The Most Expensive Zip Codes in Los Angeles, CA

Home to movie actors, producers, home designers, and everyone in between, people from around the world flock to Los Angeles for the perfect climate, luxurious homes, and to make it in the movie or tech industries dotting the city. 

Los Angeles is perfectly situated on the edge of the Pacific Ocean, in between the Mojave desert to the southwest and the San Gabriel mountains to the north. The sprawling city provides homebuyers with opportunities to buy Los Angeles real estate by the water or villas overlooking the desert canyons and the sprawl of LA.

Dating back to the late 1500s, Los Angeles began as a backwater port founded by Spanish settlers, and was later absorbed by the United States in the 1800s following the Mexican American War. In the 1890s, farmers discovered oil in the land, launching a rabid bid to buy up and subdivide the large tracts of land in Los Angeles as more Americans made the trip west. 

Fast forward to today, and the city’s confluence of opulence coupled with a pristine real estate market, positions Los Angeles to host some of the country’s most expensive properties. Home prices in Los Angeles will rival that of other affluent cities like San Francisco and New York City.

Below we highlight the most expensive zip codes in Los Angeles.

90272 - Pacific Palisades, CA 

With vistas of the Pacific Ocean just outside your door, it is no wonder that the Pacific Palisades is home to some of the most expensive real estate in California. 

Pacific Palisades was settled in the early 1900s and originally called Inceville, as filmmaker Thomas Ince created a film studio in the region. Following Inceville, Methodists bought the land, meshing intellectualism and religion to create a dry city complete with a sunnier and more temperate environment than neighboring Santa Monica or inland Los Angeles. 

Nowadays, multi-million dollar mansions and swanky resort-style golf courses like the Riviera Golf Club have replaced the humble cabins and bungalows that previously lined the Pacific Palisades hillsides. Sunset Boulevard runs right through Pacific Palisades, which has several distinct regions, the Huntington Palisades overlooking the Pacific, the El Medio Bluffs, Castellammare bordering the Pacific, Palisades Highlands, Rustic Canyon, and the Riviera. 

This neighborhood also provides hiking-minded homebuyers with access to the Will Rogers State Beach, the Topanga State Park, and Temescal State Park. Home designers from around the world flock to build their visions in Pacific Palisades overlooking the Pacific Ocean. 

90049 - Brentwood, CA 

Bordering Pacific Palisades to the north is the neighborhood of Brentwood, CA. Sunset Boulevard divides this luxurious neighborhood between the hilly, dry valleys to the north and the flatter land to the south. 

Brentwood is tucked away from the bustle of Hollywood and Downtown LA. This makes it an appealing destination for celebrities and the wealthy, and historic figures like Steve McQueen, Marilyn Monroe, and OJ Simpson once called the neighborhood home. 

For generations the Sepulveda family owned the property, and in the 1800s, they sold off tracts of land to settlers, who christened the town as Westgate that served as a home for disabled sailors and soldiers. For years Brentwood continued to grow due to the moderate climate and spacious land, and as more people moved in, the city of LA annexed the town in 1916. 

Today, palatial homes worth millions adorn the hills of this pristine neighborhood. While the sights of modern mansions dotting the hillside are gorgeous, the region has had a history with powerful forest fires due to the dryness of the brush in the hillsides combined with powerful Santa Ana winds.

Aspiring homeowners interested in Brentwood properties have a plethora of sights and activities to take part in if they move to the region. The world-famous Getty Center, home to luscious gardens and spectacular views of Los Angeles, is located in Brentwood. The neighborhood attracts hikers, who will rejoice to find the Casa Viejo and Canyonback trails to the north in the Crestwood Hills section of Brentwood. 

Architecture fans will enjoy visiting the Nesbitt House, George Sturges House, and the Hunt Residence to get a taste of the varied styles found throughout Brentwood. 

90077 - Bel-Air, CA 

Moving farther to the northwest from Pacific Palisades and Brentwood, homeowners will find one of the priciest zip codes, the opulent mountainous enclave of Bel-Air. Bordered by the San Diego Freeway to the west and the scenic Mulholland Drive to the north, Bel-Air is nestled in the foothills of the Santa Monica Mountains, providing some of the best vistas of Los Angeles. 

A farmer by the name of Alphonzo Bell founded Bel Air in the 1920s, subdividing the property to build tracts of land and created the famous Italian named, winding roads of Bel-Air. The neighborhood is part of the "Platinum Triangle" due to the proximity of the ritzy locales of Bel-Air to Beverly Hills and Holmby Hills. 

Considering that Bel-Air served as the setting for the Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, prospective homebuyers can expect to find spacious properties with luxurious mansions complete with luscious vegetation. LA explorers will quickly notice Bel Air when they see the two monolithic entrance gates just off of Sunset Boulevard. 

After spending a day touring the mansions of Bel-Air, aspiring buyers can visit the Stone Canyon Overlook and Getty View Trail to get sprawling views of Los Angeles.

90210 - Beverly Hills, CA 

There aren’t many zip codes that are as universally recognized as 90210. Beverly Hills needs no introduction, as this neighborhood almost has a life of its own. While most other luxury neighborhoods serve as escapes from the bustle of Los Angeles, Beverly Hills embraces that dynamic lifestyle. Beverly Hills offers residents a wide array of shopping, art centers, and gardens to explore.

Yet another destination of wealth sprung from Hollywood, Beverly Hills began as a lima bean farm. But when investors bought the area hoping to find oil, they found freshwater instead and decided to develop a village. Today, that village grew to encompass some of the most expensive real estate in California and is home to Rodeo Drive, where shoppers can find stores like Balenciaga, Cartier, and Gucci nestled on the palm tree-lined street. 

Home to the historic Tudor style Greystone mansion, Beverly Hills is a favorite local for the rich and famous, and folks like Jack Nicholson, Jennifer Lawrence, and Taylor Swift all have compounds in this swanky neighborhood. 

Santa Monica Boulevard splits this neighborhood north and south, with shopping to the south and expansive mansion properties to the north. Buyers interested in Beverly Hills should take time to see the iconic Beverly Hills sign and spend time walking throughout Beverly Gardens Park. 

90402 - Santa Monica, CA 

South of Pacific Palisades aspiring home buyers will find Santa Monica, which commands some of the highest real estate sale prices in the nation. The beach town of beach towns, Santa Monica originally began as a resort town and went through a development boom in the early 1900s. 

The homes in Santa Monica sit on smaller  plots of land than the compounds of Pacific Palisades to the north. Clever designers build mansions sitting along the Pacific Coast Highway to make use of every square inch within the property lines.

The allure of living in Santa Monica is the beach. Residents can explore the Ocean Front Walk and find a variety of surf schools, restaurants, and parks lining the shoreline. But the main attraction for residents and tourists alike is the Santa Monica Pier. The pier is home to the Pacific Park amusement park, the Heal the Bay Aquarium, and the original Muscle Beach public fitness center. 

90291 - Venice, CA 

What was once a sleepy, beachside community down the way from Santa Monica, Venice has become a Beverly Hills by the Ocean due to the mass of high-end shopping stores and restaurants lining Abbot Kinney Boulevard. 

The boulevard honors Abbot Kinney, the developer who founded the resort town as a tribute to Venice, Italy, complete with a series of canals ringed by houses. Over time, Los Angeles grew, and Venice went through a development spree, creating a valuable but limited supply of homes. 

Twenty years ago, Venice was a mecca for surfers and skateboarders seeking cheap housing minutes away from the pristine curls of the beaches in Venice. The area has now become a premier destination for the rich and famous because of the neighborhood’s prime location by the water.

Prevu Real Estate, Inc. is a licensed real estate broker in California, license number 02134758.