Redondo Beach, California

For many who want the beach city life, but don’t have the budget to back up a $3 million purchase, Redondo Beach offers much of what they seek without as much green required. The more spacious and sleepier sister to Hermosa and Manhattan beaches, Redondo generally gets homeowners more bang for their buck in terms of lot size, home square footage and for those in South Redondo, proximity to the ocean. Even in North Redondo, which sits inland to the east of Hermosa and southern Manhattan, residents might not have direct access to the ocean but they certainly don’t have to give up their dream of coastal living.

In South Redondo, residents enjoy much of what the pricier beach communities have to offer, like easy ocean access, waterfront amenities and a vibrant beachside dining and shopping area. Like most beach cities, the waterfront is a huge draw for residents. Built in 1888, the large pier is a designated historical landmark that attracts fisherman and sightseers from all over. One block from the beach is Riviera Village with boutique shops and diverse restaurant options that satisfy your craving to “go out” without being as rowdy or crowded as the downtown areas of Manhattan or Hermosa.

With all of these things going for it, plus the award-winning schools of Redondo Unified School District, it’s easy to see why the best thing about Redondo is that you can get all this for a lower price than if you lived just a few miles up the coast.

It’s more affordable here, yes, but only relative to the city’s hyper-affluent neighbors to the north. According to Zillow and Redfin, the median price of homes in Redondo is $1.36 million. And if that sticker price doesn’t shock you, note that you won’t find even a starter home or townhome in this area for under seven figures. The community is a suburban and urban mix, with just under half of its residents renting. For renters, the prices are again better than Manhattan and Hermosa but still aren’t cheap. You will find a 2 bedroom apartment goes for a median rent of $3,450, or $2,800 for a 1 bedroom.

And once you have the home, there are additional somewhat unique costs to ownership in this part of the country. First, frequent earthquakes mean high insurance deductibles (so high that most owners opt-out of insuring their home), and perfect conditions make termite infestations far more likely than most other areas of the U.S.

The “forever sunny” weather means residents spend lots of time exercising and exploring outdoors. Beach volleyball, fishing on the pier, water sports like surfing and boating, biking along the beach, running in the many parks and hiking the trails at nearby Palos Verdes are popular pastimes. You can even ‘escape the city’ without ever leaving. Hopkins Wilderness Park, an 11-acre protected nature study area, features an urban wilderness campground and is home to 4 ecological habitats of forest, stream, pond and meadow.

Beyond the outdoors, the community is a more laid back and spread out vibe than Manhattan and Hermosa beaches. More diverse too than neighboring cities, locals have access to an array of churches, synagogues and mosques.