Encino vs Sherman Oaks

Median prices: Redfin Data Center, zip codes 91316 and 91423, March to May 2026. Zip codes don't match neighborhood borders exactly.

The homes

The two share a layout: flats north of Ventura Boulevard, hills rising toward Mulholland to the south. What changes is the scale. In Encino, the streets south of Ventura hold some of the largest lots in the Valley, with traditional and Mediterranean estates, modern farmhouse rebuilds and big gated new construction, often with pools, guest houses and sport courts. North of Ventura and toward the Sepulveda Basin, the flats are mostly 1950s ranch homes on comfortable lots, many expanded or rebuilt.

Sherman Oaks flats are a grid of tree-lined streets with 1940s and 1950s ranch homes, traditional and Cape Cod houses and a steady stream of new builds, on lots typically sized for a pool and a real backyard. South of Ventura, the hills hold mid-century post-and-beam homes, contemporary rebuilds and houses angled for Valley views. Both have plenty of condos and townhomes near Ventura and the freeways.

Prices

The price figures on this page use 91316 for Encino and 91423 for Sherman Oaks, and neither zip covers the whole neighborhood. Encino also spans 91436, and 91316 mixes many condos north of Ventura with houses, so its house median is the better guide. Sherman Oaks also spans 91403, and 91423 includes parts of the area east of Van Nuys Boulevard. In both, a hillside estate and a flat-lot ranch home can be very different numbers, so compare similar homes on similar lots.

The feel

Encino's big green space is the Sepulveda Basin at its edge: Lake Balboa with its path around the water and spring cherry blossoms, the Balboa and Encino golf courses, sports fields, a wildlife reserve and the Japanese Garden. Ventura Boulevard runs the length of Encino with restaurants, cafes and shopping centers, and Los Encinos State Historic Park keeps a rancho-era adobe and a spring-fed pond right on the boulevard.

Sherman Oaks centers on Ventura and Van Nuys, a busy crossroads with restaurants, coffee, fitness studios and shops spreading out in every direction. Two big shopping centers anchor it, the Sherman Oaks Galleria at Ventura and Sepulveda and Westfield Fashion Square on Riverside Drive, and Van Nuys Sherman Oaks Park has ball fields, tennis courts and a pool.

Getting around

The 405 forms Encino's eastern edge and Sherman Oaks' western side, so both use the Sepulveda Pass to reach Westwood, Santa Monica and LAX, often 20 to 30 minutes to the Westside off-peak and much longer at rush hour. Sherman Oaks sits right at the 405 and 101 interchange, one of the busiest in the country, and adds Beverly Glen and Coldwater Canyon as local canyon routes. The 101 runs along Encino's northern side, and both are a short drive from the Metro G Line busway, with stops at Balboa and Sepulveda. In January 2026 Metro picked an underground heavy rail line through the Sepulveda Pass with a planned stop on Ventura Boulevard; it is in environmental review, with funding and timing still being worked out.

City and rules

Both are in the City of Los Angeles, so the same framework applies: City of LA permits, hillside building limits that can cap house size on sloped lots south of Ventura, rent stabilization on many pre-1978 multi-unit buildings, and the Measure ULA transfer tax on sales above a set threshold. Verify current rates with the LA Office of Finance and your escrow officer. Hillside homes in both often fall in very high fire hazard severity zones, so check the address on CAL FIRE maps and get insurance quotes early.

Weather

The weather is essentially the same: classic Valley weather, with hot, dry summers often well above coastal temperatures and mild winters. Shade, good AC and a pool earn their keep in either one, and the hills can catch a little more breeze than the flats.