Zillow's typical Bel Air home value was $4,140,242 in September 2026, and Redfin's median sale price in the 90077 ZIP was $3,322,524 across 25 sales that month. Bel Air sits wholly inside the City of Los Angeles, so any sale over $5.4M pays Measure ULA of 4%, and any sale of $10.9M or more pays 5.5% of the whole price. Price a Bel Air home around those two lines first, then around the comps.
You're weighing a purchase or sale in Bel Air and need to know what the price, the city's transfer tax and the hillside rules mean for the number you sign.
At a glance
| City | City of Los Angeles (not Beverly Hills) |
|---|---|
| ZIP | 90077, 7.26 sq mi of land, all inside the City of Los Angeles (Census 2020) |
| Size | More than 2,000 properties (Bel-Air Association) |
| First tract | Filed 1923 with 128 home lots |
| Measure ULA | 4% over $5.4M, 5.5% at $10.9M or more (from July 1, 2026) |
| School district | LAUSD |
| Property tax rate | 1.185825% in TRA 67, FY 2026-27 |
Home values by the numbers
Zillow Home Value Index, September 2026: the typical value of homes in the middle third of the market, smoothed and seasonally adjusted. Neighborhoods are Zillow's own boundaries. A typical value is the middle of the market, not its top.
What Bel Air homes for sale cost in 2026
Bel Air has two kinds of price story, and you need to keep them apart. The headlines are about $100M estates, sold at auction or after deep cuts. The market you'll trade in is far smaller: Zillow's typical home value for its Bel Air neighborhood was about $4.14M in September 2026, just below the $5.4M line where Los Angeles' Measure ULA starts. That line, and the second one at $10.9M, shape a Bel Air price more than any single comp.
The figures block above carries the full Zillow and Redfin series. Below, each one's coverage and its blind spot.
Zillow's typical Bel Air home value
Zillow's typical home value for its own Bel Air neighborhood boundary was $4,140,242 in September 2026, up 6.0% on the year and 98.1% over ten years. It peaked at $4,269,465 in August 2022, so the area hasn't fully recovered that high. Zillow's index tracks the middle third of homes, which means it says little about the estates that make the news.
Redfin's 90077 median sale price
Redfin's median sale price for ZIP 90077 was $3,322,524 in September 2026, from 25 sales. That's 22.6% above a year earlier, but sales fell 32.9%, and a median from 25 closings moves a lot when two or three large homes close. The same report put supply at 9.5 months, with a median of 63 days on market.
| Measure | Figure | Month |
|---|---|---|
| Zillow typical value, Bel Air neighborhood | $4,140,242 | Sept 2026 |
| Zillow typical value, ZIP 90077 | $3,061,985 | Sept 2026 |
| Redfin median sale price, 90077 (25 sales) | $3,322,524 | Sept 2026 |
| Redfin median list price, 90077 | $3,870,407 | Sept 2026 |
| Redfin median price per sq ft, 90077 | $981 | Sept 2026 |
| Redfin average sale-to-list, 90077 | 94.1% | Sept 2026 |
Why the asking price is the weakest number in Bel Air
Redfin's average sale-to-list ratio in 90077 was 94.1% in September 2026. On a $10M asking price, that's a closing near $9.41M. At the top, the gap has been far wider, as the record sales below show. Treat a Bel Air asking price as an opening position and build your number from closed sales and the tax lines.
Where Bel Air homes sit: the Los Angeles side of the city line
Bel Air is a neighborhood of the City of Los Angeles, not a city of its own and not part of Beverly Hills. That single fact sets your transfer tax, your school district, your building code and the services you call. If you're comparing it with houses across the line, our Bel Air and Beverly Hills comparison sets the two side by side.
Bel Air's boundaries as the Bel-Air Association draws them
The Bel-Air Association counts more than 2,000 properties and gives rough boundaries of Mulholland Drive to the north, Sunset Boulevard to the south, Beverly Glen Boulevard to the east and Sepulveda Boulevard to the west. Its office is at 100 Bel Air Road, which the Census geocoder places in the City of Los Angeles. Bel Air also sits inside the Bel Air-Beverly Crest Neighborhood Council area, which runs from Laurel Canyon to Sepulveda and excludes the City of Beverly Hills.
The 90077 ZIP and the city line
All 7.26 square miles of land in ZIP 90077 lie inside the City of Los Angeles, per the Census Bureau's 2020 ZIP-to-place file. So a 90077 address is a firm signal that Measure ULA applies. The same isn't true of 90210, which is split between Beverly Hills and Los Angeles; our guide to the area's ZIP codes shows the split.
How Measure ULA changes the price of Bel Air homes
Measure ULA is the City of Los Angeles tax on sales over a threshold that resets each July. For sales closing after June 30, 2026, it's 4% on sales over $5,400,000 and under $10,900,000, and 5.5% on sales of $10,900,000 or more. It's charged on the whole price, not the slice above the line, and it sits on top of the city's 0.45% base transfer tax and the County's $1.10 per $1,000. Our Los Angeles mansion tax calculator runs any price.
| Bel Air sale price | City tax incl. ULA | County tax | Total transfer tax |
|---|---|---|---|
| $5,000,000 | $22,500 | $5,500 | $28,000 |
| $8,000,000 | $356,000 | $8,800 | $364,800 |
| $10,000,000 | $445,000 | $11,000 | $456,000 |
| $12,000,000 | $714,000 | $13,200 | $727,200 |
| $20,000,000 | $1,190,000 | $22,000 | $1,212,000 |
| $40,000,000 | $2,380,000 | $44,000 | $2,424,000 |
Rates as published for sales closing from July 1, 2026; the thresholds are adjusted every year by the Chained CPI.
The $5.4M line in Bel Air
At exactly $5.4M, the city tax is 0.45%, about $24,300. One step over, it's 4.45% of the whole price, about $240,000. A seller who takes $5.4M keeps more than one who takes any price up to about $5.63M. That band is dead money for sellers, and a buyer who knows it can use it.
The $10.9M line in Bel Air
The second line works the same way. Just under $10.9M, the city tax is 4.45%, about $485,000; at $10.9M, it's 5.95%, or $648,550. Sales between $10.9M and about $11.07M net the seller less than a sale just under the line.
A worked example you can redo
Say a Bel Air home asks $11.5M and closes at the ZIP's 94.1% sale-to-list ratio, about $10.82M. The city tax is 4.45%, about $481,600, and the seller keeps roughly $10.34M before the County tax and commissions. Had it closed at $10.9M, the city tax would be $648,550 and the seller would keep about $10.25M. The lower price nets the seller about $88,000 more. Redo it with your own figures: price times the city rate, subtract, compare.
Who pays the tax is set in the purchase contract, and local custom isn't something we could confirm from an official source, so ask your escrow officer how your contract allocates it.
Bel Air mansions and the record sales behind the headlines
Bel Air holds the City of Los Angeles record, and its top sales share a pattern: the closing price has landed far below the first asking price. Group the reported sales by how they sold and the lesson for a seller at any level is plain.
Bel Air estates sold through auction or foreclosure
- The One, about 105,000 square feet, sold at a bankruptcy auction for about $141M after being listed at $295M, reported by ABC7 Los Angeles in March 2022.
- Casa Encantada, about 40,000 square feet on 8.4 acres, sold for $130M at a July 2026 foreclosure auction, reported by the Los Angeles Times in September 2026. It had asked $250M in 2023 and $170M in April 2026. Redfin's report on July 2026 sales ranked it the second-priciest US sale of 2026 to that point.
Bel Air spec homes that sold or relisted below their first ask
- The spec house known as Billionaire sold for $94M after asking $250M, a 62% discount, reported by InsideHook in October 2019, citing The Wall Street Journal.
- La Fin, first listed in 2022 at $139M, was cut to $99.9M, reported by Fox Business in January 2026.
- A nearly 20,000 sq ft spec home first listed at $49.99M went to a sealed-bid auction with a $30M reserve, with bids closing June 11, 2026, per a May 2026 press release from the auction firm.
Bel Air trophy estates sold privately
- Chartwell, a ten-acre estate with a 25,000 sq ft house, sold for about $150M with a neighboring house, reported by Los Angeles Magazine in December 2019. It had been listed at $350M, then $195M, per NBC Los Angeles. Spear's described it in April 2026 as the City of Los Angeles record.
- A $110M Bel Air sale in March 2025, reported by The Nightly in April 2025, citing The Australian.
- A $92.8M Bel Air sale in 2024, reported by Robb Report in January 2025 as one of that year's ten priciest US sales.
One listing sets the ceiling for now: a Bel Air estate of about 70,000 sq ft on about 8 acres came to market at $400M in April 2026, reported by Ynetnews and KTLA. Under 2026 rates, a sale at that price would carry $22M of ULA alone. Our list of the most expensive homes sold in Los Angeles covers the wider record.
Building or rebuilding Bel Air homes under LA's hillside rules
A Bel Air lot is valued on what you can build on it, and the City of Los Angeles sets that, not Beverly Hills. Los Angeles adopted its Baseline Mansionization Ordinance for flat lots in 2008 and its Baseline Hillside Ordinance in 2011, both since amended. Check which one maps to your parcel before you price a teardown.
Floor area by slope band
LA's hillside standards cap residential floor area by slope band and add the bands together. In some zones the ratio runs from 0.45 on the flattest band down to zero on slopes of 100% or more. A steep Bel Air acre can carry far less house than its size suggests, so ask for a slope-band survey before you pay for land by the acre.
Grading caps
Cut and fill on a hillside lot is capped at 1,000 cubic yards plus 10% of the lot size in cubic yards, subject to by-right maximums by zone. A basement or a new motor court eats into that allowance quickly.
Narrow hillside streets
If a lot fronts a hillside street with a roadway under 20 feet wide, new construction needs a separate approval before building or grading permits are issued. Measure the roadway in front of the lot before you commit, since the approval comes before any permit.
Owning homes in Bel Air: property tax, fire zones and schools
Budget for these three costs before you make an offer on a Bel Air house.
Property tax in Bel Air (TRA 67)
Tax Rate Area 67, which covers sample points in Bel Air, has a 2026-27 rate of 1.185825%: the 1% general levy plus voter-approved debt. On a $10M purchase, that's about $118,600 a year before direct assessments. Read the exact TRA on the parcel's bill, and expect one or two supplemental bills after you buy. The property tax estimator runs your number.
Fire hazard zones and insurance in Bel Air
Los Angeles County's fire hazard map, revised August 2025, shows Very High at sample points in Bel Air. The California FAIR Plan writes residential policies only up to $3M, which won't cover a Bel Air rebuild, so expect to layer cover. Our guide to insuring a hillside home sets out the options.
Schools: LAUSD, not BHUSD
Bel Air addresses are in the Los Angeles Unified School District. Use LAUSD's Resident School Identifier to see the assigned schools for a specific address; don't rely on a listing's claim. Our schools page covers both districts.
Bel Air history: from Alphonzo Bell's 1923 tract to today's homes
Alphonzo Bell bought the 1,700-acre Danzinger estate in 1922, mostly land from the Rancho San Jose de Buenos Ayres granted in 1843. The first Bel-Air tract was filed in 1923 with 128 home lots, and a second followed in 1925. The Bel-Air Country Club was incorporated in 1924, and its 18-hole course was laid out in 1926. The Hotel Bel-Air occupies Bell's former estate-planning office, built in 1927.
The Bel-Air Association names Wallace Neff, Paul Williams, Gordon Kaufmann, Roland Coate and John Byers among the architects of the early estates. If a listing credits one of these architects, ask for the original permits or plans that show it, because the attribution is part of what you're paying for.
How to price Bel Air homes before you list or offer
Use this order. It puts the tax and the build rules ahead of the comps, which is where Bel Air prices go wrong.
Step 1: place the price against the ULA lines
If your number lands between $5.4M and $5.63M, or between $10.9M and $11.07M, a lower price nets the seller more. Sellers should list with that in mind; buyers can offer just under a line and explain why.
Step 2: price the land, then the house
Get the slope bands, the grading allowance and the street width. Two lots of the same acreage can support very different houses.
Step 3: check whether the best comps were public
Some top sales in Los Angeles close without public marketing. Our guide to off-market and pocket listings explains the current MLS rules, and if you want local help pulling closed sales, see the agent we recommend for Bel Air and Beverly Hills. For financing above the conforming limit, run the jumbo mortgage calculator.
For the houses across the city line, start with our overview of homes in Beverly Hills proper, and for the neighbor to the east, see Holmby Hills. If a lock-and-leave unit suits you better than a hillside house, compare the condos and penthouses in Beverly Hills.
Bel Air homes FAQs
How much does a home in Bel Air cost?
Zillow's typical home value for its Bel Air neighborhood was $4,140,242 in September 2026, up 6.0% on the year. Redfin's median sale price in ZIP 90077 that month was $3,322,524 from 25 sales. Those figures cover the middle of the market; estates reported in the press have sold from about $93M to $150M.
Is Bel Air part of Beverly Hills?
No. Bel Air is a neighborhood in the City of Los Angeles. Its ZIP, 90077, lies entirely inside Los Angeles. That means Los Angeles transfer taxes, including Measure ULA, apply to Bel Air sales, the schools are LAUSD, and the City of Los Angeles sets the building rules.
Does the mansion tax apply in Bel Air?
Yes. Measure ULA applies to sales inside the City of Los Angeles. For sales closing after June 30, 2026, it is 4% of the whole price on sales over $5.4M and under $10.9M, and 5.5% on sales of $10.9M or more. It is added to the city's 0.45% base tax and the County's $1.10 per $1,000.
What is the most expensive home ever sold in Bel Air?
Chartwell, a ten-acre estate, sold for about $150M with a neighboring house, reported by Los Angeles Magazine in December 2019. Spear's described it in April 2026 as the City of Los Angeles record. The One sold for about $141M at auction in 2022, and Casa Encantada sold for $130M at a foreclosure auction in July 2026.
What is the property tax rate in Bel Air?
Tax Rate Area 67, which covers sample points in Bel Air, has a 2026-27 rate of 1.185825% of assessed value, before direct assessments. On a $10M purchase that is about $118,600 a year. Check the exact TRA on the parcel's tax bill, and expect supplemental bills after a purchase.
Can you build a large new house on a Bel Air hillside lot?
It depends on the slope. Los Angeles caps hillside floor area by slope band, limits grading to 1,000 cubic yards plus 10% of the lot size, and needs a separate approval on hillside streets narrower than 20 feet. Get a slope-band survey and a zoning check before you price a lot by its acreage.
Which school district serves Bel Air?
Bel Air addresses are in the Los Angeles Unified School District, not Beverly Hills Unified. Enter the exact street address in LAUSD's Resident School Identifier to see the assigned and eligible schools. Don't rely on a listing description for school assignment.
Sources
- Zillow Home Value Index (neighborhood and ZIP), September 2026, via site data file
- Redfin Data Center: ZIP 90077 monthly market data, September 2026
- Bel-Air Association: History
- U.S. Census Bureau: 2020 ZCTA to Place relationship file
- U.S. Census Bureau Geocoder: 100 Bel Air Rd
- Bel Air-Beverly Crest Neighborhood Council Bylaws
- City of Los Angeles Office of Finance: Measure ULA FAQ
- Los Angeles County Registrar-Recorder: Documentary Transfer Taxes
- Los Angeles County Auditor-Controller: Tax Rates by TRA (TRA 67, FY 2026-27)
- California State Board of Equalization: Supplemental Assessment
- Los Angeles County GIS: Fire Hazard Severity Zones (LRA)
- California Department of Insurance: California FAIR Plan
- Los Angeles City Planning: BMO and BHO Q&A
- Los Angeles City Planning: Hillside Area Development Standards, Single-Family Zones (CP-4061)
- LAUSD: Resident School Identifier
- Pacific Coast Architecture Database: Bel-Air Country Club
- ABC7 Los Angeles: The One sold at auction (March 2022)
- Los Angeles Times via DNyuz: Casa Encantada sale (September 2026)
- Redfin: most expensive home sales of July 2026
- InsideHook: Billionaire sells at 62% discount (October 2019)
- Fox Business: La Fin price cut (January 2026)
- Paramount Realty USA press release via PR Newswire (May 2026)
- Los Angeles Magazine: Chartwell sale (December 2019)
- NBC Los Angeles: Chartwell sale (December 2019)
- Spear's: $400M LA home (April 2026)
- The Nightly: $110M Bel Air purchase (April 2025)
- Robb Report via Yahoo: 10 most expensive US homes of 2024
- Ynetnews: $400M Bel Air listing (April 2026)
- KTLA: $400M Bel Air listing (April 2026)