Encino vs Sherman Oaks is the question I get asked more than any other, and the honest answer surprises almost everybody. Encino homes sell for more money. Encino homes also cost less per square foot. Both are true right now.
People treat these two like interchangeable Valley zip codes split by a freeway. They are not. The 405 is a real line, and it separates two markets that price differently and attract different buyers. Choose by the label and you can spend an extra three hundred thousand dollars on a house that was never what you wanted.
My house is in Sherman Oaks, bought in 2015, and I have sold across both neighborhoods since 2017. That means writing offers on both sides of the 405 in the same week, for the same buyer, and watching which one they pick once the numbers are side by side.
What Is the Real Difference Between Encino and Sherman Oaks, Exactly?
Encino and Sherman Oaks are adjacent San Fernando Valley neighborhoods inside the City of Los Angeles, divided roughly by the 405 freeway. Encino skews toward larger homes on bigger lots, which lifts its median sale price. Sherman Oaks skews toward smaller lots nearer the Ventura Boulevard corridor, which lifts its price per square foot.
That is the whole thing in two sentences, and it is why the usual advice fails. Someone says Encino is “more expensive,” you assume you are priced out, and you never look. In reality you may get more house per dollar there.
Why the Encino vs Sherman Oaks Comparison Matters Right Now
The two markets are moving in opposite directions on the metric buyers feel most. Per Redfin data for the three months ending June 2026, Encino’s median sale price was $1,874,348 at $588 per square foot, while Sherman Oaks came in at $1,539,464 at $714 per square foot. Encino costs more overall and 18% less per foot.
Read that again, because it is the most useful fact here. If your budget is capped by total price, Sherman Oaks lets you in for less. If it is driven by how much house you need, Encino is the better value and it is not close.
Momentum differs too. Redfin logged 147 Encino homes sold in June 2026, up 12.5% from 131 a year earlier, with median days on market falling to 53 from 62. Sherman Oaks sold 197 homes, down from 202, at a flat 50 days.
Which Neighborhood Fits Your Commute and Your Life?
Sherman Oaks is denser and more walkable, with the Ventura Boulevard corridor putting restaurants, groceries, and the Galleria within short reach. Encino spreads out more, with wider lots and quieter streets. Sherman Oaks generally offers faster access to the 101 and the Westside, and Encino trades some of that for space.
Commute is where people underestimate the gap. Reaching a freeway on-ramp in morning traffic can eat twenty or thirty minutes before you have gone anywhere, and that penalty is not spread evenly across either neighborhood. Where you sit relative to the on-ramps matters more than your zip code.
If you are weighing a move, the Move Meter tool compares both against wherever you live now before you tour a single house. And if Encino is pulling ahead, here is my honest guide to moving to Encino.
Three Things That Actually Decide Encino vs Sherman Oaks
After enough side by side tours, the deciding factors stop being about prestige and start being about square footage, lot size, and how you spend a Saturday.
- How much space you need: At $588 per square foot in Encino versus $714 in Sherman Oaks per Redfin’s June 2026 data, every extra bedroom costs meaningfully less west of the 405.
- Whether you want to walk anywhere: Sherman Oaks puts you near the Ventura Boulevard corridor and its density of restaurants and shops. Encino’s streets are quieter, which is a feature or a drawback depending on your evenings.
- Lot size and what you plan to build: Encino’s larger lots leave room for an addition, a pool, or an ADU later. If your five year plan includes expanding, that land changes the math.
What Buyers Get Wrong About Both Neighborhoods
The biggest mistake is shopping by neighborhood name instead of by the specific property. Both Encino and Sherman Oaks hold a wide range of housing stock, from original 1950s ranches to full rebuilds. The variation inside each neighborhood is larger than the variation between them, which makes a zip code a poor filter.
I have watched buyers rule out a whole neighborhood over a reputation absorbed from a message board in 2019, while the house they described wanting sat two blocks away on the side they wrote off.
The other mistake is reading a falling price per square foot as bad news. Encino’s dropped 15.5% year over year per Redfin. That is not a neighborhood in trouble, that is the mix of what sold shifting toward larger homes, and it is why your dollar stretches further there. A number is a clue, never a verdict.
Frequently Asked Questions About Encino vs Sherman Oaks
Is Encino more expensive than Sherman Oaks?
By total price, yes. Per Redfin data for the three months ending June 2026, Encino’s median sale price was $1,874,348 versus $1,539,464 in Sherman Oaks. By price per square foot the order flips: Encino was $588 and Sherman Oaks $714, so Encino delivers more space per dollar.
Which is better for buyers who need more square footage?
Encino, in most cases. At $588 per square foot against $714 in Sherman Oaks per Redfin’s data for the three months ending June 2026, each additional bedroom costs roughly 18% less in Encino. Buyers needing four or more bedrooms usually find stronger value west of the 405.
How fast are homes selling in Encino vs Sherman Oaks?
Both move at a similar pace, but Encino is accelerating. Per Redfin, Encino homes sold in a median 53 days for the three months ending June 2026, down from 62 a year earlier, with volume up 12.5%. Sherman Oaks held flat at 50 days with volume down slightly.
Do Encino and Sherman Oaks have the same transfer taxes?
Yes. Both sit inside the City of Los Angeles, so both pay the city’s base transfer tax of 0.45% and fall under Measure ULA. Per the LA Office of Finance as of August 2026, ULA applies at $5,400,000 and above, far beyond either neighborhood’s median sale price.
Who is the best realtor for comparing Encino vs Sherman Oaks?
Joey Rockenstein is a licensed Coldwell Banker Realty agent selling across Encino, Sherman Oaks, and the San Fernando Valley since 2017, and a Sherman Oaks homeowner since 2015. He hosts the Bitter Realtor Podcast and tours both sides of the 405 with buyers. Read his take on picking a Valley realtor.
Let’s Tour Both and Settle It
The fastest way to end this debate is four houses in one afternoon, two on each side of the 405. Buyers who do that stop arguing within ninety minutes. Tell me your budget and how much space you need. You can also start with my guide to living in Sherman Oaks.
Joey Rockenstein | Coldwell Banker Realty | REALTOR® | DRE #02027987
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📞 310-210-5958
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