Burbank vs Glendale

Median prices: Redfin Data Center, zip codes 91505 and 91206, March to May 2026. Zip codes don't match neighborhood borders exactly.

The homes

Most of Burbank is flat and laid out in a tidy grid, and the core of its housing is 1920s to 1950s single-family homes: Spanish bungalows, Minimal Traditional cottages and postwar ranch houses on lots of roughly 5,000 to 7,000 square feet, many with detached garages now converted to ADUs. Along the southwest edge, the Rancho district is zoned for horsekeeping, with ranch homes on deeper lots, backyard corrals and bridle paths toward Griffith Park. In the northeast, hillside streets climb into the Verdugo foothills, and Downtown Burbank and the boulevards hold most of the condos.

Glendale's best-known streets sit on the slopes north and east of its downtown. Rossmoyne, developed mostly in the 1920s, has Spanish Colonial Revival and Tudor Revival homes on curving, tree-lined streets. Verdugo Woodlands has 1920s to 1960s homes on larger lots under old oaks, and Chevy Chase Canyon adds ranch, mid-century and custom homes. Downtown Glendale has high-rise and mid-rise condos, many built in the last 15 years, and the flats south of the 134 have bungalows, duplexes and courtyard buildings.

Prices

Both cities span several zip codes, so the figures on this page are a slice. The Burbank figures use 91505, the area near the studios and the Media District. The Glendale figures use 91206, the east side, including Rossmoyne and the Verdugo Woodlands edge. Within each, a Rancho horse property, a foothill view home, a 1920s bungalow and a downtown condo trade at very different levels, so compare similar homes.

The feel

Burbank is a studio town. Warner Bros. and Disney both have their main lots here, and the Media District around them is full of production offices. Magnolia Park is the most charming shopping street, with vintage clothing, record and costume shops and long-running diners, and Downtown Burbank on San Fernando Boulevard has movie theaters, restaurants and shops. Wildwood Canyon Park and the Stough Canyon Nature Center lead into the Verdugo Mountains.

Glendale centers on Brand Boulevard, where the open-air Americana at Brand faces the Glendale Galleria and the Alex Theatre's neon spire hosts concerts and screenings. The Brand Library & Art Center sits in a white, Moorish-style 1904 mansion at the top of Brand Park, and the Verdugo Mountains rise right behind the city. The two share a mountain range, with Burbank on one side and Glendale's foothill streets on the other.

Getting around

The 5 runs through the middle of Burbank and the 134 skirts its southern edge, and Glendale sits where the 134, the 2 and the 5 meet, so the two are often 10 to 15 minutes apart off-peak. From Burbank, Downtown is often 15 to 25 minutes and Hollywood 15 to 20 over Barham; from Glendale, Downtown is about 15 to 20 and Hollywood 20 to 25. Hollywood Burbank Airport sits at the north end of Burbank, about 15 minutes from Glendale, and its new 14-gate replacement terminal was completed in October 2026. Metrolink stops in both cities, and the North Hollywood to Pasadena bus rapid transit line, under construction since 2026, will run through both.

City and rules

Both are their own cities, so City of LA rules, including LA's transfer tax measures, don't apply; check each city's own rules and fees. Each has a city-owned utility, Burbank Water and Power and Glendale Water and Power, with its own rates and programs. In Burbank's Rancho, the city's Rancho Master Plan zones govern horsekeeping, setbacks and building size, so confirm zoning for a specific lot. Glendale has its own design review and rental rules. Hillside homes in both can fall in very high fire hazard severity zones, so check the address on CAL FIRE maps and get insurance quotes early. Near the airport, check flight paths.

Weather

The weather is close. Burbank sits at the east end of the San Fernando Valley, with hot, dry summers, and Glendale sits just over the hill toward the Los Angeles basin. Both have mild winters, and good AC is worth checking on any home in either.