Prices by property type and style for homes in Los Angeles, CA

by Power Real Estate Group

The median sale price for a home in Los Angeles, CA sits at roughly $1,032,500, but that figure blends vastly different property types. Your options range from dense condo buildings to detached houses on hillside lots.

Key takeaway

If you want the most space for under $700,000 in Los Angeles, start with townhouses, which sell for about 20% less per square foot than condos at nearly the same median price. If negotiating room matters more than space, condos are the slowest-selling type right now. Single-family houses remain the most competitive option on the market.

Who this guide is for

You're choosing between a condo, a townhouse, and a detached house in Los Angeles, CA, and need to know what each costs and how hard you'll have to compete for it.

How home types in Los Angeles compare on price and bargaining power

The property type you choose decides your bargaining power and your space more than any architectural style does. Over the 90 days ending September 30, 2026, condos had more months of supply than any other type. Meanwhile, more than a third of single-family homes sold above list price, so detached-home buyers face much stiffer competition.

At the townhouse median of $680,008, the $454 per-square-foot rate buys roughly 1,500 square feet. At the condo rate of $567, the same money buys about 1,200. That is arithmetic on medians, not measured sizes, but the gap is large enough to matter.

Condos and townhouses: lower prices, more room to negotiate

Attached homes trade a lower entry price and more buyer bargaining power for shared walls, shared-building risk and monthly HOA dues, which come on top of your mortgage and belong in your monthly budget.

Condos

Condos give buyers the strongest position right now. The typical Los Angeles condo buyer recently paid about 2% under asking, roughly $13,100 off a median-priced unit. Condos took a median 82 days to sell, so a listing that has sat for months is normal and a real opening for a lower offer.

Older wood-frame buildings may owe work under the city's mandatory soft-story retrofit program, which can mean a special assessment. The program covers buildings built before 1978 that have ground-floor parking and more than three units. Ask the HOA for the reserve study and any planned assessments early. Slow sales cut both ways: if the market is still this soft when you sell, you'll wait too.

Townhouses

Townhouse prices fell 3.5% over the past year, faster than any other home type in the city. That gives you grounds to ask for price cuts or seller credits. A townhouse also usually means no unit above or below you, though confirm the layout when you review the listing.

Choice is thin. Townhouses have the fewest listings of any type, so you may need to widen your search area or wait for the right one.

Single-family homes and multi-unit lots: more land, more competition

Detached homes offer land, privacy and the option of a second unit, at a much higher price and in a market where sellers still have the advantage.

Single-family homes

At the $1,216,515 median, a detached Los Angeles house costs about $536,500 more than a townhouse. These homes sold in a median 48 days, so sellers rarely need to cut prices. Expect to offer at or near asking, and budget for property taxes, which at this price are a major yearly cost on top of the mortgage.

Many hillside and canyon homes sit in a state-mapped Very High Fire Hazard Severity Zone, which can affect whether you can insure the home and what you'll pay. Check the address on the CAL FIRE map and get an insurance quote before you write an offer.

Duplexes and houses with an ADU

Buying an existing duplex or adding an accessory dwelling unit to a single-family lot offers a path to rental income or extra space. Weigh an ADU's construction cost against the rent and resale value it adds. Multi-unit prices vary too widely for a single median.

Older rental units can fall under the city's Rent Stabilization Ordinance, which limits rent increases and evictions. Look up the address with the Los Angeles Housing Department, and pull the permit history from the Department of Building and Safety to confirm the second unit is legal.

Common house styles in Los Angeles and what they mean for upkeep

Homes of the same size in the same neighborhood often list for similar amounts whatever their style, but style shapes your upkeep costs and what changes the city will permit.

Spanish Colonial Revival

Stucco walls, red tile roofs and arched openings make this the most recognizable local style. Many surviving examples sit in historic districts such as Hancock Park. Los Angeles has 35 Historic Preservation Overlay Zones, where replacing windows, changing the facade or adding on needs city review before you build. Check the address on ZIMAS before you plan renovations.

Craftsman bungalow

Low-pitched roofs, deep porches and exposed wood mark these homes, mostly built in the early 1900s. Highland Park's historic district, one of the largest in the city, is built largely around them. Many sit on raised wood foundations that may not be bolted, and the state's Earthquake Brace + Bolt program offers grants toward the retrofit. Ask the seller whether the work has been done and make sure your inspection covers it.

Mid-century modern

Post-and-beam framing, walls of glass and open floor plans define these homes from roughly the 1940s to the 1960s. Richard Neutra designed a notable cluster near the Silver Lake Reservoir. Original single-pane glass and low-slope roofs are where these homes show their age, so ask for the roof's age and leak history and have the inspector check the glazing and drainage.

California ranch

Ranch homes are single-story, wide and low on larger lots. The postwar building boom filled the San Fernando Valley with ranch-house tracts, making areas like Encino prime spots to find this style. Valley locations run hotter in summer than the coast, so cooling costs are higher. Check lot zoning on ZIMAS before you count on adding a second story.

How to choose a home type in Los Angeles

If your budget is under about $700,000, start with condos and townhouses, because single-family medians sit well above that mark. If you want the most interior space for the money, townhouses give the best square footage per dollar. If you want the most room to negotiate, condos are the slowest-selling type and the likeliest to sell under asking.

If you need land, a yard or a second unit for rental income, focus on single-family homes and duplexes, and budget for real competition. If you're set on a particular style, read the house styles section before you tour and decide if you can live with older-home upkeep or historic-district review.

Power Real Estate Group can pull current condo and townhouse listings that fit your exact budget.

Los Angeles home prices by type at a glance

Data: Redfin, via the Redfin Data Center.

All homes: median sale price $1,032,508 (-1.7% year over year), 4,729 sales, $623 per sq ft, 56 median days on market, 5.4 months of supply (90 days ending 2026-09-30)
Single-family homes: median sale price $1,216,515 (-0.7% year over year), 3,232 sales, $683 per sq ft, 99.8% sale-to-list, 35.4% sold above list, 4.3 months of supply, 4,565 listings (90 days ending 2026-09-30)
Condos: median sale price $654,933 (-1.5% year over year), 861 sales, $567 per sq ft, 15.1% sold above list, 7.7 months of supply, 2,154 listings (90 days ending 2026-09-30)
Townhouses: median sale price $680,008 (-3.5% year over year), 222 sales, $454 per sq ft, 67 median days on market, 99% sale-to-list, 24% sold above list, 4.8 months of supply, 344 listings (90 days ending 2026-09-30)

Los Angeles home types FAQs

What is the most common type of home in Los Angeles?

Single-family homes made up 3,232 of 4,729 sales, about 68%, in the 90 days ending September 30, 2026. Most housing units, though, are in multi-unit buildings: 63.2% of the city's dwelling units, versus 36.1% that are single housing units.

How many homes are in Los Angeles and Los Angeles County?

The city of Los Angeles has 1,554,332 total dwelling units, owned and rented, according to the 2020-2024 American Community Survey 5-year estimates. US Census Bureau records give the county total.

How old are most homes in Los Angeles?

Local property records or US Census data give the exact age of the housing stock. The common styles run from early-1900s Craftsman homes to postwar ranch tracts, and older homes often need retrofits such as foundation bolting.

Which areas of Los Angeles have the most expensive houses?

Hillside and canyon neighborhoods and historic preservation districts generally carry the highest prices. Luxury enclaves push medians well above the citywide single-family figure.

Can I use an FHA loan to buy a condo in Los Angeles?

Yes, if the complex is FHA-approved or the unit qualifies under the single-unit approval route. Look up the complex on HUD's online FHA Condominium Project list and ask the HOA about its status.

Can I add an ADU to a house in Los Angeles?

Generally yes. The city allows a detached ADU up to 1,200 square feet, plus a junior ADU up to 500 square feet carved from the existing home. Side and rear setbacks for a new detached ADU are typically 4 feet, and a detached unit can be up to two stories within the zone's height limit; check your lot's zoning on ZIMAS to confirm.

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