Lake Balboa is a flat, recreation-anchored central-Valley neighborhood built around its lake, park, and Japanese Garden, with central 405/101 freeway access.
| Metric | Value |
|---|---|
| Median home price | ~$860,000–$960,000 (varies by source, mid-2026; bundled with West Van Nuys) · details |
| Median days on market | Pull live · verify current figure |
| County | Los Angeles |
| ZIP codes | 91406 |
| School district | Los Angeles Unified (LAUSD) |
| Tax authority | Los Angeles County Assessor |
Where it sits and overview
Lake Balboa is a neighborhood of Los Angeles in the central San Fernando Valley, in Los Angeles County, on the flat Valley floor around its namesake lake and park. It was officially carved out of Van Nuys and recognized as its own neighborhood in the mid-2000s, and it remains compact and centered on the lake and the adjacent Sepulveda Basin open space.
As part of the City of Los Angeles, Lake Balboa taxes and records are administered through the Los Angeles County Assessor and Treasurer and Tax Collector.
Home types and price context
Lake Balboa is predominantly mid-century single-family homes on flat lots, with some condos and townhomes. As of mid-2026, figures ranged roughly $860,000 to $960,000 depending on the source and month — it is a small submarket that data providers often bundle with West Van Nuys, so a standalone median is unreliable. Pull a live, dated comp set on our property search for an accurate read.
Neighborhood character
Unlike larger communities, Lake Balboa is generally treated as a single, cohesive neighborhood rather than a collection of named tracts — we won't invent sub-areas it doesn't have. Its defining feature is the lake and park at its center, with quiet residential streets radiating outward. Homes closer to Anthony C. Beilenson Park (Lake Balboa Park) and the Sepulveda Basin trade on that recreation access.
Schools
Lake Balboa is served by LAUSD. The community's high school is Birmingham Community Charter High School on Victory Boulevard, in Lake Balboa. Area elementary schools include Gault Street Elementary and Lemay Street Elementary, with William Mulholland Middle School serving the area; the Lake Balboa College Preparatory Magnet (a K–12 magnet) is also located here. Attendance is assigned by address — verify any specific home with the LAUSD Resident School Finder.
Fire hazard, flood, and airport-noise context
Lake Balboa is flat Valley floor and is not in a CAL FIRE Very High Fire Hazard Severity Zone, though brush fires do occur in the adjacent Sepulveda Basin open space. A more relevant local disclosure is proximity to Van Nuys Airport (VNY): parts of Lake Balboa sit near VNY departure and arrival corridors and are discussed in airport-noise contexts (a 2025 FAA departure-route change reduced jet noise for some Lake Balboa residents). If aircraft noise matters to you, visit at different times of day and review the home's location relative to VNY flight paths; we can help you assess it for a specific address.
Mello-Roos and HOA
Most Lake Balboa homes do not carry Mello-Roos, given the area's older housing stock. Condos and townhomes carry HOA dues; verify the specific parcel's tax bill and any HOA before writing an offer.
Commute and access
Lake Balboa is bounded by Interstate 405 and U.S. Route 101, which meet near the neighborhood's southeast edge — giving it strong, central freeway access toward the Westside, Downtown, and the rest of the Valley. Test your specific route at your real departure time before committing.
Buyer and seller considerations
For buyers
Lake Balboa's appeal is recreation-adjacent, flat-lot living with central freeway access. Request the preliminary title report and tax bill early, and assess airport-noise exposure for the specific address.
- Visit the home at different times of day to gauge aircraft noise from VNY.
- Confirm the assigned schools (Birmingham Community Charter at the high-school level) for the exact address.
- For condos and townhomes, review HOA dues and financials.
For sellers
Price from current, accurate comparables — and because Redfin bundles Lake Balboa with West Van Nuys, lean on a hand-selected comp set for the specific pocket. Proactive disclosure of any airport-noise and HOA details reduces fall-out. See our seller guide and buyer guide.
A closer look at Lake Balboa living
Lake Balboa's identity is built around its park. Anthony C. Beilenson Park, commonly called Lake Balboa Park, surrounds a 27-acre lake filled with reclaimed water from the nearby Tillman Water Reclamation Plant, and offers a popular loop path, pedal boats, and picnic areas. The cherry trees around the lake draw visitors when they bloom in spring. Adjacent is the Japanese Garden (Suiho En), a 6.5-acre public garden, and the broader Sepulveda Basin Recreation Area with its trails, wildlife reserve, and sports facilities. For buyers who want green space and recreation at their doorstep on flat, walkable streets, that concentration of parkland is the neighborhood's signature draw.
Schools serving Lake Balboa in depth
Lake Balboa sits within LAUSD, so attendance follows LAUSD's address-based boundaries and charter/magnet options. At the high-school level, Birmingham Community Charter High School on Victory Boulevard is the community's school — an affiliated charter with a substantial enrollment. Gault Street and Lemay Street elementary schools and William Mulholland Middle School serve the area, and the Lake Balboa College Preparatory Magnet offers a K–12 magnet option. As always, two homes a short distance apart can fall in different attendance areas, so confirm the exact assignment for any address with the LAUSD Resident School Finder before writing an offer.
Getting around: commute and access from Lake Balboa
Lake Balboa's position between the 405 and 101 gives it some of the most central freeway access in the central Valley, which is a genuine advantage for commuters heading to the Westside over the Sepulveda Pass or south toward Downtown. The trade-off of that central location is proximity to Van Nuys Airport, so factor both freeway access and flight-path position into where in the neighborhood you buy. Test your route and timing before committing.
Understanding property tax in Lake Balboa
California's base property-tax rate is roughly 1% of assessed value under Proposition 13, plus local voter-approved bonds. Lake Balboa's older housing stock means Mello-Roos is uncommon, but condos and townhomes carry HOA dues that affect monthly cost. Confirm by reading the actual tax bill, preliminary title report, and any HOA financials. The tax authority of record is the Los Angeles County Assessor.
What buyers should know before making an offer in Lake Balboa
Lake Balboa rewards buyers who value recreation access and central location and who do their homework on the neighborhood's two local nuances: airport noise and the bundled-data pricing picture.
- Assess VNY aircraft-noise exposure for the specific address by visiting at different times.
- Use a hand-selected comp set rather than a bundled "Lake Balboa / West Van Nuys" median.
- Confirm the assigned schools (Birmingham Community Charter at the high-school level) for the exact address.
Our buyer guide and first-time buyer guide cover these steps.
What sellers should know in Lake Balboa
Because Lake Balboa is a small, recreation-anchored submarket that data providers bundle with West Van Nuys, accurate pricing depends on a carefully chosen comp set for the specific pocket. Proactive disclosure of airport-noise and HOA details up front reduces renegotiation risk. Our seller guide covers prep, pricing, and timing.
Who Lake Balboa tends to fit
Lake Balboa fits buyers who want flat, walkable streets, central freeway access, and parkland at their doorstep — and who weigh airport-noise proximity as part of the trade-off. It is a practical, recreation-oriented central-Valley choice.
Local lifestyle in Lake Balboa
Life in Lake Balboa revolves around the lake and the Sepulveda Basin: walking and biking the loop path, the Japanese Garden, pedal boats, and the spring cherry blossoms, all on flat, easy terrain. It offers an outdoorsy, low-key, residential rhythm in the middle of the Valley.
What drives the central San Fernando Valley market in Lake Balboa
Lake Balboa is one of the youngest neighborhood identities in the San Fernando Valley — carved out of Van Nuys and formally recognized only in the mid-2000s — and its market is shaped by its setting more than by any street-by-street prestige hierarchy. The central, defining draw is Lake Balboa itself and the surrounding parkland. Anthony C. Beilenson Park (commonly "Lake Balboa Park") wraps a 27-acre lake with a loop path, pedal boats, and spring cherry blossoms, and sits beside the Japanese Garden (Suiho En) and the broad open space of the Sepulveda Basin Recreation Area. For buyers who want green space and recreation at their doorstep on flat, walkable streets, that concentration of parkland is the neighborhood's signature.
The second driver is its central, flat-floor location: bounded by the 405 and 101, Lake Balboa has some of the most central freeway access in the Valley, which supports steady commuter demand at accessible price points. The flip side of that central position is proximity to Van Nuys Airport (VNY), the most important local disclosure: parts of the neighborhood sit near VNY departure and arrival corridors and are discussed in airport-noise contexts, though a 2025 FAA departure-route change reduced jet noise for some residents.
The third factor is a data quirk that matters for pricing: Lake Balboa is a small submarket that providers often bundle with West Van Nuys, so a single reported median is unreliable. Public sources put the median roughly in the $860,000–$960,000 range around mid-2026, but it varies by source and reporting window. Treat any single figure as approximate and pull a live, dated, hand-selected comp set for the specific pocket.
Lake Balboa home values by area (a tiered view)
Lake Balboa is genuinely a compact, cohesive neighborhood rather than a collection of distinct named tracts — so the gradients below are best understood as proximity and product type, not as separate sub-markets with hard borders. The table is a qualitative guide to how positioning generally affects value; it is not a substitute for a live, dated comp set, and figures vary by source and over time.
| Position / type | Character | Relative price posture |
|---|---|---|
| Park-adjacent | Homes closest to Anthony C. Beilenson Park (Lake Balboa Park) and the Sepulveda Basin, trading on recreation access on flat, walkable streets | Top of the local range — recreation-proximity premium |
| Balboa Boulevard corridor / core single-family | The bulk of the neighborhood: mid-century single-family homes on flat lots; airport-noise exposure varies by location relative to VNY corridors | Core / accessible tier — broadest buyer pool |
| Condos & townhomes | Attached homes carrying HOA dues; the most attainable entry point | Entry tier — lowest price of entry, HOA cost to weigh |
LAUSD and Birmingham Community Charter High School: a closer look
Lake Balboa sits within the Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD), so attendance follows LAUSD's address-based boundaries and its charter and magnet options. At the high-school level, the community's school is Birmingham Community Charter High School on Victory Boulevard in Lake Balboa — an internal LAUSD charter (the former Birmingham High School, which converted to charter status) serving roughly 3,000 students in grades 9–12. Area elementary schools include Gault Street and Lemay Street, with William Mulholland Middle School serving the area, and the Lake Balboa College Preparatory Magnet offering a K–12 magnet option.
One important caution: some older or third-party listings show an incorrect high-school name for Lake Balboa. Birmingham Community Charter on Victory Boulevard is the community's high school. As always, attendance is assigned by exact address and can change, and two homes a short distance apart can fall in different attendance areas, so verify the assigned and any magnet schools for a specific address with the LAUSD Resident School Finder before you write an offer.
Commuting from Lake Balboa: the I-405 and US-101 corridors
Lake Balboa's standout commute advantage is geography: the neighborhood is bounded by Interstate 405 and U.S. Route 101, which meet near its southeast edge, giving it some of the most central freeway access in the Valley. That puts the Westside over the Sepulveda Pass, Downtown to the south, and the rest of the Valley all within a direct freeway reach — a genuine advantage for commuters and a steady support for demand.
The trade-off of that central location is the same proximity to Van Nuys Airport that defines the area's key disclosure, so where you buy within the neighborhood affects both freeway convenience and flight-path exposure. The Sepulveda Pass stretch of the 405 can be slow at peak. As always, the honest answer to "how long is the commute" is to test your specific route at the hour you would actually be driving it.
Buyer and seller takeaways for Lake Balboa
Buyer takeaways
- Assess airport noise for the specific address. Visit at different times of day to gauge VNY aircraft noise, and review the home's location relative to the flight corridors — exposure varies block to block.
- Weigh park-proximity against price. Park-adjacent homes carry a recreation premium; the broader single-family core offers the most accessible entry.
- Verify the high school by address. Confirm Birmingham Community Charter (and any magnet interest) with the LAUSD Resident School Finder; ignore older third-party listings that show the wrong school.
- Use a hand-selected comp set. Because providers bundle Lake Balboa with West Van Nuys, do not price off a bundled median — pull live, dated comps for the specific pocket.
Seller takeaways
- Price from hand-selected comps. Lean on a carefully chosen comp set for the specific pocket rather than a bundled "Lake Balboa / West Van Nuys" figure.
- Lead with the park and central access. Recreation proximity and the 405/101 location are the neighborhood's signature selling points.
- Disclose airport-noise and HOA details up front. Proactive disclosure reduces fall-out and renegotiation; for condos, have HOA financials ready.
- Present clean and current. Decluttered, well-photographed homes with accurate pricing move best in a payment-sensitive market. Pull a live, dated MLS set before setting list price.
Frequently Asked Questions
What high school serves Lake Balboa?
Birmingham Community Charter High School on Victory Boulevard, in Lake Balboa. Some older third-party sources list an incorrect school name for the area, so always verify the assigned school per address with the LAUSD Resident School Finder.
Is Lake Balboa in a fire zone?
No. Lake Balboa is flat Valley floor and is not in a CAL FIRE Very High Fire Hazard Severity Zone, though brush fires occur in the adjacent Sepulveda Basin open space.
Is Lake Balboa under Van Nuys Airport flight paths?
Parts of Lake Balboa sit near Van Nuys Airport (VNY) departure and arrival corridors and are discussed in airport-noise contexts; a 2025 FAA route change reduced jet noise for some residents. Visit at different times and assess the specific address.
What is the median home price in Lake Balboa?
As of mid-2026, figures ranged roughly $860,000 to $960,000 depending on the source - it's a small submarket that data providers bundle with West Van Nuys, so use a hand-selected comp set rather than a single median.
What is Anthony C. Beilenson Park?
It's Lake Balboa's central park (commonly 'Lake Balboa Park'), surrounding a 27-acre lake with a loop path, pedal boats, spring cherry blossoms, and the adjacent Japanese Garden and Sepulveda Basin.
Does Lake Balboa have Mello-Roos?
Most Lake Balboa homes do not carry Mello-Roos, given the older housing stock. Condos and townhomes carry HOA dues; verify the parcel's tax bill and HOA.
What county is Lake Balboa in?
Lake Balboa is a neighborhood of the City of Los Angeles, in Los Angeles County.
Does the Brian Cooper team have a San Fernando Valley office?
No. The team serves the San Fernando Valley from our Simi Valley headquarters; we do not maintain a San Fernando Valley office.
How many days are Lake Balboa homes on the market?
Days on market is time-sensitive and, in a small submarket like Lake Balboa, swings with a handful of sales; park-adjacent and well-priced homes generally absorb faster. Pull a live, dated MLS set for the current figure rather than relying on a bundled number.
Is Lake Balboa a seller's market or a buyer's market?
Lake Balboa is a compact, accessible-price submarket that has generally favored sellers for move-in-ready homes, though airport-noise exposure and condition can shift individual outcomes. Because data is often bundled with West Van Nuys, confirm with a hand-selected, current comp set.
Where does the Lake Balboa market data come from?
Public sources and regional MLS data inform these figures; because providers often bundle Lake Balboa with West Van Nuys, the numbers are approximate and vary by source. See our data sources and methodology page, and verify with a live, dated, hand-selected comp set.
How has the Lake Balboa market changed versus a year ago?
Year-over-year, Lake Balboa has been broadly steady at the accessible price points that define it, but the small sample size and bundled reporting make a single year-over-year figure unreliable. Compare like-for-like comps and pull a live, dated MLS set for the specific pocket.
What should buyers and sellers do in the current Lake Balboa market?
Buyers should assess VNY aircraft-noise exposure for the specific address, confirm Birmingham Community Charter and other school assignments by address, and review HOA financials for condos. Sellers should price from a hand-selected comp set (not a bundled median) and disclose airport-noise and HOA details up front. Pull a live, dated MLS set first.
Local restaurants & things to do in Lake Balboa
Lake Balboa's identity centers on its lake, park, and the adjacent Sepulveda Basin open space, with dining options nearby and in surrounding Van Nuys and Encino. A few local spots are listed below for orientation.
Where to eat
- Casaléna — coastal Mediterranean, indoor/outdoor dining near the park
- Black Heart Coffee Co. — coffee and brunch spot
Things to do
- Lake Balboa / Anthony C. Beilenson Park — lake with a loop path, pedal boats, and spring cherry blossoms
- The Japanese Garden (Suiho En) — public Japanese stroll garden on Woodley Avenue
- Sepulveda Basin Wildlife Reserve — nature trails and birdwatching
Local spots change hands and hours — please confirm directly before visiting. These are popular local picks for orientation, not paid endorsements.
Related on this site
- Lake Balboa Schools Guide
- Lake Balboa Lifestyle & Amenities
- Lake Balboa: Value Alternative to Encino
- Lake Balboa for Park & Nature Families
- Lake Balboa Answer Engine
- Lake Balboa area & homes guide
- Van Nuys Real Estate
- Reseda Real Estate
- City Guides
- Buyer Guide
- First-Time Buyer Guide
- Contact Brian
