Does a Redondo Beach Seller's Price Follow the Coast or the Apartments Around It? Reading Redfin, Zillow, Realtor.com and the Census Apartment Blocks

Why do the Redondo Beach price figures disagree?

The three city sources differ by date and by measure. Redfin's $1,574,058 is a three-month median of all home types through May. Realtor.com's $1,697,500 is the April median sold price, 7.8% above Redfin's, computed here. Zillow's $1,506,935 is an index of typical value across all homes, including condominiums, which is 4.3% below Redfin's median, computed here. A seller reading all three should expect a citywide range of about $1.5M to $1.7M.

The year-earlier values show a flat year. Redfin's fall of 1.6% implies about $1,599,652 a year earlier. Realtor.com's fall of 1.59% implies about $1,724,926. Zillow's rise of 1.7% implies about $1,481,745. Two sources show small losses and one a small gain, and none of the moves is large. The three-year change on Realtor.com is up 10.81%, which implies about $1,531,900 three years earlier. Prices are slightly higher than three years ago and slightly lower than last year.

Per-foot prices agree. Redfin's $800 is up 0.6%, which implies about $795 a year earlier, and Realtor.com's $867 listing price per foot is up 0.58%, which implies about $862. Both are almost level. The listing median of $1,577,000 is 7.1% below the sold median of $1,697,500 on the same page, computed here, and down 1.38% in a year, which implies about $1,599,067 a year earlier. Here sold prices run above asking prices, as in a market with bidding.

The postal area figure is of another order. Redfin's undated page shows a median of $2.1M, up 19.4%, and $1,090 per square foot, up 12.6%, on only 58 sales. That is 33.4% above the city median, computed here. A median taken on 58 sales in one month can swing on a few houses at the top end, and the page does not give a date, so it is reported as printed and not relied on. It does suggest that the coastal streets sell for much more than the city as a whole, which is an inference.

The Census owner value of $1,476,000, plus or minus $109,659, is 6.2% below the Redfin median and 13.0% below the Realtor.com sold median, computed here. The owner value is the owner's own estimate across the postal area, which includes many condominiums and townhouses, and it is 11.5 times the Census median household income of $127,795. Houses here are priced by the coast and not by local incomes.

The practical lesson is to price from the closest comparison. A city median mixes beachfront houses, inland houses, townhouses and condominiums, and a seller has only one of those. Sales of houses of the same size and age within a few streets, in the last few months, are the figures a buyer will use, and the spread between them can be larger than the spread between the three city sources. An owner who has those sales in hand can judge any offer, public or private, against a figure that is the owner's own and not a city average.

Sources as cited. Ratios and year-earlier values in this section are computed from the published figures and percentages.

How competitive is Redondo Beach, and how fast do homes sell?

Redfin rates Redondo Beach very competitive, with a score of 73 out of 100. Many homes get multiple offers, some with waived contingencies, and homes receive 2 offers on average. The average home sells around list and goes pending in around 37 days, and hot homes sell about 3% above list in around 20 days. A 3% premium on a $1,574,058 sale is about $47,222, computed here.

The sale-to-list ratio is just above 100%. Redfin shows 100.4%, and 37.5% of homes sold above list, which is nearly four in ten. Realtor.com's Hotness Index calls the market warm, with a median of 42 days on market, up 7.69%, which implies about 39 days a year earlier. Zillow's spring reading is around 13 days to pending. The sources differ on speed, as they differ in what they count, but all show a market in which a well-priced home sells within about six weeks.

Price drops are common. Redfin shows that 25.8% of listings had price drops, so about one listing in four was cut. A market with 37.5% of sales above list and 25.8% of listings cut is a market where pricing decides the outcome, and a house listed above what comparable houses fetched is cut, while one priced right draws offers.

Supply is growing from a low base. Realtor.com shows 206 active listings, up 7.98% in a year, which implies about 191 a year earlier, and up 50.37% in three years, which implies about 137. Redfin counted 175 sales in May, so 206 listings are about 1.2 times a month of sales, computed here and an inference, since the two sources count different months. That is a thin supply for a city of this size.

Rental supply is growing faster. Realtor.com shows 211 rental properties, up 33.79%, which implies about 158 a year earlier, a number slightly above the 206 homes for sale. The median rent is $4,460, up 7.47%, which implies about $4,150 a year earlier, and down 3.04% in three years. More homes for rent than for sale is a sign of how many owners hold property to let, and some of them are potential sellers.

Timing matters in a coastal market, though the pages do not break out sales by month. Spring and early summer are the usual seasons for families to buy, and a house with a view often draws more interest when the weather is clear. That is an inference and not a measured pattern. What the pages do show is that homes in this city sold in about a month in the spring, which suggests that a well-priced house does not have to wait. A seller with a fixed date can use that fact in deciding whether to list or to ask for a private offer.

Sources as cited. Year-earlier values and differences are computed from the published percentages.

How many Redondo Beach homes are apartments and rentals?

The Census count of rentals is high. Of 16,152 occupied homes, 8,324, or 51.5%, are renter-occupied and 7,828, or 48.5%, are owner-occupied. Of renter households, 417 moved in during 2023 or later and 2,705 between 2020 and 2022, so 3,122, or 37.5%, moved in since 2020. Another 4,107, 49.3%, moved in between 2010 and 2019, so 7,229 renter households, 86.8%, arrived since 2010.

Apartments are the biggest group. Of 18,095 housing units, 7,024, or 38.8%, are detached houses, 1,366, or 7.5%, are attached, 1,948, or 10.8%, are in buildings of two to four units and 7,747, or 42.8%, are in buildings of five or more. Of those, 2,552, or 14.1%, are in buildings of 20 to 49 units and 2,395, or 13.2%, in buildings of 50 or more. Houses and attached homes together are 46.4% of units.

Renters carry a heavy cost. Of 7,924 renter households with a computed figure, 4,110, or 51.9%, spent 30% or more of income on rent, and 1,889, or 23.8%, spent half or more. The Census median rent is $2,742, which is $32,904 a year, and the Realtor.com median listing rent of $4,460 is 62.7% above it, computed here. Rents on new listings are well above what long-time tenants pay.

Vacancy is moderate. Of 1,943 vacant units, 10.7% of all units, 982, or 50.5%, are held for seasonal, recreational or occasional use, which is 5.4% of all units, 464, or 23.9%, are for rent, 216, or 11.1%, are sold and not yet occupied, 160, or 8.2%, are vacant for other reasons, 89, or 4.6%, are for sale only and 32, or 1.6%, are rented and not yet occupied. A beach town has second homes and short stays, and the seasonal count fits that.

Age is mostly postwar. Of the units, 4,780, or 26.4%, were built in the 1970s, 3,426, or 18.9%, in the 1960s and 3,087, or 17.1%, in the 1950s, so 11,293 units, 62.4%, date from those three decades. In all, 13,825 units, 76.4%, were built before 1980, and only 1,505, 8.3%, since 2000. The median build year is 1970. An older building has older roofs, wiring, plumbing and sometimes materials that an inspector will check.

Landlords are a large group of sellers here. An owner of a duplex, a triplex or a small apartment building has a different sale from the owner of a house, because the buyer will price the property by its rents, its costs and its leases. The Census count of 1,948 units in buildings of two to four units, 10.8% of the stock, shows how many small rental buildings there are. A private buyer who is an investor will read the rent roll quickly, and an owner who has it in order is better placed than one who must search for it.

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2020-2024 five-year estimates, tables B25038, B25070, B25024, B25004 and B25034, via Census Reporter. Shares are computed here.

Who owns the homes, and what do they spend?

Owners are a minority of households. Of 7,828 owner households, 36 moved in during 2023 or later and 796 between 2020 and 2022, so 832, or 10.6%, moved in since 2020. Another 2,256, 28.8%, moved in between 2010 and 2019, 1,782, 22.8%, between 2000 and 2009, 1,386, 17.7%, in the 1990s and 1,572, 20.1%, before 1990. In all, 2,958 owners, 37.8%, have been in place since before 2000.

Long tenure means large equity. A household that bought in the 1980s or 1990s has seen the value of its house multiply, and a sale may produce a large taxable gain. This brief gives no tax advice, but owners in that position often want a clean number with no surprise costs before they decide, and they often want to choose the date.

Costs are heavy for many owners. Of 7,828 owners, 5,348, or 68.3%, have a mortgage and 2,480, or 31.7%, do not. Among owners with a mortgage, 2,202, or 41.2%, spent 30% or more of income on housing, and 1,041, or 19.5%, spent half or more. Among owners without a mortgage, 456, or 18.4%, spent 30% or more, which reflects taxes and insurance. In all, 2,658 owner households, 34.1% of those with a computed figure, carry a heavy cost.

Owner homes are of middle size. Of 7,828 owner households, 2,207, or 28.2%, live in a two-bedroom home, 2,723, or 34.8%, in a three-bedroom, 1,993, or 25.5%, in a four-bedroom and 447, or 5.7%, in one with five or more bedrooms, so 66.0% have three or more bedrooms. Renters live in smaller homes: 3,628 renter households, 43.6%, live in a studio or one-bedroom home.

The population is in its working years. Of 34,844 residents, 6,197, or 17.8%, are under 18, 1,582, or 4.5%, are 18 to 24, 3,998, or 11.5%, are 25 to 34, 5,044, or 14.5%, are 35 to 44, 11,168, or 32.1%, are 45 to 64 and 6,855, or 19.7%, are 65 or older. Households in their middle years with children or with grown children are the typical sellers of a house.

Put together, the picture is of a town where a minority of households own their homes, many of them for decades, in a market where prices are among the highest in the country. An owner of a long-held house is sitting on large equity and is not forced to sell, so the decision turns on timing and certainty. A seller who is not in a hurry can wait for a bidding war, and one who wants to move on a fixed date, or to avoid a summer of showings, has good reason to ask what a private buyer would pay and on what terms. Readers comparing markets can also read the El Dorado Hills brief and the Malibu brief.

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2020-2024 five-year estimates, tables B25038, B25091, B25042, B01001, B19013 and B25077, via Census Reporter. Shares are computed here.

What should a Redondo Beach owner ask, and what does a private sale change?

Five questions are worth asking. Is my house priced by the city medians or by sales of houses on its own streets? Is the value in the house or in the lot and the coast? How likely is a bidding war, and what happens if there is none? What will the fees be? How much of the price survives the buyer's inspection?

Fees are simple arithmetic, and no rate is assumed here. Each 1% of a $450,000 sale is $4,500, of a $725,000 sale is $7,250 and of a $1,200,000 sale is $12,000. Three percent is $13,500, $21,750 and $36,000, and five percent is $22,500, $36,250 and $60,000. A seller can put their own quoted costs into those rows. On the Redfin median of $1,574,058, 1% is $15,741, 3% is $47,222 and 5% is $78,703.

A private sale has no showings and no neighbors talking about it, which is the first benefit. In a dense coastal town, where neighbors are close and rentals are many, a sale that does not advertise itself has real value to an owner who prefers quiet. The second benefit is a closing date that suits the seller, which helps a household that must find a new home before it sells the old one.

The third and fourth benefits are no commission costs and no closing costs, and the fifth is no inspection repairs. In a postal area where 76.4% of homes were built before 1980, an inspector will look at the roof, the wiring, the plumbing, the foundation and any older materials, so the fifth is worth pricing. A buyer who takes the home as it stands leaves the seller no repair list.

Maison Off-Market buys luxury homes and estates directly from their owners and speaks only to sellers. It does not say that a private sale always beats a public listing, and in a market where nearly four homes in ten sell above the ask, an owner is right to compare an offer with what the same home would net after costs. If you would like a private, no-obligation offer for a home in Redondo Beach, call 401-219-4207 or use the contact form on this site.

Sources as cited. Fee illustrations are arithmetic only and assume no commission rate.

Methodology and limitations

Each page's date, title and place were read before use. The Redfin city page is for the three months ending May 2026. The Redfin postal area page carries no date and describes last month, so its figures are reported as printed and not relied on. The Zillow page was updated April 30, 2026, and the Realtor.com page carries indicators as of April 2026, so both are months old and are used only as references. Only established data publishers and the Census are cited. The Census figures are five-year estimates for the postal area that the sheet lists for Redondo Beach, and a second postal area in the city has a separate figure. Percent changes were taken as printed, and ratios, sums, fee figures and year-earlier values are this brief's arithmetic.

Conclusion

The record for Redondo Beach shows a city level of about $1.5M to $1.7M, a flat year, homes that sell around list in about a month, nearly four in ten selling above the ask and a postal area in which half of occupied homes are rented. The useful number for an owner is a closed sale of a comparable house on the same streets, and a private buyer can price the house in front of them and close on the owner's schedule.