What Homes Are for Sale in 90042 Highland Park?
Justin Borges, DRE #01940318 · 12 min read
Highland Park's Craftsman and Spanish bungalow streets run between York Boulevard, Figueroa Street, and the hillsides above the Arroyo Seco. Redfin reported a $1,160,940 median sale price for the three months ending August 2026. Inventory changes throughout the day, so the live listings module below is the right place to see the current MLS-fed selection rather than relying on a fixed count in this article.
Highland Park is not one street or one price point. A flat-lot bungalow two blocks off Figueroa near the 110 freeway trades very differently than a hillside Craftsman above Avenue 50 with a downtown Los Angeles view, and a Garvanza cottage near the Arroyo Seco Golf Course sits in a different micro-market than a York Boulevard-adjacent commercial-corridor property zoned for a home business. Buyers who treat 90042 as one homogenous neighborhood consistently overpay for the wrong pocket or underbid on the right one.
I have been licensed in California since October 2013, and this guide is organized around the questions I would walk through with a Highland Park buyer: what the live inventory looks like right now, what each pocket is known for, what HPOZ ownership can require that a standard LA home purchase does not, and where the tradeoffs are before you write an offer.
In This Guide
A Northeast LA neighborhood known for Craftsman bungalows, a walkable York Boulevard, and A Line access.
What homes are for sale in 90042 right now?
Live from our MLS feed, updates on its own, no stale counts.
See every home for sale in 90042 → · Questions on a specific street? Call or text (213) 262-5092.
What is Highland Park known for?
- Craftsman and Spanish bungalows
- York Blvd and Figueroa St
- Metro A Line
- Hills with downtown views
All four are common draws for buyers relocating into this part of Los Angeles from elsewhere in California.
What's My Home Worth in Highland Park in 2026?
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Get My Free Home ValuationWhat Is Highland Park (90042), Really?
Highland Park sits in the Northeast Los Angeles area, inside the city of Los Angeles rather than the San Gabriel Valley, wedged between Mount Washington to the north, Eagle Rock to the east, Glassell Park and Cypress Park across the Arroyo Seco to the west, and South Pasadena at its northeastern edge. The commercial spine is York Boulevard, a walkable corridor of coffee shops, bars, and small retail running roughly from Avenue 50 to Avenue 57. Figueroa Street carries the neighborhood's other commercial strip and its connection south to Downtown Los Angeles, running close alongside the 110 Arroyo Seco Parkway.
The housing stock is dominated by Craftsman bungalows built between roughly 1900 and 1930, Spanish Revival homes from the 1920s, and a smaller number of mid-century infill homes on the steeper hillside lots above Avenue 50 through Avenue 57, where several streets have a clear downtown Los Angeles skyline view on a clear day. Garvanza, the sub-area east of the Arroyo Seco and north of York Boulevard, carries its own architectural identity and its own historic-district history, distinct from the flats near Figueroa.
Buying a Highland Park bungalow can also mean taking on HPOZ review requirements. Check the property's status and the scope of any planned exterior work before you commit.
LA Metro Home Finder buyer guidanceStreets and Landmarks That Actually Define 90042
- York Boulevard commercial corridor, roughly Ave 50 to Ave 57
- Figueroa Street and the 110 Arroyo Seco Parkway
- Southwest Museum and Highland Park A Line stations
- Sycamore Grove Park and the Southwest Museum grounds
- Ernest E. Debs Regional Park, bordering Montecito Heights
- The Garvanza sub-area near the Arroyo Seco
- Hillside streets above Avenue 50 through Avenue 57 with downtown views
- The Mount Washington border to the north
Which pockets inside 90042 should you actually compare?
Highland Park is often discussed as if it were one uniform neighborhood. It is not. The flats near Figueroa and the 110, the hillside streets above Avenue 50, the Garvanza sub-area near the Arroyo Seco, and the commercial-adjacent blocks directly on or near York Boulevard each carry a different mix of lot size, noise exposure, HPOZ coverage, and buyer competition. The comparison below breaks down those practical differences before you start touring.
| Character | HPOZ Coverage | Best Fit For | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hillside streets, Ave 50-57 | Larger lots, downtown views, steeper grades | Partial | Buyers prioritizing views and privacy |
| York Blvd corridor | Walkable, denser, closer to retail noise | Partial | Buyers who want to walk to daily errands |
| Garvanza (near Arroyo Seco) | Quieter, historic cottages, golf course adjacent | Yes, distinct historic district history | Buyers who want the HP feel with less foot traffic |
| Flats near Figueroa / 110 | Smaller lots, freeway-adjacent noise, best relative value | Partial | Buyers who need the lowest entry price in the zip |
Character and HPOZ coverage vary block to block; confirm HPOZ status for any specific address before writing an offer.
Why "Highland Park" and "Northeast LA" Are Not the Same Thing
Highland Park is one neighborhood inside the broader Northeast Los Angeles (NELA) area, which also includes Eagle Rock, Glassell Park, Cypress Park, Mount Washington, and Atwater Village. It is also not part of the San Gabriel Valley, even though it sits close to Pasadena's border. If a listing or an agent describes a 90042 property as "SGV," that is a marketing shortcut, not an accurate description of the submarket you are buying into.
Browse Active 90042 Listings
Search Highland Park HomesWhat does buying a home inside the Highland Park HPOZ involve?
Los Angeles City Planning describes Highland Park-Garvanza as the city's largest HPOZ, encompassing approximately 4,000 structures (City of Los Angeles, 2026). If a property is inside the boundary, exterior work may require HPOZ review. The applicable pathway, such as Conforming Work or a Certificate of Appropriateness, depends on the property's status and the scope of the proposed work, so verify the project with City Planning before assuming approval requirements.
HPOZ status is not a reason to avoid Highland Park. Budget differently than you would for a non-HPOZ Los Angeles purchase, and plan around the review timeline rather than fighting it. Buyers who plan a full exterior remodel on a tight timeline are often better served by a flats property outside the strictest HPOZ boundary lines. Buyers who want the Craftsman character preserved, and understand that preservation is the entire reason the neighborhood commands the price it does, are usually the happiest HPOZ owners two years in.
Confirm current HPOZ boundary status and Mills Act eligibility for any specific address directly with Los Angeles City Planning before relying on this general summary.
A related benefit worth knowing about before you buy: many HPOZ-eligible Highland Park owners qualify for the Mills Act, a California program that can meaningfully reduce property tax on a qualifying historic home in exchange for a maintenance and preservation contract with the city. I cover this program, and how it interacts with a Highland Park purchase specifically, in more depth in a separate guide on buying historic Mills Act homes in Los Angeles.
What hillside and foundation warnings should 90042 buyers know?
The hillside streets above Avenue 50 through Avenue 57 are some of the most requested addresses in the zip code because of the downtown Los Angeles views, and they are also where a buyer's inspection contingency earns its keep. Older hillside foundations in this part of Los Angeles were frequently built with less soil engineering rigor than current code requires, and a pier-and-beam foundation on a steep lot can develop settling, drainage, or retaining-wall issues that a flat-lot inspection would never surface.
Before You Waive a Hillside Inspection
Order a geotechnical or soils report in addition to a standard home inspection for any hillside property above Avenue 50. Ask specifically about retaining wall condition, drainage patterns during heavy rain, and any history of foundation underpinning. Your Natural Hazard Disclosure report, required under California Civil Code, will also identify whether the property sits in a fire hazard severity zone, which affects both insurance cost and future resale pool.
Permit History Matters More Here Than in Most LA Neighborhoods
Because a meaningful share of 90042's housing stock predates modern permitting records and sits inside or near the HPOZ boundary, pull the full permit history on any property you are seriously considering before you remove contingencies. An unpermitted addition, a converted garage, or an ADU built without final sign-off is a common surprise in Highland Park, and it can affect both your financing and your ability to legally use the added square footage.
What is transit and daily life like in Highland Park?
Highland Park is served by two Metro A Line stations, Southwest Museum and Highland Park, giving residents a direct rail connection toward South Pasadena and Pasadena to the north and Downtown Los Angeles to the south (LA County, 2026). For buyers commuting into Downtown or Pasadena without a car, proximity to either station can matter in day-to-day livability, and it is worth confirming walking distance from any specific address rather than assuming "Highland Park" automatically means transit-adjacent.
Sycamore Grove Park, adjacent to the Southwest Museum, and Ernest E. Debs Regional Park, bordering Montecito Heights just north of the neighborhood, are the two largest green spaces most residents use regularly. The Arroyo Seco corridor along the neighborhood's western edge also connects to the Arroyo Seco Golf Course near Garvanza. York Boulevard's walkable retail strip is the neighborhood's day-to-day commercial center, while Figueroa Street carries more through-traffic and a mix of longer-standing commercial uses closer to the 110 freeway.
See what's actually listed in 90042 right now, not last month's cache
Browse 90042 ListingsHow should you finance and budget for a Highland Park purchase?
Redfin's Highland Park market page reported a $1,160,940 median sale price for the three months ending August 2026, up 3.9% year over year. Its current market summary reports a median price per square foot of $831, down 3.5% year over year (Redfin, October 2026). Those figures are backward-looking and do not predict the price of a particular home. Mortgage-rate movement can materially change a monthly payment, so confirm current pricing directly with your lender before relying on a rate quoted earlier.
Property tax is the budgeting item first-time buyers most often underestimate here. The Los Angeles County Assessor's supplemental-tax guidance explains how a change in ownership can create a supplemental assessment based on the new value (LA County Assessor, 2026). For a long-held Highland Park bungalow trading well above its prior assessment, that supplemental bill can be a meaningful one-time cost in your first year of ownership. The California Board of Equalization's Proposition 19 guidance explains the conditions for eligible parent-child transfers (Board of Equalization, 2026); confirm the rules for an inherited property with qualified tax and legal advisors.
California Civil Code Section 1670.50 requires a buyer-broker representation agreement as soon as practicable and no later than the buyer's offer (CA Civil Code, 2026). A separate California regulation creates a rebuttable presumption that the agreement should be signed before a private showing, and MLS or brokerage rules can add separate requirements (California DRE, 2026). I can explain the agreement that applies before we tour a specific Highland Park home.
Illustrative categories only. Confirm exact figures with your lender, escrow officer, and insurance carrier for your specific address.
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Reserve Your Free Seat →Which 90042 pocket fits you?
Use this as a starting point before your first tour of Highland Park in Los Angeles. Every situation is different; walk each pocket in person before deciding.
| Your Priority | Best-Fit Pocket | What to Confirm First |
|---|---|---|
| Downtown LA views, privacy | Hillside streets, Ave 50-57 | Foundation type, soils report |
| Walkability to shops and cafes | York Blvd corridor | Street noise, parking availability |
| Quieter, historic character | Garvanza | HPOZ boundary and Mills Act eligibility |
| Lowest entry price in the zip | Flats near Figueroa / 110 | Freeway noise, permit history on additions |
| Rail commute to Pasadena or DTLA | Blocks near either A Line station | Actual walking distance, not listing copy |
What Buyers Ask About 90042
What is the median home price in Highland Park (90042)?
Redfin reported a Highland Park median sale price of $1,160,940 for the three months ending August 2026, up 3.9% year over year. Its current market summary reports a median price per square foot of $831, down 3.5% year over year. Individual pockets within 90042 vary meaningfully depending on property type, lot size, condition, HPOZ status, and view exposure.
How many homes are for sale in 90042 right now?
Inventory in 90042 changes throughout the day. Use the live listings module on this page for the current MLS-fed selection rather than relying on a fixed count in the article.
What does it mean if a Highland Park property is inside the HPOZ?
Los Angeles City Planning's HPOZ guidance explains how preservation review applies to exterior work in designated historic districts. Check the official map and review procedures for the specific property before assuming a project is exempt or requires approval.
Is Highland Park part of the San Gabriel Valley?
No. Highland Park is inside the city of Los Angeles and is part of the Northeast Los Angeles (NELA) area, alongside Eagle Rock, Glassell Park, Cypress Park, Mount Washington, and Atwater Village. It borders South Pasadena but is not itself part of the San Gabriel Valley, despite sometimes being marketed that way.
Which streets or pockets in 90042 should I look at first?
Your priorities decide the answer. Hillside streets above Avenue 50 through Avenue 57 offer downtown views and larger lots. The York Boulevard corridor offers walkability at the cost of more street noise. Garvanza, near the Arroyo Seco, tends to be quieter with strong historic character. The flats near Figueroa and the 110 freeway typically offer the lowest entry price in the zip code, with more freeway noise as the tradeoff.
Do the Metro A Line stations affect Highland Park home values?
Proximity to the Southwest Museum and Highland Park A Line stations is a genuine convenience factor for buyers who commute without a car toward Pasadena or Downtown Los Angeles. Confirm actual walking distance for any specific address rather than assuming transit access based on the neighborhood name alone; distance from either station varies significantly within the zip code.
What extra costs should I budget for buying in 90042?
Beyond your purchase price, budget for a Los Angeles County supplemental property tax bill under Proposition 13's reassessment rules, a geotechnical or soils report for hillside properties, potential added review weeks for HPOZ exterior permits, and higher homeowners insurance if the property sits in a fire hazard severity zone. A pre-listing or pre-purchase inspection that checks permit history is also worth the cost given how much of the housing stock predates modern permitting records.
Do I have to sign a long-term contract just to tour homes in Highland Park?
Not necessarily. California Civil Code Section 1670.50 requires a buyer-broker agreement as soon as practicable and no later than the buyer's offer, while a separate California regulation creates a rebuttable presumption that the agreement should be signed before a private showing. MLS and brokerage rules can add separate requirements. I can explain the agreement that applies before we tour a specific Highland Park home.
Where should you continue your Highland Park research?
The Los Angeles guides below go deeper on the topics buyers in 90042 ask about most, including pricing trends, historic-home ownership, and nearby submarkets.
Ready to See Homes for Sale in 90042?
Text or call Justin directly for a walkthrough of what's live right now, or to talk through which Highland Park pocket fits what you need.
