What to know before you move: cost, market timing, who it fits.
If you're considering a move to Malibu, CA, the most important variables are the local housing market, the cost structure (taxes, insurance, utilities), and how well the city fits your day-to-day life. This page summarizes the housing market read; pair it with the cost of living page for the full picture.
Malibu is a city in Los Angeles County, California, with an estimated population of 10,298. It anchors the Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim metro area. The population has contracted 0.8% per year on average since 2020. The median home value in Malibu is $3,232,835 as of 2026-04, down 1.6% over the last 12 months. Over the last five years, home values have averaged +3.5% annual growth (-7.1% from the 5-year peak). Rents in Malibu average $17,114 per month, down 2.9% year-over-year. The composite momentum score is 48 of 100 (Stable). Conditions are neither hot nor cold, so the local fit matters more than market timing.
Sideways market (-1.6% YoY). No urgency to time the macro trend — focus on the home and neighborhood.
Reasons people move here
- The data is the data: Malibu has at least 5 years of Zillow tracking, full Census identification, and is included in the 1-criteria momentum score on this page.
- Data is sourced from public datasets (Zillow, US Census) with full citations on the methodology page.
Things to know first
- Expensive AND not growing: median home $3,232,835 with only -1.6% YoY. You're paying premium pricing for a flat trend.
- Flat or shrinking population: -0.8% per year. Housing demand has to come from somewhere — verify the source.
- Thin housing market: small population means fewer transactions and slower resale. Liquidity risk on exit.
More about Malibu
Sources: Zillow ZHVI (home values), Zillow ZORI (rents), US Census ACS + place population. Updated when source agencies publish revisions.