Need another reminder that California housing is really expensive?<\/p>\n
Just look at PropertyShark\u2019s annual list of the nation\u2019s most expensive ZIP codes, which includes 69 Golden State neighborhoods among the 122 members of this priciest-home club. That\u2019s easily the No. 1 count, well ahead of New York (20), New Jersey (seven), Connecticut (seven) and Massachusetts (five).<\/p>\n
PropertyShark\u2019s ranking of high-end communities<\/a> tracks pricing in ZIP codes with five or more sales in the nine months ending in September 2026. The math is the median pricing from sales of houses, townhomes, condominiums and duplexes. The report excluded ZIPs in Montana, Texas, Utah and Wyoming because tracking sales values in those states is difficult.<\/p>\n You could also look at California\u2019s lofty pricing this way: ZIP codes from 10 California counties made the list. Only 25 counties in the rest of the U.S. had neighborhoods graded among the nation\u2019s most expensive.<\/p>\n Los Angeles County led the list with 15 ZIP codes. No. 2 was Santa Clara County at 13. Orange County was No. 3 at 12. Other Golden State counties with ZIPs on the list included San Mateo (7), San Diego (6), Marin (5), Monterey, San Francisco, and Contra Costa (3), and Santa Barbara (2).<\/p>\n Now, you can view the Golden State\u2019s sky-high rankings as another sign of how expensive it is to live in California. You could also see it as a symbol of the state\u2019s wealth.<\/p>\n Or perhaps, ponder some minor progress on affordability. PropertyShark noted that 57% of this year\u2019s ZIPs on the list were from California, down from a peak of 73% in 2019.<\/p>\n Either way, consider another California distinction. The nation\u2019s costliest ZIP code for 2026 is a Golden State neighborhood: the Bay Area\u2019s Atherton 94027 at $10.7 million.<\/p>\n Here are the next 19 Golden State ZIPs on this high-end housing list:<\/p>\n \u2013 Newport Beach 92657 at $6.1 million, No. 5.<\/p>\n \u2013 Newport Beach 92661 at $5.8 million, No. 6.<\/p>\n \u2013 Beverly Hills 90210 at $5.4 million, No. 8.<\/p>\n \u2013 Santa Barbara 93108 at $5.3 million, No. 9.<\/p>\n \u2013 Los Altos 94022 at $4.88 million, No. 10.<\/p>\n \u2013 Los Altos 94024 at $4.71 million, No. 12.<\/p>\n \u2013 Rancho Santa Fe 92067 at $4.44 million, No. 14.<\/p>\n \u2013 Santa Monica 90402 at $4.35 million, No. 16..\u2013 Palo Alto 94301 at $4.3 million, No. 18.<\/p>\n \u2013 Newport Beach 92625 at $4.26 million, No. 19.<\/p>\n \u2013 Portola Valley 94028 at $4.25 million, No. 20.<\/p>\n \u2013 Ross 94957 at $4.2 million, No. 21.<\/p>\n \u2013 Newport Beach 92662 at $4.04 million, No. 22.<\/p>\n \u2013 Stinson Beach 94970 at $4.03 million, No. 23.<\/p>\n \u2013 Diablo 94528 at $4.02 million, No. 24.<\/p>\n \u2013 Hillsborough\/Burlingame 94010 at $4 million, No. 25.<\/p>\n \u2013 Los Gatos 95030 at $3.8 million, No. 27.<\/p>\n \u2013 Saratoga 95070 at $3.8 million, No. 27.<\/p>\n \u2013 Manhattan Beach 90266 at $3.5 million, No. 36.<\/p>\n Jonathan Lansner is the business columnist for the Southern California News Group. He can be reached at jlansner@scng.com<\/a><\/p>\n