Beverly Hills

About Beverly Hills

Beverly Hills is the global benchmark for American luxury real estate — and, importantly, a city, not just a brand. Incorporated as an independent municipality on January 28, 1914, it occupies 5.71 square miles completely surrounded by the City of Los Angeles, with roughly 32,500 residents, its own police and fire departments, and the Beverly Hills Unified School District. That separate status is the whole story: Beverly Hills sets its own zoning, services, and taxes, and — crucially — is not subject to Los Angeles City's Measure ULA transfer tax. Between the 90210 ZIP code's global recognition, the elite BHUSD, the walkable Golden Triangle, and distinct sub-neighborhoods from The Flats to Trousdale Estates, Beverly Hills remains the address against which every other LA luxury market is measured.

Where Locals Actually Eat

Hidden gems and city-specific favorites — no chains.

• Spago Beverly Hills — Wolfgang Puck's flagship near Rodeo Drive; a continuing California-dining institution.
• CUT — Wolfgang Puck's steakhouse inside the Beverly Wilshire.
• The Polo Lounge — the enduring power-lunch room at the Beverly Hills Hotel.
• Mr. Chow — the iconic Chinese restaurant and long-running celebrity destination.
• Nate'n Al's Deli — a Beverly Hills institution serving since 1945.

Top-Rated Schools

• Beverly Hills High School — grades 9-12; the iconic California public high school, strong in academics, arts, and athletics.
• Beverly Vista Middle School — grades 6-8; the central middle school serving the district.
• Hawthorne Elementary — K-5; serves portions of Beverly Hills within BHUSD.
• Horace Mann Elementary — K-5; serves portions of Beverly Hills within BHUSD.
• El Rodeo Elementary — K-5; serves portions of Beverly Hills within BHUSD.

Fun Places & Local Character

• Rodeo Drive — three blocks of the world’s most recognized luxury shopping, plus the European-style Two Rodeo pedestrian alley.
• The Beverly Hills Hotel — the 1912 "Pink Palace" and its Polo Lounge, an enduring Hollywood landmark.
• Beverly Gardens Park — the famous lily pond and the "Beverly Hills" sign — the city’s civic anchor along Santa Monica Boulevard.
• The Saban Theatre — a historic Wilshire-adjacent venue with ongoing programming.
• Wallis Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts — the city’s arts venue and community programming hub.

What's Coming & What to Watch

Measure ULA-driven demand support — as an independent city, Beverly Hills is exempt from LA’s 4-5.5% luxury transfer tax. That tax now starts at $5.4M and rises to 5.5% at $10.9M (thresholds adjust for inflation each July), and buyers above those tiers increasingly target Beverly Hills for the structural advantage, continuing its relative outperformance versus LA City luxury.

Strong international buyer activity — Middle Eastern, Asian, and European capital remains active, particularly at the ultra-luxury tier, where roughly half of transactions are all-cash and much of the inventory trades off-market.

A tightening BHUSD inter-district permit program — as enrollment pressure from residents grows, the district has increasingly restricted non-resident permits, making a purchase within city limits the only reliable path to BHUSD access.