At the south end of Encinitas, Cardiff-by-the-Sea sits between San Elijo Lagoon and the state beaches along Coast Highway 101, with residential streets on both sides of Interstate 5. With its own ZIP code and elementary school district, it is usually treated as a market area separate from the rest of the city.

County: San Diego County · North County Coastal
Type: Unincorporated community
ZIP codes: 92007
Report options: Desktop from $299 · Standard from $699

The Cardiff-by-the-Sea housing market

Platted in the early twentieth century and filled in mainly between the 1920s and 1950s, Cardiff has a base of small cottages and ranch homes on the flatter Walking District streets west of Interstate 5. The hillside Composer District, whose streets carry the names of composers, holds custom homes with upper-level living areas designed to capture ocean views, while Cardiff Cove offers condominiums and townhomes at a lower entry point and Sandy Point has gated homes near the lagoon trails. Many original houses have been remodeled, replaced or rebuilt as duplexes, so the housing stock varies widely from lot to lot. Because the community is small and largely built out, turnover is low and few listings are available at any one time.

Neighborhoods and communities

Composer District
Walking District
Cardiff Cove
Sandy Point
Park Place
Cardiff Town Center

Property types we commonly appraise here

beach cottages and remodeled ranch homes
ocean-view custom homes with reverse floor plans
duplexes and twin homes
condominiums and townhomes
hillside homes above San Elijo Lagoon

What shapes value in Cardiff-by-the-Sea

Ocean-view premiums vary from block to block in the Composer District, so view quality and the risk of future obstruction need support from closely matched sales. West of Interstate 5, coastal development permits, environmental buffers along San Elijo Lagoon and the legal status of added units or garage conversions all affect value. Thin sales volume often pushes comparable searches into Leucadia, Old Encinitas and Solana Beach, which calls for careful location adjustment.

Around Cardiff-by-the-Sea

San Elijo Lagoon Ecological Reserve, Cardiff State Beach, the San Elijo State Beach campground and the surf breaks at Cardiff Reef and Seaside shape daily life, along with the restaurants on Coast Highway 101. MiraCosta College's San Elijo campus, Glen Park and the Cardiff Kook statue are other local landmarks.

Appraisals we prepare for Cardiff-by-the-Sea properties

Desktop appraisals start at $299; Drive-By and Standard appraisals with a visit to the property start at $649 and $699. See pricing for every report type.

Cardiff-by-the-Sea Home Appraisals