Half Moon Bay Real Estate & Living Guide

What's the Half Moon Bay, CA real estate market like right now? As of April 2026, the median sale price for a single-family home in Half Moon Bay is $1,687,500 — with homes selling at 99% of list price, in an average of 21 days on market, and 3.5 months of supply. That's a notably different dynamic than the broader San Mateo County market, where the median is $2,167,500 and homes trade at 107% of list price in 19 days. Half Moon Bay actually sits below the county median — a reflection of the Coastside's geographic remove from the tech-employment corridors that drive premium pricing across the mid-Peninsula.

Overview

Half Moon Bay sits on the San Mateo County coast roughly 28 miles south of San Francisco, tucked between the Pacific Ocean and the Santa Cruz Mountains. With a population of around 13,000, it's the only incorporated city on the San Mateo County coastside — a distinction that shapes everything from its tax base to its relatively controlled growth. The Santa Cruz Mountains to the east physically separate it from the mid-Peninsula; getting to Palo Alto or San Mateo means crossing Hwy 92 or Hwy 84 through the hills.

Downtown Half Moon Bay is anchored by Main Street, a walkable stretch of independent restaurants, coffee shops, boutiques, and a genuine small-town commercial corridor that feels nothing like the strip malls of Silicon Valley. The weekly farmers market, local brewery, and pocket parks give the downtown real daily life — not just weekend tourism. There's an agricultural heritage here that's still visible: Half Moon Bay and the surrounding Coastside grow a significant share of the Bay Area's pumpkins, artichokes, strawberries, and Brussels sprouts, and the fall Pumpkin Festival draws tens of thousands of visitors annually.

Neighborhoods range from the waterfront cottages of Miramar and the harbor community of Princeton-by-the-Sea to the private golf-course enclave of Frenchman's Creek and the gated luxury of Ocean Colony. Prices span from sub-$1M attached homes in the midcoast unincorporated communities to $3M+ oceanfront and golf-view properties at the top end. The housing stock is eclectic — you'll find 1940s beach bungalows, 1970s ranch homes, and newer custom builds on the same street.

Half Moon Bay appeals most to buyers who have flexibility in how they get to work: remote workers, those with shorter Coastside-adjacent commutes, and buyers who deliberately want to trade the frenetic pace of the mid-Peninsula for a slower, outdoor-oriented lifestyle. The trade-off is real — there's no Caltrain, the freeway access is limited to two mountain highway crossings, and the coastal fog that rolls in most summer mornings is not a myth. For buyers who know what they're choosing, it holds its value precisely because there's no easy way to add more housing or infrastructure here.

Market Snapshot — April 2026 (Single-Family Homes)

Source: SAMCAR / MLSListings. Single-family residential only.

Half Moon Bay's April 2026 figures tell a nuanced story. The 21-day average DOM is actually close to the county's 19-day average — homes move when priced correctly. But the 99% sale-to-list ratio (versus the county's 107%) and 3.5 months of supply (versus 1.5) confirm that buyers have meaningfully more negotiating room here than across the hills. The median price of $1,687,500 is below the county median of $2,167,500, and the $841/sqft figure reflects that Coastside homes tend to be larger — the average Half Moon Bay SFR in April was 2,301 sqft on a 5,885 sqft lot. With only 10 homes sold in the month, individual transactions move the needle; treat these figures as directional and verify against recent comps before pricing any specific property.

Neighborhoods

Downtown / Main Street Area

Downtown Half Moon Bay is the city's walkable core, centered on Main Street between Kelly Avenue and Pilarcitos Creek. Homes here are a mix of late-Victorian and early-20th-century bungalows, many on smaller lots, within walking distance of the library, restaurants, the Saturday farmers market, and Half Moon Bay Brewing Company. It's the neighborhood for buyers who want to feel like they actually live in a town, not a suburb. Street-level noise from Hwy 1 is a factor on the western blocks; the quieter blocks east of Main Street offer more separation.

Miramar

Miramar occupies the bluffs and flats just north of downtown, straddling both sides of Highway 1. The west side includes beachfront and near-beach properties with direct access to Miramar Beach — some of the most competitively priced oceanview real estate on the entire Peninsula. The east side of Hwy 1 is quieter and more residential. Housing stock is a mix of 1940s–1960s beach cottages, some fully renovated, and newer infill construction. The Miramar Beach Inn and several good restaurants anchor the neighborhood's small commercial node. This is often where first-time Coastside buyers find their entry point into the market.

Princeton-by-the-Sea

Princeton-by-the-Sea (commonly called "Princeton Harbor") clusters around Pillar Point Harbor, the largest recreational harbor between San Francisco and Santa Cruz. It's an eclectic, unpretentious neighborhood with a working-harbor character — fishing boats, kayak rentals, the Pillar Point Inn, and a stretch of seafood restaurants including Barbara's Fishtrap. Housing is a mix of modest single-family homes, some with harbor views, and a handful of newer builds. Buyers here tend to prioritize the outdoors: the harbor, the tide pools at Fitzgerald Marine Reserve a mile north, and proximity to Mavericks surf break in the winter. This is unincorporated San Mateo County, not within the city of Half Moon Bay proper.

El Granada

El Granada sits just north of the Half Moon Bay city limits (also unincorporated) and offers the most affordable entry point into the Coastside market. The neighborhood is denser than most of the area, with smaller lots, 1970s–1980s ranch-style homes, and a grid street pattern that makes it easy to get around on foot or bike. El Granada Elementary School is here, and the neighborhood has a genuinely family-oriented character. Per the April 2026 SAMCAR report, El Granada's median sale price was $1,372,000 on 5 sales — a meaningful discount to the Half Moon Bay city median of $1,687,500, with homes selling at 101% of list in just 10 days. The tradeoff: less ocean exposure than Miramar and a less distinctive architectural character. For buyers priced out of downtown or Frenchman's Creek, El Granada is often the practical choice.

Ocean Colony

Ocean Colony is a gated community at the south end of the Half Moon Bay Golf Links, one of the premier public golf courses on the California coast. The housing stock is primarily 1980s–1990s townhomes and single-family homes, many with golf course or ocean views. The community association is well-run, HOA fees are a real budget line item, and the security and maintained common areas attract buyers who want a lower-maintenance lifestyle. The Ritz-Carlton Half Moon Bay sits immediately adjacent to Ocean Colony on the bluff — which means your neighbor to the west is a five-star resort with a world-class restaurant. Ocean Colony is the city's most consistent source of high-end attached housing.

Frenchman's Creek

Frenchman's Creek is Half Moon Bay's most prestigious neighborhood — a private, gated enclave of large custom homes north of the Golf Links. Homes here run 3,500–6,000+ square feet on generous lots, most built in the 1990s–2000s, with a mix of Spanish, Mediterranean, and craftsman architecture. Lot sizes give buyers the privacy and outdoor space that's impossible to find in equivalent-priced homes over the hill. The neighborhood sits near the Ritz-Carlton and within walking distance of the coastal trail. Prices start around $2M and run well above $3M for the best lots. This is where Coastside luxury buyers land.

Highlands / Half Moon Bay Hills (East Side)

The hillside neighborhoods east of Highway 1 and above the flatlands include custom homes on larger parcels, some with significant acreage, benefiting from protection against the marine layer that blankets the western flats in summer. These properties often have views back toward the ocean or across the San Mateo County hills. Trade-offs include steeper driveways, longer walks to anything, and wildfire risk that requires due diligence on insurance. For buyers who want space and privacy above the coastal fog line, these hillside parcels are a distinct product from anything on the flatlands.

Moss Beach / Montara (Midcoast)

Moss Beach and Montara sit 5–10 miles north of downtown Half Moon Bay on Highway 1, both unincorporated. They draw a different buyer profile — artists, remote workers, and people who actively want to live outside of any commercial center. Moss Beach is quieter and more residential; Montara has slightly more commercial activity. Fitzgerald Marine Reserve in Moss Beach is one of the best tide pool sites on the California coast. Per the April 2026 SAMCAR report, Montara's median sale price was $1,850,000 on 7 sales (100% of list, 11 days on market), while Moss Beach came in at $1,627,500 on 4 sales. Both figures carry small-sample caveats, but Montara in particular surprised to the upside — likely reflecting the larger average lot size (27,071 sqft) and more custom-built housing stock. These communities feel more isolated than the city proper — which is exactly the point for the buyers they attract.

Getting Around

Highway 92 is the primary connection from Half Moon Bay over the Santa Cruz Mountains to the mid-Peninsula. It runs east to San Mateo (US-101) and Redwood City (I-280) and is the commute route most residents use. Travel time to San Mateo under normal conditions is 25–35 minutes; during peak Bay Area traffic, the I-280/Hwy 92 interchange can back up significantly in both directions. Hwy 92 is two lanes through the mountains — there is no alternative route if there's an accident.

Highway 1 runs the entire length of the Coastside as the north-south connector. It's scenic, it's mostly 2 lanes, and it's the only road connecting Half Moon Bay to its neighboring coastal communities (Montara, Pacifica to the north; Pescadero, Santa Cruz to the south). Commuting to anywhere other than the immediate Coastside via Hwy 1 alone is not practical.

Highway 84 / La Honda Road is the secondary mountain crossing, connecting the southern end of the Half Moon Bay area to Woodside and US-101. It's narrower and more winding than Hwy 92, not typically used as a daily commute route, but a useful alternative when Hwy 92 backs up for residents in the southern part of town.

SamTrans operates Route 294 (Hillsdale Caltrain to Half Moon Bay) and Route 17 (local coastside service). The connection to Hillsdale Caltrain is the region's transit link for car-free commuters, but it's a long ride — plan on 45–60 minutes just to reach Hillsdale, plus your Caltrain trip. SamTrans is a practical option for occasional use but not a competitive commute alternative for most full-time workers.

No Caltrain station. This is the most important transit fact for any buyer considering Half Moon Bay. There is no Caltrain stop on the Coastside; the nearest stations are Hillsdale (San Mateo) to the east, requiring a bus or car to reach. If Caltrain access is essential to your daily life, the Coastside is not your city.

San Francisco is roughly 28 miles north via Hwy 1 to Hwy 19 Avenue, or 35+ miles via Hwy 92 to I-280 north. Realistic car commute time: 50–70 minutes in moderate conditions, 90+ minutes in peak traffic. Half Moon Bay is for buyers who either don't commute daily to SF or have accepted the transit reality.

Schools

All of Half Moon Bay and the surrounding unincorporated Coastside is served by the Cabrillo Unified School District, one of the few geographically cohesive districts on the Peninsula where every school from kindergarten through 12th grade is under one roof.

Elementary schools include Farallone View Elementary (serves Half Moon Bay proper), Alvin S. Hatch Elementary (central Half Moon Bay area), and El Granada Elementary (serving the El Granada community to the north). Kings Mountain Elementary serves a small community in the Santa Cruz Mountains foothills east of town. The smaller size of Cabrillo USD schools often means more personal attention and tighter community connections than larger Peninsula districts.

Middle school students attend Cunha Intermediate School (grades 6–8) in Half Moon Bay, which feeds directly into Half Moon Bay High School (grades 9–12). The high school has a solid academic program and active athletics — particularly in surfing and ocean-related activities that reflect the community's character. Graduating class sizes are small (roughly 150–200 students), which means strong individual relationships with teachers and counselors but fewer AP/elective course options than larger Peninsula high schools.

Private school options in the area include Sea Crest School, a K–8 independent school in Half Moon Bay known for its rigorous, project-based curriculum and small class sizes.

School assignment is address-specific and district boundaries change. If schools drive your decision, verify your exact address against the current district boundary maps before writing an offer.

Life in Half Moon Bay

Living in Half Moon Bay means the ocean is always close — not in the abstract sense that gets used in Bay Area real estate marketing, but genuinely close. The Half Moon Bay State Beach system (Francis Beach, Venice Beach, Roosevelt Beach, and Dunes Beach) runs 4 miles along the western edge of the city, and most residents are within a 10-minute walk or bike ride of sand and surf. The coastal trail along the bluffs connects these beaches and is the city's de facto main promenade — where locals walk dogs, run, and watch sunsets.

The Saturday farmers market on Main Street runs from late spring through fall and is genuinely good — the same farmstands that sell to Bay Area restaurants show up here directly. Half Moon Bay Brewing Company (on Cabrillo Highway near the harbor) is the community's gathering spot: outdoor seating, decent food, local beers, and a clientele that skews toward people who are glad they don't live over the hill. The annual Pumpkin Festival in October has become a Bay Area institution, drawing 100,000+ visitors for what's essentially a celebration of the Coastside's agricultural identity.

The pace of life is noticeably slower than the mid-Peninsula. This is not a slight — it's the point. There are no Caltrain whistles, no Google buses, no visible tech-campus presence. Neighbors tend to know each other. The local Facebook groups are active and focused on actual local issues: road closures on Hwy 92, whale sightings off the coast, who has fresh eggs for sale. For buyers coming from Palo Alto or San Jose, the transition takes a few weeks; most say they never want to go back.

What Homes Look Like

• Downtown / Main Street area — 1890s–1940s bungalows and Victorian-influenced homes, 1,200–2,000 sqft, often on small lots; some have been extensively renovated, others retain original character
• Miramar — Mix of 1940s–1970s beach cottages and 1990s–2000s upgrades, 1,000–2,500 sqft, some on beachfront or near-ocean lots
• Princeton-by-the-Sea — Eclectic mix of older cottages and newer construction, 1,200–2,800 sqft, harbor-view lots command premiums
• El Granada — 1970s–1980s ranch-style homes, 1,400–2,200 sqft, more uniform street grid, smaller lots
• Ocean Colony — 1980s–1990s townhomes and attached SFR, 1,600–2,800 sqft, HOA community with golf course and ocean adjacency
• Frenchman's Creek — 1990s–2000s custom homes, 3,500–6,500+ sqft, larger lots, gated community
• Hillside / East Half Moon Bay — Custom builds on acreage, 2,000–5,000+ sqft, variable construction era, significant lot diversity

Rough price tiers, April 2026 (approximate):

• Entry single-family: ~$900K–$1.3M (older cottage or smaller ranch home in El Granada or Miramar, may need updating; El Granada SAMCAR median was $1,372,000 in April)
• Mid-tier: ~$1.3M–$1.9M (3–4BR updated home in downtown Half Moon Bay, Miramar, or Princeton; the city's April median of $1,687,500 sits in this range)
• Upper tier: ~$1.9M–$3M+ (Frenchman's Creek, larger Ocean Colony SFR, oceanfront or bluff properties; Montara's April median was $1,850,000)

Tiers are approximate, derived from SAMCAR April 2026 data and local listing activity. Individual properties vary widely by view, lot, condition, and block.

What to Know Before You Buy or Sell

Small sample size — treat the data carefully. Half Moon Bay trades only 4–6 single-family homes per month in many months. One outsized transaction can swing the median by $200K in either direction. Any market statistic for Half Moon Bay — including the ones in this guide — is directional. Before making a pricing decision, look at the individual comparable sales, not just the averages.

Two roads in, two roads out. Highway 92 and Highway 1 are the only realistic routes to and from Half Moon Bay for most destinations. If Hwy 92 closes (accidents, slides, or flooding — rare but real), you're rerouting through La Honda or staying on Hwy 1 through Pacifica. This geographic reality means that remote work viability or commute frequency is not a peripheral consideration — it's a daily life constraint that should factor into your purchase decision.

Fog and microclimate. The marine layer that rolls in from the Pacific is real and persistent, particularly from May through September. The eastern hillside neighborhoods get meaningfully more sun than the flatlands and beachfront. If sunlight matters to you, ask about the specific microclimate of any property — and ideally visit on a summer morning when the fog is in to understand what you're working with.

No Caltrain. This deserves its own bullet. If you're buying in Half Moon Bay expecting to Caltrain to Menlo Park or SF every day, recalibrate. The SamTrans-to-Caltrain connection at Hillsdale adds 45–60 minutes each way to any train commute. Half Moon Bay buyers who commute do so by car or not at all.

Flood zones near the harbor and low-lying areas. Properties in Princeton-by-the-Sea and near Pillar Point Harbor should be reviewed against current FEMA flood maps. Some parcels carry flood insurance requirements that add to carrying costs; this is non-negotiable to know before making an offer.

Wildfire and evacuation risk on the hillside. Properties east of Hwy 1 in the hills and mountain neighborhoods face meaningful fire risk given the dry grasslands and chaparral of the Santa Cruz Mountains. Home insurance has gotten difficult on these parcels — get a quote before you fall in love, because some properties are uninsurable at any normal rate.

HOA in Ocean Colony and Frenchman's Creek. Both gated communities carry HOA dues that are a real carrying cost — often $400–$800/month depending on the unit type. Factor them into your monthly payment calculation, not as an afterthought.

Hwy 92 flooding. The stretch of Hwy 92 near the San Mateo County lowlands is occasionally affected by winter flooding during extreme weather years. It's rare but real — and in a town with limited alternate routes, even a 1-day closure affects daily life more than it would in a city with a denser road network.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the median home price in Half Moon Bay, CA? Per the April 2026 SAMCAR report, the median sale price for a single-family home in Half Moon Bay is $1,687,500 — below the San Mateo County median of $2,167,500. The average sale price was $1,908,500, suggesting some higher-end transactions pulling the average above the median. At $841/sqft, Half Moon Bay is well below the county average of $1,227/sqft, reflecting larger home sizes (avg 2,301 sqft) and bigger lots (avg 5,885 sqft) compared to denser mid-Peninsula cities.

Is Half Moon Bay a buyer's or seller's market right now? As of April 2026, Half Moon Bay leans toward buyers relative to the rest of San Mateo County. Homes are selling at 99% of list price versus the county's 107%, and 3.5 months of supply versus 1.5 gives buyers more room to negotiate. That said, the 21-day average DOM is close to the county's 19 days — meaning correctly priced homes still move. The buyer advantage is in negotiating price, not in waiting out sellers indefinitely.

What neighborhoods are in Half Moon Bay? The primary neighborhoods within the city of Half Moon Bay include Downtown/Main Street, Miramar, Ocean Colony, Frenchman's Creek, and the eastern hillside areas. The broader Coastside (technically unincorporated San Mateo County) includes El Granada, Princeton-by-the-Sea, Moss Beach, and Montara — communities that most buyers consider alongside the city proper when searching.

Is Half Moon Bay a good place to live if I work in Silicon Valley? It depends entirely on your commute frequency. Half Moon Bay has no Caltrain and the only road access is via Hwy 92 or Hwy 1. If you're fully remote or commute 2–3 days per week and can tolerate 35–50 minutes to Redwood City or San Mateo (longer to Palo Alto or San Jose), the Coastside lifestyle is genuinely worth the trade. If you're in-office daily in Menlo Park, plan your commute carefully before buying.

What school district serves Half Moon Bay? Half Moon Bay and all surrounding Coastside communities are served by the Cabrillo Unified School District, with elementary schools at Farallone View, Alvin S. Hatch, and El Granada; Cunha Intermediate for middle school; and Half Moon Bay High School for grades 9–12. Sea Crest School is the primary private K–8 option. Class sizes are small and the district has a strong sense of community identity.

Work With Burt on Your Half Moon Bay Home

The Half Moon Bay market rewards buyers and sellers who understand what they're actually working with: thin monthly volume (10 sales in April 2026), a geographic isolation that creates both its value and its constraints, a below-county-median price point that surprises most buyers coming from the mid-Peninsula, and a range of neighborhoods that each play by different rules. Navigating a Frenchman's Creek purchase is a different conversation than buying a Miramar cottage or selling an Ocean Colony townhome — and pricing strategy here can't be templated from comparable sales in San Mateo or Redwood City. Whether you're moving to the Coastside for the first time, selling a home that's been in the family for decades, or trying to understand if Half Moon Bay is the right fit for your lifestyle and commute reality, Burt can walk you through it.

Call or text Burt Tsuei: 650-274-3598

Burt Tsuei | Team Lead, Burt Tsuei Real Estate Group | Keller Williams Peninsula Estates | DRE# 01906450 | 650-274-3598