monica home prices going up? In most of the city, yes. Median single-family prices rose 15% in 90405 and 8% in 90402 compared with last summer. North of Montana buyers are negotiating harder, though, with homes selling for about 90% of list price on average.

How long does it take to sell a home in Santa Monica? It depends on the zip code. This summer the median time on market for single-family homes ranged from 5 days in 90403 and 10 days in 90405 to 32 days in 90402.

What are the Santa Monica zip codes? The main residential zip codes are 90402 (North of Montana), 90403 (Wilshire-Montana and the north side), 90404 (Mid-City and Pico) and 90405 (Ocean Park, Sunset Park and Main Street). 90401 covers downtown.

What is new in Santa Monica this fall? Juicy Ladies opened on Ocean Park Boulevard, new school buildings opened at McKinley, Grant, Lincoln and the Ocean Park School House, the Museum of Flying extended its hours, and the Pier Bridge replacement closes the Moomat Ahiko Way ramps for about two months starting September 28.

Where I Come In

A zip code is closer than a citywide average, but it is still an average. Your street, your home and your plans are specific. I can pull the exact MLS sales around your address, tell you what your home would likely sell for this fall, and show you how the rate change affects your buyer pool or your purchase budget.

As a Chairman's Circle Gold agent with Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices, I bring the reach of one of the most trusted names in real estate. As someone born and raised on the Westside, I bring the local knowledge no national platform has.

Request a private home valuation or schedule a call at jocelynkelleyrealestate.com, or reach me directly at (310) 963-2524 or [email protected]. I answer personally.

A new Santa Monica market report will be posted here every month.

About the Author

Jocelyn Kelley | REALTOR® | Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices California Properties
Chairman's Circle Gold, Top 2% of Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices agents worldwide | Leading Edge Society
Born and raised in Pacific Palisades | Licensed since 2007 | DRE #01447462
3130 Wilshire Boulevard, Santa Monica, CA 90403
Serving Santa Monica, Pacific Palisades, Malibu, Brentwood, Topanga, Venice, Mar Vista and Marina del Rey

Market data: TheMLS™ (VestaPlus™), Single Family, zip codes 90402, 90403, 90404 and 90405, sold July 1 – August 31, 2026 and July 1 – August 31, 2025. Condominiums not included. Information deemed reliable but not guaranteed.

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