Manhattan Beach Neighborhood Guide
The Manhattan Beach Sand Section
Walk streets, the Strand and small lots by the beach, with what homes actually sold for
Free Buyer’s GuideFree Seller’s GuideThe Sand Section is the part of Manhattan Beach most people picture: everything west of Ardmore Avenue and Valley Drive down to the Strand. Lots are small, often around 2,700 square feet, streets are narrow, and many homes face pedestrian-only walk streets instead of a road. Downtown, the pier and the North End shops along Highland are all a short walk away.
It is also one of the most competitive markets I track. This page uses the last 12 months of MLS sales and leases so you can see what homes actually sold for, block by block.
Updated October 2026
Manhattan Beach west of Ardmore Avenue and Valley Drive, last 12 months, houses and condos priced $450,000 and up. Source: TheMLS, October 21, 2026.
Sand Section market snapshot
Over the last 12 months, 133 homes sold in the Sand Section at a median of about $4.15 million, roughly $1,850 a square foot. 102 were houses, at a median of about $4.18 million, and 31 were condos and townhomes, at about $3.88 million. About 72% of listings that came off the market sold, and supply sat under 3 months, so well-priced homes did not last.
What happened to every listing
51 homes came off the market without selling. 26 of them came back with a new listing, and 17 of those sold.
How fast homes sell, and for how much
Homes that sold in the first 30 days averaged 101% of asking. After 120 days, about 96%.
Houses vs. condos
Sand Section homes sell for about $1,850 a square foot.
Manhattan Beach west of Ardmore Avenue and Valley Drive, houses and condos priced $450,000 and up, listed through TheMLS, October 21, 2025 to October 21, 2026. Sold counts exclude sales recorded off the MLS. Information deemed reliable but not guaranteed.
| Last 12 months | Sold | Median price | Median $/sq ft | Median days | Sale-to-list | Listings that sold | Months of supply |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Houses | 102 | $4,182,500 | $1,850 | 19 | 98.8% | 72% | 3.2 |
| Condos and townhomes | 31 | $3,875,000 | $1,924 | 14 | 98.0% | 72% | 1.5 |
| All Sand Section | 133 | $4,150,000 | $1,850 | 17 | 98.6% | 72% | 2.8 |
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Sand Section values, street by street
Prices climb as you move toward the water and south toward downtown. In the North End, Rosecrans, 36th, Alma, 30th and 35th sold for medians of about $2.6 million to $3.1 million, and Highland Avenue about $3.2 million. Closer to downtown, 27th Street reached about $5 million, and 18th Street about $8.7 million.
Median house price by street
Median of house sales of $450,000 and up, last 12 months, streets with four or more sales.
North of Manhattan Beach Boulevard, 88 houses sold at a median of about $3.55 million. South of the boulevard, closer to downtown and the pier, 14 houses sold at a median of about $5.16 million, about $2,240 a square foot.
Renting in the Sand Section
151 leases were signed in the Sand Section over the last 12 months at a median of about $10,990 a month. Two-bedrooms ran about $5,755, three-bedrooms about $11,200 and four-bedroom houses about $17,500, and about two-thirds of rentals leased.
Median rent by bedrooms
Leases in the same area, last 12 months. Source: TheMLS.
What makes the Sand Section different
Walk streets. Many homes front a pedestrian-only walk street, with the garage on the alley behind. You get quiet and a front yard that faces your neighbors instead of traffic, but parking and deliveries run through the alley.
Small lots, big rebuilds. With lots often around 2,700 square feet, value is mostly in the land. Older cottages often trade as rebuilds, and new construction can sell for far more than the median. Ask what you can build before you buy an older house.
Coastal rules. The Sand Section is in the California Coastal Zone, so many additions and rebuilds need coastal approval on top of city permits. Plan for extra time.
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Questions buyers and sellers ask
What is the Sand Section in Manhattan Beach?
The part of Manhattan Beach west of Ardmore Avenue and Valley Drive, down to the Strand. It includes the walk streets, downtown and the North End.
How much does a house in the Sand Section cost?
Over the last 12 months houses sold for a median of about $4.18 million, from about $1.36 million to $16 million, at roughly $1,850 a square foot.
What is a walk street?
A street closed to cars, where homes face a shared pedestrian path and garages open onto the alley behind. Many of the numbered streets near the beach are walk streets.
Is there a transfer tax in Manhattan Beach?
Manhattan Beach does not charge its own transfer tax, so only LA County's $1.10 per $1,000 applies. Measure ULA does not apply because Manhattan Beach is its own city.
Which schools serve the Sand Section?
The Sand Section is in Manhattan Beach Unified. Assignments depend on the address, so confirm the attendance area for any specific home.
What is your Sand Section home worth?
Tell me the address and I will send you a value based on recent sales on your street, not an online estimate.
More Manhattan Beach
- Manhattan Beach guide: the Sand, Tree and Hill sections and East Manhattan Beach
- Hermosa Beach
- El Segundo
Thinking about the Sand Section?
Whether you are buying a walk-street cottage to rebuild or selling near the pier, I will walk you through the block, the lot and the numbers. Email BeRossHomes@Gmail.com or call or text (818) 424-1675.
