Trying to decide between Calabasas and Westlake Village for your next move can feel like comparing two great versions of the same dream. You want a luxury home, strong community ties, and everyday ease without sacrificing privacy. In this guide, you’ll get a clear, side‑by‑side look at pricing, housing styles, lifestyle, commute patterns, schools, and next steps so you can choose your best fit with confidence. Let’s dive in.
Calabasas vs. Westlake at a glance
If you are scanning prices, start with recent snapshots and remember they vary by neighborhood and data source. Zillow’s Home Value Index shows a typical home value around $1.65 million in Calabasas as of January 31, 2026, and about $1.52 million in Westlake Village as of December 31, 2025 source: Zillow city pages for Calabasas and Westlake Village. Redfin’s January 2026 median sale price snapshot shows about $1.37 million in Calabasas and about $2.38 million in Westlake Village, which reflects small sample sizes and how neighborhoods are grouped source: Redfin’s Calabasas market snapshot. Treat these as directional. For an offer or list price, use current local MLS data and street‑level comps.
Lifestyle metrics can also help. According to ACS 2020–2024 estimates, median household income is roughly $165,000 in Calabasas and about $180,000 in Westlake Village, with average commute times of 34.1 minutes in Calabasas and 23.1 minutes in Westlake Village source: Census QuickFacts, ACS 2020–2024. These are useful markers if daily drive time matters to you.
Housing types and micro‑markets
Calabasas: gated estates and hills
Calabasas is known for hillside estates, gated enclaves, and large custom lots. Prestige pockets like The Oaks and Calabasas Park Estates often trade well above the broader city averages. You will also find lake‑adjacent homes near Lake Calabasas and more attainable condo or townhome clusters in select areas. Architectural styles range from Mediterranean and Spanish to contemporary builds and modern farmhouse updates as older homes are rebuilt or expanded source: Zillow market pages for Calabasas.
Market behavior in Calabasas varies widely by neighborhood. Gated luxury enclaves can set higher price tiers, while Old Town and condo pockets show different medians. Expect multi‑month swings at the high end due to small sample sizes and custom product.
Westlake Village: lake and club enclaves
Westlake Village is a master‑planned, lake‑centered community with several distinct tiers. You will see lakefront properties, golf‑course estates in and around North Ranch, and planned suburban tracts with consistent curb appeal. Styles often include Mediterranean and ranch, with resort‑style homes near the lake and courses source: North Ranch Country Club overview.
Local medians in Westlake Village can be pulled higher by top‑tier enclaves like lakefront and guarded estates. Other pockets are more moderate. Different data sources weigh neighborhoods and date ranges differently, so use neighborhood comps to anchor your expectations source: Zillow market page for Westlake Village.
Lifestyle, walkability, and amenities
Walkability and daily errands
Both cities are largely car‑oriented, though the experience varies by block. Calabasas has limited continuous retail corridors, with Old Town and The Commons creating the main walkable pockets. Westlake Village also skews car‑dependent overall, but certain areas near the Promenade and the lake have higher walkability scores and easy access to shops and restaurants source: Walk Score examples for Westlake Village.
Shopping and dining hubs
In Calabasas, The Commons and Old Town serve as primary community hubs for dining, boutiques, and weekend routines like the Saturday farmers market in Old Town source: Old Town Calabasas Farmers Market. In Westlake Village, restaurants and service retail cluster around the Promenade and Westlake Plaza, with the lake and local resorts shaping a village‑center feel and steady calendar of dining and leisure options source: Westlake Village amenity highlights.
Clubs and recreation
Private‑club access is a key draw in both markets. In Calabasas, the Calabasas Country Club offers 18 holes and a full clubhouse experience, which is a major perk for golf‑minded buyers source: Calabasas Country Club. In Westlake Village, North Ranch Country Club offers 27 holes, tennis, and dining, and the lake adds social boating culture through local groups like the yacht club source: North Ranch Country Club.
Outdoors and trails
You are minutes from the Santa Monica Mountains and canyon corridors in both communities. Calabasas sits near King Gillette Ranch and Santa Monica Mountains National Park Service lands, which offer trailheads and education centers. Westlake Village touches the Conejo Valley foothills, with lakefront greenways and neighborhood trails for daily walks or runs source: Santa Monica Mountains NPS, King Gillette Ranch.
Commuting and access
Both cities rely on the US‑101 corridor for east‑west travel to the Valley and other LA job centers. Live drive times vary by destination and time of day, so check Waze or Google Maps during your typical commute windows. On average, ACS 2020–2024 shows Westlake Village residents report shorter mean travel times at about 23.1 minutes, compared with around 34.1 minutes in Calabasas source: Census QuickFacts, ACS 2020–2024. If you expect daily office trips to Thousand Oaks, Westlake’s location can be a time saver, while Calabasas offers closer access to Malibu canyon routes.
Schools and family logistics
Public schools in Calabasas are served by Las Virgenes Unified School District. Parts of Westlake Village on the LA County side are also in LVUSD, while Ventura County portions can fall in Conejo Valley Unified. Always confirm your specific address against the current boundary maps and request performance data directly from the district when schools are a primary driver source: LVUSD.
For community profile, both cities are higher‑income suburban areas with active civic life and local services. Avoid relying on broad safety assumptions. If safety is a priority for you, use local police department resources or crime‑mapping tools to review up‑to‑date statistics for specific addresses.
Which neighborhood fits your style
- Choose Calabasas if you want maximum privacy, hillside or gated‑community living, and proximity to Malibu canyons and mountain trails. Prestige enclaves and lake‑adjacent streets set strong lifestyle markers, and LVUSD coverage is a frequent draw. Plan for a longer average commute to many LA job centers if you drive daily.
- Choose Westlake Village if you want a resort‑styled suburban experience near the lake, golf clubs, and village shopping nodes. Shorter average commute times to Conejo Valley employment hubs can simplify daily life. Walkable pockets near the Promenade and lakefront areas make errands and dining convenient.
How to choose with confidence
Use a structured approach to test fit, timing, and value.
- Clarify your must‑haves
- Rank privacy, lot size, club access, lake proximity, walkability, and school boundary preferences.
- Define your workable commute time and the destinations that matter most.
- Ground your budget in real comps
- Treat city medians as context, not as a pricing rule. Check Zillow and Redfin trends for direction, then lean on up‑to‑date MLS comps for a specific street or enclave Zillow Calabasas and Zillow Westlake Village.
- Note snapshot dates. The figures cited here reflect late 2025 to January 2026.
- Test the daily rhythm
- Do two half‑day drives in each city at your likely commute times and on a weekend midday. Use live mapping for realistic travel times.
- Walk the amenity hubs: Old Town Calabasas, The Commons, the Westlake Promenade, and the lakefront paths. The Saturday farmers market in Old Town Calabasas is a great pulse check for community feel Old Town market details.
- Preview club options
- If golf or social clubs matter, schedule tours or a guest day at Calabasas Country Club and North Ranch Country Club. Ask about membership categories, waitlists, reciprocal privileges, and family programming Calabasas Country Club and North Ranch Country Club.
- Confirm schools and services
- Check LVUSD or Conejo Valley Unified boundary maps for your target addresses and request any school performance data directly from the district LVUSD.
Ready to compare homes?
If you are weighing Calabasas against Westlake Village, a curated short list across two or three micro‑markets in each city will make the decision clear. Start with one entry‑level luxury option and one upper‑tier example in each area, then compare lifestyle, carry costs, and commute. From there, you can focus on the neighborhood that best aligns with your day‑to‑day life.
When you are ready, connect with a local advisor who knows both markets well and can source on‑ and off‑market options, coordinate private club tours, and verify school boundaries and HOA details. For a quiet‑luxury, concierge experience, reach out to Tina Lucarelli to Request a Private Consultation & Complimentary Home Valuation.
FAQs
What are current prices in Calabasas and Westlake Village in 2026?
- Zillow’s index shows typical values around $1.65 million in Calabasas as of January 31, 2026, and about $1.52 million in Westlake Village as of December 31, 2025, while Redfin’s January 2026 medians vary due to small samples and neighborhood mix.
How walkable are Calabasas and Westlake Village for daily errands?
- Both are mostly car‑oriented, with Calabasas most walkable in Old Town and The Commons, and Westlake Village offering more walkable pockets near the Promenade and lake Walk Score Westlake examples.
Which city reports a shorter average commute time?
- ACS 2020–2024 shows mean travel times of about 23.1 minutes in Westlake Village and about 34.1 minutes in Calabasas, which is helpful if you drive daily to Conejo Valley or LA job centers Census QuickFacts.
What public school districts serve these areas?
- Calabasas is served by Las Virgenes Unified School District, and parts of Westlake Village are in LVUSD or Conejo Valley Unified; confirm the exact boundary for any address with the district LVUSD.
How should I compare gated or lakefront neighborhoods across both cities?
- Build an apples‑to‑apples list with at least one entry luxury and one upper‑tier home in each target enclave, then compare lot size, privacy, HOA rules, club access, and drive times during your typical commute windows.
