Gardena Home Prices: $783K, Up 0.2% — 3 ZIPs Analyzed (2026)

$783,458. That’s the median home value in Gardena as of February 2026. Prices are up just 0.2% year over year — a near-flat market that sits in the shadow of Los Angeles County’s bigger swings.

Quick answer: The average home price in Gardena, CA is $783,458 as of February 2026, up 0.2% year over year according to Zillow.

Current Home Prices in Gardena

The typical Gardena home costs about the same as it did a year ago. The year-over-year number hides a real story, though: prices dipped through summer 2025 and have climbed back for seven straight months.

The $56,220 gap between the cheapest and priciest ZIP is narrow by Los Angeles County standards. Gardena is a tight, small-footprint market — three ZIPs covering about 58,000 residents. Buyers do not have dozens of neighborhoods to play off each other.

That matters. In a larger city, you can move two miles and find a different price tier. In Gardena, the difference between the most and least expensive ZIP is roughly 7.5%. Location alone will not save you six figures.

The flat YoY number puts Gardena in the “holding pattern” bucket. Sellers cannot count on appreciation to bail out a rough listing. Buyers are not racing against double-digit price jumps. For the first time in several years, the data suggests a genuinely two-sided market.

Gardena Home Prices by Neighborhood

All three Gardena ZIPs sit within a few percentage points of each other. Still, the rent numbers diverge far more than the purchase prices — a clue that these neighborhoods attract different buyer and renter profiles.

Most Expensive

• 90248 — $804,383. The priciest ZIP and also the highest-rent one at $3,450 per month, roughly $1,000 above the other two ZIPs.
• 90249 — $797,828. Second-most expensive to buy but the cheapest to rent at $2,158, suggesting a different housing stock or owner-occupier mix.
• 90247 — $748,163. Technically the cheapest of the three, but rent sits at $2,444 — higher than 90249.

Most Affordable

• 90247 — $748,163. About $35,000 below the city median. The entry point for Gardena buyers.
• 90249 — $797,828. Not cheap, but the low rent figure hints at softer demand from tenants.
• 90248 — $804,383. The priciest ZIP. “Most affordable” does not really apply here — it is the top of the local market.

Rent vs Buy in Gardena

Average monthly rent across the three Gardena ZIPs works out to about $2,684. The spread is wide: $2,158 in 90249 at the low end, $3,450 in 90248 at the high end.

Annualized, the average rent of $2,684 comes out to $32,208 per year. Against a $783,458 median price, that is a price-to-rent ratio of roughly 24.

A ratio above 20 generally favors renting. Gardena sits in that zone. You are paying a premium to own here relative to what the same roof would cost you as a tenant.

That does not mean buying is wrong. It means the math rewards long-term ownership, not short holds. If you plan to stay less than five or six years, the rent column is the mathematically friendlier one. If you plan to stay ten-plus years, the ownership premium fades against appreciation and loan paydown.

The cheapest way to live in Gardena right now is to rent in 90249 at $2,158. The most expensive is to own in 90248.

Population Growth and Migration

Gardena is losing residents. The population fell from 60,828 in 2020 to 58,921 in 2024 — a drop of 1,907 people, or 3.1% over four years.

The bleeding slowed in 2024. The city added 127 people that year after three straight years of declines. Whether that is a turn or a pause is an open question.

Compared to other California cities, Gardena’s decline stands out.

Every comparison city added residents. Gardena is the only one in this group that lost them.

For housing, shrinking population is a slow drag. Demand for new housing does not rise when people leave, and that pressure is part of why Gardena’s YoY price growth is essentially flat while lower-cost California markets keep adding residents.

Gardena Housing Market Trends

The 12-month pattern in Gardena is a V. Prices fell through summer, then climbed.

The low was $763,018 in July 2025. The high of the last year was $783,458 in February 2026. The spread between high and low is $20,440, or about 2.7%.

That is not a volatile market. The summer dip shaved roughly $19,000 off the median before recovery began. Anyone who bought in July 2025 is already above water.

Seven consecutive months of gains means momentum is pointing up. Each of the last three months added more than $3,500 to the median. That is a steeper slope than the nine-month average and suggests the market is tightening into spring 2026.

Is Gardena a Good Place to Buy in 2026?

The data points to a balanced market tilting slightly toward sellers. Prices are up 0.2% YoY, which looks flat, but the underlying trend over the last seven months is firmly upward. Sellers who list into that momentum have a tailwind.

Buyers do not have urgency. The spread between Gardena’s cheapest and priciest ZIP is only $56,220 — you cannot neighborhood-shop your way to massive savings. Your bargaining power comes from patience and from the fact that population is shrinking, not growing.

If you are buying to hold ten years, the math works. Prices have absorbed their correction and resumed growth. The city is not growing in population, so supply pressure is limited, but it is also not collapsing.

If you are buying to flip or move within three years, the high price-to-rent ratio of 24 and the thin 0.2% YoY appreciation make it a tougher bet. You would need the current seven-month trend to continue without stalling.

Gardena Housing Market Outlook for 2026-2027

If the current pace continues, Gardena’s median will keep ticking higher through the spring. The last three months added more than $3,500 each. A straight-line extrapolation of that cadence points to mid-$790Ks by late spring, though the market has never moved in a straight line.

The 3-month trend suggests sellers have the better hand heading into the peak listing months. The 12-month picture, which includes summer 2025’s $20,000 pullback, is a reminder that direction can reverse fast in this market.

Watch two things. First, whether the monthly gains maintain their current $3,500-plus pace or flatten back to the sub-$3,000 moves typical earlier in the recovery. Second, whether population stabilizes. The 2024 tick upward is the first positive data point in years. If it holds into 2025 census estimates, demand fundamentals improve.

Similar Markets in CA

Gardena buyers weighing alternatives in the same state have plenty of options at different price points.

• Los Angeles — the metro Gardena belongs to, and the benchmark for regional price moves.
• Long Beach — another LA County city roughly 15 minutes south, with a larger ZIP footprint.
• Anaheim — Orange County option for buyers priced out of Gardena.
• Riverside — farther inland and typically cheaper, if you are willing to commute.
• Bakersfield — the cheapest California city on the comparison list, and one of the few still growing.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the average home price in Gardena?

The average home price in Gardena, CA is $783,458 as of February 2026. That figure is the Zillow Home Value Index, which tracks the typical value of homes in the 35th to 65th percentile range.

Are home prices going up or down in Gardena?

Prices are up 0.2% year over year — essentially flat. The market dropped through summer 2025 to a low of $763,018 in July, then rose for seven straight months into February 2026.

Is it cheaper to rent or buy in Gardena?

Renting is cheaper in monthly terms. Rents across the three ZIPs average about $2,684, and the price-to-rent ratio of roughly 24 sits in the range where financial advisors generally favor renting for shorter holds.

What is the most affordable neighborhood in Gardena?

ZIP 90247 is the most affordable at $748,163, about $35,000 below the city average. It is about 7% cheaper than 90248, the priciest ZIP at $804,383.

Methodology

Home values are based on the Zillow Home Value Index (ZHVI), a smoothed measure of typical home values in the 35th to 65th percentile range. Rent estimates use the Zillow Observed Rent Index (ZORI). Population figures come from the U.S. Census Bureau Population Estimates Program (2020-2024 vintage). All datasets are publicly available. Housing data updated 2026-02-28.