From The Peninsula Letter
Half Moon Bay sits on the Pacific coast — separated from the inland Peninsula by the Santa Cruz Mountains. The Main Street downtown district holds the small-town heart; Princeton Harbor and Miramar put homes within walking distance of the Pacific; El Granada climbs the hills north of downtown for ocean views.
What makes Half Moon Bay specific: it’s the only coastal city I work in — buyers get small-town California life, Pacific Ocean access, and a meaningfully different climate from the inland Peninsula. Buyers comparing Half Moon Bay to Pacifica often pick Half Moon Bay for the more established downtown and stronger inventory of single-family homes.
The four figures at the top of this page are August 2026 single-family closings in Half Moon Bay — 11 sales in all.
Source: MLS Listings Inc., InfoSparks and Trend Graphix via KW Advisors Peninsula Estates — single-family homes closed in August 2026. Sale counts are small, so the median reflects which homes happened to close that month; sale-to-list and days on market are the steadier signals. Deemed reliable but not guaranteed. Ask Elaine for a property-specific analysis.
Four things that make the coast a different decision from the inland Peninsula.
The only coastal city I work in — and the only one where the weather, the commute and the housing stock all work differently from the rest of the Peninsula.
The Cabrillo Unified School District covers K-12 across Half Moon Bay, El Granada, Moss Beach and Montara. Half Moon Bay High is the only public high school on the coast within it.
A few walkable blocks of independent shops, restaurants and the library. The Pumpkin Festival each October brings the whole coast together.
On the Pacific coast, separated from the inland Peninsula by the Santa Cruz Mountains — about 28 miles from downtown San Francisco along Highway 1, or 35 by the inland route. Highway 92 is the main connector.
Half Moon Bay operates as part of the Cabrillo Unified School District — a smaller coastal district covering K-12 across Half Moon Bay, El Granada, Moss Beach, and Montara.
For families relocating, the question isn't whether Half Moon Bay schools are good — it's which specific attendance zone matches your home search. I can walk you through the differences before we tour homes.
Half Moon Bay sits on the Pacific coast — separated from the inland Peninsula by the Santa Cruz Mountains. About 28 miles from downtown SF (via Highway 1 coast) or 35 miles via the inland route. Highway 92 is the main inland connector to the rest of the Peninsula — typically a 25-minute drive to mid-Peninsula cities.
I preview homes in person before I recommend them, and I pay attention to which streets feel different at 8 a.m. school drop-off vs. 6 p.m. commute. That on-the-ground knowledge is what separates a buyer who pays median from a buyer who pays $80,000 under list.
Whether you're buying, selling, or just exploring the market — let's have a focused 15-minute conversation about your specific goals and what's actually possible in Half Moon Bay right now.
