Half Moon Bay · San Mateo County

The Highlands

The Highlands is an established residential neighborhood east of Highway 1 in Half Moon Bay, holding mid-century single-family homes on tree-lined streets.

Median Sale
$1,500,000
March 2026 · 5 closings

The Highlands Real Estate Market Snapshot

Median Sale Price
$1,500,000
-14.3% vs prior-year median
Avg. Days on Market
34
% List Price Received
106%
Months of Inventory
2.8
Homes Sold (March 2026)
5
Median price trend
2025 · $1,750,000 March 2026 · $1,500,000
List-price received
106%
90%100%120%+

As of March 2026 · Source: SAMCAR/MLSListings

Living in The Highlands

The Highlands sits inland from Half Moon Bay, east of Highway 1 along tree-lined residential streets that step gently up the foothills away from the coast. Most of the housing stock is mid-century single-family construction on standard suburban lots, with a sprinkling of remodeled and rebuilt newer homes interspersed through the original tract layout. The pocket reads as quieter and more inland than the blufftop and beach-adjacent neighborhoods west of the highway, with mature canopy and a settled, suburban character.

Because The Highlands sits east of Highway 1 rather than along the shoreline, parcels here carry less of the coastal-erosion and public-access disclosure overlay that defines blufftop and beachfront properties on the west side of town (CA Coastal Act §30210). Day-to-day life centers on Main Street downtown, the Coastside Trail along the bluffs, and the Highway 92 corridor connecting the Coastside to the Bay side of the Peninsula.

Schools

Most addresses in The Highlands fall within Cabrillo Unified School District attendance, with elementary feeder schools assigned by residence and all CUSD students converging at Cunha Intermediate for middle school and Half Moon Bay High School for high school (Cabrillo Unified School District). CUSD covers roughly 135 square miles of the San Mateo Coastside, so families in The Highlands share the same district as El Granada, Moss Beach, and Montara. Buyers should confirm specific elementary assignment with the district before writing offers, since the district allows in-district school choice subject to capacity.

Lifestyle

The Highlands offers a quieter, more inland feel without the coastal-erosion or coastal-access disclosure considerations of blufftop and beachfront properties. Daily routines pull residents to Main Street's downtown core, the weekly farmers market, the Coastside Trail along the bluffs for walking and cycling, and the regional parks and beaches strung along Highway 1. Mature trees on private parcels here may meet the Heritage Tree threshold under Municipal Code Chapter 7.40, which requires a permit for removal of any tree at or above twelve inches in trunk diameter measured at 48 inches above ground (Half Moon Bay Municipal Code).

Commute

The Highlands' position east of Highway 1 places State Route 92 within minutes, providing the primary route over the hills to Interstate 280, US-101, and the Caltrain corridor on the Bay side. Highway 1 north and south handles Coastside trips to El Granada, Moss Beach, and Montara as well as connections south toward San Gregorio. San Francisco International Airport is reachable via Highway 92 in roughly thirty to forty minutes depending on conditions, with hill traffic on 92 being the dominant variable for Coastside commuters.

Market

The The Highlands Market Right Now

The Highlands trades inside the broader Half Moon Bay single-family market, where the 2025 annual median sat at $1,750,000 across 101 closings with a median price-per-square-foot of $879 and an average forty-seven days on market (SAMCAR/MLSListings). March 2026 figures showed a tighter, more competitive band with five closings, a citywide median of $1,500,000, and list-price-received running 106% (SAMCAR/MLSListings). The Highlands' inland, mid-century single-family inventory typically tracks the citywide median rather than the blufftop premium tier, since these parcels lack ocean orientation and the associated view premium. Buyers focused on this pocket should expect pricing to land near the broader Half Moon Bay midpoint, with condition, lot size, and remodel scope driving most of the variation between comparable sales.
Transactions

What Buyers and Sellers Should Know About The Highlands

Properties in The Highlands fall under Half Moon Bay's R-1 single-family zoning framework (Municipal Code Chapter 18.06), and because the entire city sits within the California Coastal Zone, nearly all development requires a Coastal Development Permit under Chapter 18.20 in addition to standard zoning review (Half Moon Bay Municipal Code). Sewer service runs through Sewer Authority Mid-Coastside (SAM), the joint powers authority covering the city, with no city-specific point-of-sale private lateral compliance ordinance on the books (City of Half Moon Bay). At closing, the documentary transfer tax is $1.10 per $1,000 of consideration combined ($0.55 city share plus $0.55 county), per Municipal Code Chapter 3.16 (Half Moon Bay Municipal Code). Buyers should also expect significant California state NHD disclosure exposure given the citywide Coastal Zone designation, even for inland parcels in The Highlands.
Field Notes

Market Notes by Lisa M. Lum

Recent activity across Half Moon Bay through early 2026 has shown competitive list-price-received ratios on well-prepared homes, with inland pockets like The Highlands generally tracking the citywide median rather than the blufftop premium band (SAMCAR/MLSListings). Lisa Lum observes that buyers in The Highlands tend to weigh school assignment, lot orientation, and remodel scope alongside commute access over Highway 92, and that sellers who address Heritage Tree, septic-versus-sewer status, and Coastal Development Permit history early tend to achieve cleaner contract terms.

Updated 2026-05-06

Frequently Asked Questions about The Highlands

Is The Highlands inside Half Moon Bay city limits?
Most of The Highlands sits within the City of Half Moon Bay, with parcels east of Highway 1. Buyers should confirm jurisdiction at the parcel level via the San Mateo County Assessor, since some Coastside addresses near city boundaries fall into unincorporated San Mateo County.
Does The Highlands have an HOA?
Half Moon Bay's HOAs are concentrated in master-planned subdivisions and condominium developments (City of Half Moon Bay Planning). Individual parcels in The Highlands may carry recorded CC&Rs or shared maintenance agreements; buyers should review the preliminary title report carefully for any pocket-specific encumbrances.
Are coastal disclosures required for inland Highlands properties?
Yes. Because the entire City of Half Moon Bay sits within the California Coastal Zone, parcels in The Highlands carry the same statewide NHD disclosure exposure as blufftop properties, even though inland homes face less direct coastal-erosion risk (CA Coastal Act and HMB Municipal Code).
Which schools serve The Highlands?
The Highlands is served by Cabrillo Unified School District. Students typically feed into Cunha Intermediate for middle school and Half Moon Bay High School, with elementary assignment by residence subject to in-district choice (Cabrillo Unified School District).
Is sewer or septic typical in The Highlands?
Properties inside Half Moon Bay city limits are connected to Sewer Authority Mid-Coastside (SAM). Parcels in unincorporated pockets adjacent to the city may rely on private septic systems subject to San Mateo County Environmental Health rules; confirm at the parcel level before writing an offer.
What is the transfer tax in The Highlands, San Mateo County?
San Mateo County charges a base transfer tax of $1.10 per $1,000 of consideration, paid by the seller at close. Some cities add a local supplemental tax. The Highlands does not impose an additional municipal transfer tax beyond the county base.
Does The Highlands require a sewer lateral inspection at sale?
Several San Mateo County jurisdictions require a private sewer lateral compliance certificate before close of escrow. The requirement varies by city — confirm with your transaction coordinator early in the listing process.
What disclosures are required when selling a home in The Highlands?
California requires Transfer Disclosure Statement, Natural Hazard Disclosure, lead-based paint (pre-1978), water-conserving plumbing fixtures, and smoke and carbon monoxide alarm certifications. San Mateo County properties may also require sewer lateral compliance and local supplemental disclosures.
What is the difference between median and average home price in The Highlands?
Median price is the middle number when all sale prices are sorted — half of homes sold above, half below. It resists distortion from a few very expensive sales. Average price is the arithmetic mean and can be skewed upward by individual high-end transactions. Median is the more reliable indicator of typical The Highlands home pricing.

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Last updated 2026-05-06 · By Lisa M. Lum, Realtor® · Coldwell Banker Realty · DRE 02005150