How Much Does a Home Cost in Los Angeles in 2026? Median Prices for 21 Cities, in RMB and per Square Meter
· Market Insight
Real numbers for 21 cities where Chinese families in Greater Los Angeles actually buy: median asking prices from active MLS listings on September 7, 2026, converted to RMB and to price per square meter, plus what it costs to own after you buy.
The short version: in September 2026 the median asking price for homes on the market in the City of Los Angeles is 899,000 US dollars, roughly 6.03 million RMB at 6.7 to the dollar. The San Gabriel Valley cities where Chinese families concentrate mostly sit between 1,000,000 and 1,600,000 dollars, and detached homes in San Marino and Irvine start above 2,000,000. Every figure below is the median list price of active MLS listings on this site as of September 7, 2026, not a closed price; markets move daily and each city page shows live numbers.
Per square meter, since US homes are priced per square foot and one square meter is 10.76 square feet, the City of Los Angeles median is about 590 dollars per square foot, or roughly 6,400 dollars and 43,000 RMB per square meter. That unit price is not high next to the core districts of China's first-tier cities; what makes the total look expensive is size, since a typical three-bedroom, two-bath detached house runs 150 to 220 square meters.
The western San Gabriel Valley, the traditional Chinese-American core. Arcadia: median list price 1,328,000 dollars, about 8.91 million RMB, roughly 53,000 RMB per square meter, 90 active listings. San Marino: 3,880,000 dollars, about 26 million RMB, roughly 78,000 RMB per square meter, only 13 listings, all detached. Temple City: 1,288,800 dollars, about 8.65 million RMB, roughly 51,000 RMB per square meter. San Gabriel: 1,323,250 dollars, about 8.88 million RMB. Alhambra: 1,069,000 dollars, about 7.17 million RMB. Monterey Park: 935,000 dollars, about 6.27 million RMB. Rosemead: 978,000 dollars, about 6.56 million RMB.
The Pasadena area. Pasadena: 1,295,000 dollars, about 8.69 million RMB, roughly 58,000 RMB per square meter, 125 listings of which about a third are condos. South Pasadena: 1,484,000 dollars, about 9.96 million RMB, with detached homes above 2,000,000 dollars; its school district is the reason many families choose it.
The eastern San Gabriel Valley, newer homes on larger lots. Walnut: 1,535,000 dollars, about 10.3 million RMB. Diamond Bar: 1,199,500 dollars, about 8.05 million RMB. Rowland Heights: 1,149,500 dollars, about 7.71 million RMB, one of the lowest per-square-meter prices among the Chinese-majority cities. Hacienda Heights: 1,150,000 dollars. West Covina: 816,750 dollars, about 5.48 million RMB, the San Gabriel Valley city with the most choices under 1,000,000 dollars.
Inland. Chino Hills: 846,000 dollars overall, with detached homes around 1,146,889 dollars. Eastvale: 950,000 dollars, about 23,000 RMB per square meter, the lowest unit price on this list, with new, large homes traded against a long commute and Mello-Roos special taxes.
Orange County. Irvine: median list price 1,780,000 dollars, about 11.94 million RMB; detached homes 2,298,000 dollars, condos and townhomes 1,412,500 dollars, roughly 60,000 RMB per square meter, 417 active listings, the single most popular city for Chinese buyers in Southern California. Tustin: 1,275,000 dollars. Yorba Linda: 1,537,000 dollars, detached about 1,750,000. Cerritos: 1,250,000 dollars.
Zooming out, the California Association of Realtors reports July 2026 median sold prices of 887,680 dollars statewide, 888,120 in Los Angeles County, 1,475,000 in Orange County, 649,000 in Riverside County, 488,280 in San Bernardino County and 1,099,500 in San Diego County. The gap between Orange County and Los Angeles County is largely cities like Irvine.
The same 1,000,000 dollars buys very different things. In West Covina, Chino Hills or many parts of the City of Los Angeles it buys a three- or four-bedroom detached house. In Arcadia, San Gabriel or Pasadena it mostly buys a condo or townhome, or a smaller older house that needs work. In Irvine it buys condos and townhomes. In San Marino there is nothing at that price.
What you pay every year after closing. California property tax is based on the purchase price: a 1 percent base plus local bonds and assessments, which lands most cities between 1.1 and 1.3 percent, with Mello-Roos on top in newer communities such as parts of Eastvale and Irvine. On a 1,300,000 dollar home that is roughly 15,000 dollars a year in property tax, before insurance, HOA dues (commonly 300 to 600 dollars a month on condos and townhomes) and maintenance. We suggest first-time buyers set aside 2 to 3 percent of the price for closing costs and at least six months of carrying costs beyond the down payment.
On currency: the conversions use roughly 6.7 RMB per dollar in early September 2026; use your bank's rate on the day you exchange. China's 50,000 dollar annual quota per person and source-of-funds documentation are the two items overseas buyers most need to arrange in advance.
To see what a specific budget buys in a specific city right now, text the city and budget to (626) 202-9573 (text preferred) or add us on WeChat. We will send recent active and sold comparisons, free of charge, and you decide from there.