The 405 freeway splits North Hills into two halves with distinct identities, formalized in separate neighborhood councils. Below is the direct answer, the detail behind it, and exactly how to verify it for your specific situation.
Direct Answer
The 405 freeway splits North Hills into two halves with distinct identities, formalized in separate neighborhood councils. North Hills West borders Northridge and reads as its continuation, similar tracts, CSUN within reach, higher prices that benchmark against Northridge at a discount. North Hills East runs toward Panorama City with the neighborhood's lowest entry prices and more multifamily mix. The west side buys adjacency; the east side buys maximum house per dollar.
Why this question matters
Portals and price charts treat North Hills as one market, and it is not. The same budget produces very different outcomes on the two sides of the freeway, and buyers who do not know the split exists end up comparing listings that belong to different conversations.
The detail behind the answer
The split is official enough to have produced two neighborhood councils, North Hills West and North Hills East, and real enough to show in the housing data. The west side's postwar tracts sit minutes from Northridge's shopping corridors and CSUN, and its pricing tracks Northridge with a persistent discount that exists largely because the name on the map differs. The east side carries the central Valley's denser texture: lower single family entry points, more apartments, and the strongest pure value numbers in the neighborhood. Block by block variation is high on both sides, which makes the evening drive by mandatory before any offer, and LAUSD school assignments are parcel specific with real stakes on the Granada Hills adjacent northern streets.
How to verify
Walk and drive the specific blocks at different hours, verify the exact address's school assignment through LAUSD's tools, and compare against Northridge and Granada Hills actives to see the discount you are actually capturing. The full framework is in my North Hills buyer guide, con la versión en español en la guía de North Hills en español.
What I tell clients
I frame it as a ladder: buy east for the entry price, build equity, move west, or skip straight to west side streets when the budget reaches Northridge adjacency at a discount. Either rung beats overpaying across the boundary for the same postwar house with a different neighborhood name on it.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which side of North Hills is more expensive?
The west side generally prices higher, reflecting its Northridge adjacency and CSUN proximity, while the east side sets the neighborhood's entry floor. The spread is wide enough that the two sides function as separate markets within one name.
Is North Hills West basically Northridge?
In daily life terms, largely: similar tracts, the same shopping corridors, and CSUN within easy reach, at a discount driven mostly by the neighborhood name. That gap is the core of the west side's value thesis.
Was North Hills previously called Sepulveda?
Yes, the area carried the Sepulveda name until its renaming in the 1990s, and older permit and title records may still use it, which matters when researching a specific property's history.
Do schools differ across North Hills?
Assignments are parcel specific throughout, served by LAUSD, with the Granada Hills boundary adjacency creating genuine stakes on northern streets. Verify the exact address through the district before buying on any school assumption.
