Hermosa Beach vs Redondo Beach

Median prices: Redfin Data Center, zip codes 90254 and 90277, March to May 2026. Zip codes don't match neighborhood borders exactly.

The homes

Hermosa Beach is about 1.4 square miles, so lots are compact and homes sit close together. Near the sand, older beach cottages stand next to newer two and three story homes with roof decks, plus townhomes and duplex-style condos, often two units sharing a lot. Strand homes face the beach path directly. Moving east, the land rises, and hillside streets hold view homes, from mid-century houses to modern rebuilds. Alley garages and tandem parking are common.

Redondo Beach has two distinct halves. South Redondo runs from the harbor to the Palos Verdes border, with beachfront and ocean-view condos, many from the 1960s to 1980s, plus townhomes and single-family homes on streets climbing up from the Esplanade. Around Riviera Village, homes range from older cottages and ranch houses to large new builds, some with bay views. North Redondo sits inland, with newer townhomes, small-lot detached homes, ranch houses and condos.

Prices

The price figures on this page use 90254 for Hermosa Beach, which covers the whole city, and 90277 for Redondo Beach, which is South Redondo near the beach. North Redondo, in 90278, is not in these figures and generally offers more space per dollar. In both, distance to the sand, ocean views and whether a home is a condo, a townhome or a detached house on its own lot move prices a lot.

The feel

Hermosa's center is Pier Plaza, a car-free block of restaurants, bars and patios running onto the pier. The Strand runs the length of town, the beach is lined with volleyball courts, and the Greenbelt, a long, narrow park on an old railroad right-of-way between Valley Drive and Ardmore Avenue, has a shaded dirt path. Homes near Pier Plaza pick up evening and weekend activity.

Redondo has more of a harbor feel. King Harbor and the horseshoe pier have marinas, sportfishing boats, fish markets, restaurants and Seaside Lagoon, where the BeachLife Festival returned in May 2026. Riviera Village at the south end has blocks of restaurants, boutiques and coffee shops, and the Esplanade runs along the bluff top with long views down the coast.

Getting around

Pacific Coast Highway runs through both, and the Strand bike path connects them along the sand. LAX is often 15 to 25 minutes from either outside rush hour, and the Westside is often 30 to 45 minutes from Hermosa and 35 to 50 from Redondo. Redondo has the rail: the Metro K Line ends at the Redondo Beach (Marine) station in North Redondo, and since the LAX/Metro Transit Center opened in June 2025, it is a continuous ride to the airport area. Metro also approved a K Line extension to Torrance in January 2026, with completion listed for late 2036 depending on funding. In Hermosa, bikes do a lot of the local errands, and parking near the pier is tight on weekends.

City and rules

Both are their own cities, so permits, zoning and building rules go through the City of Hermosa Beach or the City of Redondo Beach, not the City of LA. Homes near the water in both may sit in the California Coastal Zone, which can add review time for projects, so verify height limits and parking requirements before planning a remodel. For condos and townhomes in either, review HOA budgets, reserves, special assessments and any shared-wall or shared-driveway arrangements; many Redondo beachfront condos are in older buildings.

Weather

The weather is the same: classic South Bay beach weather, with cool summers, morning marine layer in late spring and early summer, an ocean breeze most afternoons and mild winters. Inland North Redondo can run a few degrees warmer than the blocks along the sand.