Redondo Beach, California

For many who want the beach city life but don’t have the budget to back up a $4-5 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 fishermen 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 homes), and perfect conditions make termite infestations far more likely than in 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 forest, stream, pond, and meadow.

Beyond the outdoors, the community has 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.

To see what locals get up to for fun in Redondo Beach check out the calendar of events.

We highly recommend visiting Redondo Beach and staying in the community in a VRBO rather than a hotel to get a feel for living among the locals. You can receive discounted fares on travel via our partnership with Expedia as well.

Redondo Beach is rated the 4th best place to raise a family in the LA area by Niche.com. Families move to Redondo Beach for the quality school district, peaceful residential living, and relative affordability of a city by the beach. The Redondo Beach Unified School District is award-winning and home to eight elementary schools, two middle schools, one high school, one continuation school, and one adult school. The district scores highly on GreatSchools and received an “A+” rating on Niche.com. These schools are relatively diverse compared to Manhattan and Hermosa schools.

The Redondo Union High School is competitive with and rivals Mira Costa High School in Manhattan Beach for academics and athletics. It is the second-largest high school campus in all of California (56 acres!) and serves just over 3,000 students. The high school’s large sports facility is open to the public, allowing residents to enjoy its tennis courts, soccer fields, football fields, and swimming pools. In addition to public offerings, there are well-performing private schools nearby, like the South Bay Faith Academy within the city limits and several others in neighboring cities like Torrance Beach to the south.