South Pasadena
South Pasadena Quick Facts
- Where it is: Its own city, not part of Los Angeles, between Pasadena to the north, Highland Park to the west, and Alhambra and San Marino to the east.
- ZIP code: 91030.
- Getting Downtown: 15 to 20 minutes by car on the 110, or the Metro A Line from the South Pasadena station on Mission Street.
- What homes cost: Median sale $1,802,000 over the last twelve months. The typical sale was a 3 bed, 3 bath, 1,868 square foot house. Seventeen homes for sale right now.
- Is it safe: Yes. Its own police department, a weekly published crime summary, and very little reported beyond car break-ins and package theft. Full answer below.
- The one thing to know: People buy South Pasadena for the school district and the small town main street. That is why it prices above every neighborhood around it.
South Pasadena Market Data: November 2026
What actually happened in South Pasadena over the last twelve months, straight from the MLS.
| Median sale price | $1,802,000 |
| Median days on market | 14 days |
| Homes sold in the past 12 months | 151 |
| The typical home that sold | 3 bed, 3 bath, 1,868 sq ft |
| Homes for sale right now | 17 active, 28 with pending |
| Median asking price right now | $2,047,000 |
| Enough homes for sale to last | 1.4 months |
| Change from a year ago | Up 2.4% |
How fast do homes sell in South Pasadena?
Of the 151 homes that sold, 119 of them, about 79%, were in escrow within thirty days, and those closed at 108.1% of asking price. The homes that took thirty-one to sixty days closed at 103.4%.
That is a gap of 4.7 percentage points. On a median asking price of $1,699,000, it is roughly $80,000.
Seventeen homes for sale. That is the tightest market on this board.
Is the South Pasadena market going up or down?
Up. The median sale price rose 2.4%, from $1,760,000 to $1,802,000. Sales eased to 151 from 177, mostly because there is so little to buy. South Pasadena is the one market here where homes taking thirty-one to sixty days still close above asking, at 103.4%.
How many homes are for sale in South Pasadena right now?
17 homes are on the market, 28 counting the ones already in escrow. At the current pace that is about 1.4 months of supply.
They are asking a median of $2,047,000. What is still on the market has been listed a median of 50 days, against 14 days for what sells.
Source: The MLS/CLAW, Area 87 (South Pasadena). Closed sales November 1, 2025 through November 1, 2026, 151 sales. Active and pending inventory as of November 4, 2026. Data deemed reliable but not guaranteed. Compiled by Glenn Shelhamer, The Shelhamer Real Estate Group, CalDRE #01950995.
If you own hereWhat's your South Pasadena home worth?
Tell me the address. I pull the comparable sales on your block myself and come back with a real number and how I got there. No obligation, and no automated guess from a website.
"*" indicates required fields
If you are looking hereBuying in South Pasadena?
Tell me what you are watching for in South Pasadena. I will send you what is actually coming up, including the ones that sell before they ever hit Zillow. No drip campaign, no daily blast of every listing in Los Angeles. Just the houses worth your time.
"*" indicates required fields
Welcome to South Pasadena
South Pasadena is its own small city between Pasadena and Los Angeles, known for tree lined streets, a deep stock of historic homes, a walkable downtown along Mission Street, and a Metro station in the middle of town.
Homes run from Victorians and Craftsman houses to Spanish revival and midcentury homes, plus condos and townhomes in the hills. This guide covers where the city starts and stops, what the homes are like, what to check before you buy, and what it is like to live here.
Is South Pasadena Safe?
The short answer
South Pasadena has its own police department. That single fact explains most of what people feel when they cross the city line.
Why that matters
This is not the City of Los Angeles and it is not patrolled by LAPD. South Pasadena is its own city with its own force covering a small footprint, rather than an LAPD division covering twenty nine square miles. Buyers notice it immediately, and it is usually the last thing they are willing to give up when they start comparing prices with neighborhoods to the west.
What people here actually complain about
Traffic, not crime. Fair Oaks and Huntington carry commuters through town all day, and the residential streets that feed them get used as shortcuts. The crime that does happen is overwhelmingly property crime. Cars broken into along the Mission Street and Fair Oaks commercial blocks, catalytic converters cut off in driveways, and packages taken off porches.
Check it yourself
The police department publishes a weekly crime summary and a community dashboard on the city website. That is the real source. A national ranking site that has never set foot in town is not.
South Pasadena Police Department
1422 Mission St, South Pasadena, CA 91030
626-403-7270 non emergency
Where South Pasadena Starts and Stops
South Pasadena sits between Pasadena to the north, San Marino to the east, Alhambra to the southeast and the Los Angeles neighborhoods of Highland Park and El Sereno to the west across the Arroyo Seco.
Mission Street. The historic downtown around Mission and Meridian, with shops, restaurants and the Metro station.
The historic neighborhoods. The tree lined streets north and south of Mission, including the Oneonta Park area, with many of the oldest homes in the city.
Altos de Monterey. A midcentury hillside tract in the southwest corner of the city.
Monterey Hills. Condos and townhomes on the hills along the western edge, the most attainable way into South Pasadena.
South Pasadena Homes and Architecture
South Pasadena has one of the best collections of early 1900s homes in the region. Craftsman houses, including work by Greene and Greene, sit alongside Victorians, Spanish revival and Colonial revival homes. Altos de Monterey adds midcentury design, and Monterey Hills adds condos and townhomes.
Read more about one of the city’s historic neighborhoods in our post on the Oneonta Park Historic District.
What to check before you buy here
South Pasadena reviews changes to older and historic homes more closely than most cities, so plan any remodel before you buy. In older homes, check the foundation, the sewer line and the electrical. For condos, check the HOA budget, reserves and any planned assessments. We walk through each of these with buyers before an offer goes in.
Living in South Pasadena
Mission Street is the center of town, with local shops, restaurants and the Fair Oaks Pharmacy soda fountain, which has been around since 1915. A weekly farmers market sets up near the Metro station.
The Metro A Line stop at Mission and Meridian runs to Downtown Los Angeles and to Pasadena. The Arroyo Seco has parks, trails and a golf course along the western edge of the city.
A Little South Pasadena History
South Pasadena incorporated as a city in 1888. In its early years it drew visitors to the Raymond Hotel on Raymond Hill and to the Cawston Ostrich Farm, which opened in 1896.
The Meridian Iron Works building on Meridian Avenue, one of the oldest commercial buildings in town, now houses the South Pasadena Historical Museum.
Buying or Selling in South Pasadena
South Pasadena prices are set street by street. A historic designation, a permitted second unit, a garage or the size of the lot can move the number more than the square footage does. That is why automated estimates miss here.
If you own here, send the address and we will pull the sales on your block and show you how we got the number. If you are buying, we will tell you which streets fit your budget and what to check on each house before you write an offer.
About Glenn Shelhamer
I am Glenn Shelhamer, broker of The Shelhamer Real Estate Group and founder of Silver Lake Blog. Over the last 15 years I have helped buyers and sellers navigate real estate throughout Los Angeles’s Eastside, from smooth transactions to complicated ones.
If you are thinking about buying or selling in South Pasadena, I will pull the real sales on your street and walk you through them before you make a move.
Call or text directly:
310-913-9477
Instagram:
@theshelhamergroup
Email:
glenn@shelhamergroup.com
THE SHELHAMER REAL ESTATE GROUP | DRE: 01950995
Glenn Shelhamer is a licensed real estate broker DRE: 01950995 in the state of California and abides by equal housing opportunity laws. All material presented herein is intended for informational purposes only. Information is compiled from sources deemed reliable but subject to errors, omissions, changes in price, condition, sale, or withdrawal without notice. To reach The Shelhamer Real Estate Group’s office manager please call (310) 913-9477.
Copyright © 2026 The Shelhamer Real Estate Group. All rights reserved.