What Is Madison Heights Like in Pasadena?
Justin Borges, DRE #01940318 · 13 min read
(Redfin 2026)
(Walk Score 2026)
(Pasadena 2026)
(Justin Borges, eXp)
- What Are the Boundaries of Madison Heights?
- What Does Madison Heights Look Like?
- What Is It Like to Live in Madison Heights?
- What Are the Schools Like?
- Who Buys in Madison Heights?
- What Is the Real Estate Market Like?
- How Does Madison Heights Compare to Nearby Neighborhoods?
- Frequently Asked Questions
If you have spent any time searching for a home in Pasadena, you have probably come across Madison Heights without realizing it has a name. It is the stretch of tree-lined residential blocks south of Colorado Boulevard, the streets that feel quieter and more settled than the restaurants and retail of Old Town but still close enough to walk there on a weekday evening. Buyers who find it tend to stay: the neighborhood has strong fundamentals across every category that matters, architecture, schools, walkability, and access to employers, without the price premium attached to Pasadena's most recognizable addresses.
In my work covering Pasadena and the broader San Gabriel Valley, Madison Heights comes up consistently when buyers describe what they are looking for. They want a real neighborhood, not a transitional area or a speculative bet. They want sidewalks that lead somewhere useful. They want to know their kids have a clear path to a strong public school. Madison Heights satisfies all of those criteria, and the market reflects it: homes here move quickly and rarely sell below list price.
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Reserve Your Free Seat →What Are the Boundaries of Madison Heights?
Madison Heights sits in south-central Pasadena. The informal boundaries run from Colorado Boulevard on the north to California Boulevard on the south, from Los Robles Avenue on the east to Lake Avenue on the west. This creates a roughly rectangular residential zone that is walkable from end to end in about 20 minutes.
Colorado Boulevard marks the northern edge and is one of Pasadena's primary commercial streets, home to restaurants, boutiques, and the famous New Year's Day Rose Parade route. California Boulevard, the southern boundary, is a quieter four-lane arterial that connects the neighborhood to the broader Caltech campus two blocks further south. Lake Avenue, the western edge, anchors the neighborhood's most walkable commercial spine, with grocery stores, pharmacies, coffee shops, and local restaurants within easy walking distance of most blocks inside the neighborhood.
The location places Madison Heights within about 10 minutes of the Rose Bowl by car, 15 minutes from the 210 freeway on-ramp, and within a short drive of California Institute of Technology and the Jet Propulsion Laboratory in La Canada Flintridge. For buyers who need to commute to downtown Los Angeles, the Gold Line station at Lake Avenue (Del Mar Station) puts Union Station about 35 to 40 minutes away by rail.
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Browse Pasadena Listings →What Does Madison Heights Look Like?
The dominant architectural style in Madison Heights is the California Craftsman bungalow, built predominantly between 1910 and 1935. These are single-story and occasional two-story homes with wide front porches, exposed rafter tails, tapered columns on masonry bases, and wood siding in muted earthy tones. Many retain their original character: built-in bookshelves, picture-rail molding, hardwood floors, and single-hung wood windows that are now expensive to replicate. Lot sizes typically run from 6,000 to 8,000 square feet, and most homes have rear yards with mature trees and room for an accessory dwelling unit under Pasadena's R-1 zoning.
Spanish Colonial Revival homes are the second most common style, reflecting the broader Southern California building boom of the late 1920s. These properties feature red clay tile roofs, stucco exteriors, arched doorways, and courtyard-facing floor plans. They tend to command a slight premium over equivalent Craftsman bungalows when in comparable condition, because their stucco construction holds up well to the Pasadena climate and requires less exterior maintenance than wood-sided homes.
Mid-century modern infill appears on some blocks, typically postwar construction from the 1950s and 1960s that replaced earlier cottages or filled empty lots. These properties are generally smaller in square footage than their Craftsman or Spanish Colonial neighbors but sit on similar lot sizes, making them attractive candidates for buyers interested in accessory dwelling unit development. A smaller number of contemporary rebuilds have appeared in the past decade as older homes reached the end of their structural life. These tend to be the most expensive properties in the neighborhood on a per-square-foot basis.
"The Craftsman bungalows in Madison Heights are not a design trend. They are original construction, and the ones that have been properly maintained are genuinely hard to find anywhere else in the region at this price point."
Justin Borges, REALTOR | eXp RealtyWhat Is It Like to Live in Madison Heights?
Daily life in Madison Heights is anchored by the Lake Avenue corridor on the neighborhood's western edge. Within a 10-minute walk from most interior blocks, residents can reach Trader Joe's, a Whole Foods Market, Vroman's Bookstore (one of the largest independent bookstores in Southern California), multiple coffee shops, and a range of restaurants from casual to sit-down. The corridor also has a CVS, a local gym, and several dry cleaners and personal service businesses that make routine errands walkable for most households.
Old Town Pasadena is roughly 15 to 20 minutes on foot from the western side of the neighborhood or a 5-minute drive. It offers a denser restaurant and retail scene than the Lake Avenue corridor, with Colorado Boulevard lined by national brands and locally owned restaurants. The Paseo Colorado outdoor mall, the Laemmle Pasadena theater, and several farmers markets are all accessible from Old Town.
Green space within the neighborhood itself is limited to street trees and private yards, but Garfield Park and Memorial Park are within a 10 to 15 minute walk, and the Rose Bowl area with its walking and running path around the 3-mile loop is about 10 minutes by car. The neighborhood is quiet on weekday mornings and moderately active on weekends. Traffic on Colorado Boulevard can be noisy for homes on or just south of that arterial, and buyers who are sensitive to street noise should prioritize interior blocks during their home search.
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Search $900K-$1.5M Homes →What Are the Schools Like in Madison Heights?
Madison Heights is served by Pasadena Unified School District, one of the larger unified districts in Los Angeles County. PUSD operates a mix of traditional neighborhood schools and magnet programs, and the options available to families in Madison Heights are genuinely strong by regional standards.
The primary elementary school for most addresses in Madison Heights is Madison Elementary School, located near the center of the neighborhood. It serves kindergarten through fifth grade and is a neighborhood-attendance school, meaning students in the attendance zone are guaranteed enrollment without a lottery or application process. Families who prefer a magnet option within the elementary years can apply to several PUSD elementary magnets, though those typically require a separate application and are not guaranteed.
Blair High School, which serves the Madison Heights area for grades nine through twelve, offers one of the more distinctive academic programs in Pasadena Unified. It is an IB World School, meaning it offers the International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme for eligible students in grades eleven and twelve, as well as IB Middle Years Programme components in earlier grades. The IB magnet designation has made Blair a draw for academically focused families across central and south Pasadena. Enrollment in the IB Programme itself is competitive and requires separate application within the school, but the general enrollment for students within the attendance zone is guaranteed by address.
Pasadena Arts and Science Charter School is an additional option for families who prefer a charter school model. It operates within the PUSD umbrella and accepts students through a lottery process. Enrollment is not guaranteed by address, so families considering it should apply early and have a backup plan within the PUSD traditional school system.
Looking for homes near Blair High School or Madison Elementary?
Browse Pasadena Homes by School Zone →Who Buys in Madison Heights?
The Madison Heights buyer profile is more specific than most Pasadena neighborhoods. The most common buyer type is a dual-income household, typically in their early 30s to mid-40s, with at least one partner working in a technical or professional field. Caltech and JPL together employ thousands of people in Pasadena and the adjacent La Canada Flintridge area, and a significant share of Madison Heights buyers are researchers, engineers, or administrators tied to those institutions. The neighborhood's walkability, strong schools, and relative affordability compared to San Marino (where median prices run $2M or more) make it a natural landing spot for that cohort.
Families relocating from San Marino or Arcadia are another consistent buyer type. Those neighborhoods sit nearby to the east and south and have become increasingly expensive over the past decade, in part due to demand from buyers in the Chinese-American community with strong school preferences. As prices in San Marino climbed above $2M for typical single-family homes, Madison Heights became an alternative that offers comparable school quality through PUSD, specifically Blair's IB program, at roughly half the price point.
Young professionals without children but with long-term purchase intentions are a third buyer segment. They are attracted by the walkability, the proximity to Old Town Pasadena's social scene, and the opportunity to build equity in a neighborhood with stable long-term demand. These buyers often ask about ADU potential, and the R-1 zoning across most of Madison Heights allows detached accessory dwelling units on lots with adequate square footage, which can offset carrying costs significantly.
Real Estate MarketWhat Is the Madison Heights Real Estate Market Like?
Madison Heights operates in one of the tighter submarkets within Pasadena. Homes here do not linger. The average days on market for single-family properties in the central Pasadena core, which includes Madison Heights, ran approximately 18 to 25 days as of mid-2026, according to Redfin data. Well-maintained Craftsman bungalows and Spanish Colonial Revival homes in good condition regularly attract multiple offers within the first week of listing.
Median prices across the neighborhood range from approximately $1.1 million on the lower end, typically for smaller bungalows or properties with deferred maintenance, to $1.4 million or above for well-presented homes on interior streets with original architectural detail intact. The higher end of that range reflects the market's preference for original character: buyers in this price tier are specifically looking for the built-in bookshelves, hardwood floors, and period hardware that distinguish a genuine Craftsman from a renovation that replicated the style cosmetically.
List-to-sale ratios in this market frequently exceed asking price. Buyers who submit offers contingent on inspection (which is advisable given the age of the housing stock) need to be prepared to compete on price and terms simultaneously. Pre-offer inspections, common in Pasadena's faster-moving submarkets, can give buyers more confidence removing or waiving repair contingencies without blind-siding themselves on deferred maintenance.
On the ADU question: Pasadena's R-1 zoning permits detached accessory dwelling units up to 1,200 square feet on eligible lots, subject to setback and lot coverage requirements. For a buyer purchasing a larger lot with an underutilized rear yard, an ADU can generate $2,000 to $2,800 per month in rental income once permitted and built, which translates to meaningful mortgage offset. The permit process through Pasadena's Development Services Department typically runs six to twelve months for a standard detached ADU, longer if the lot has special conditions.
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See Current Pasadena Listings →How Does Madison Heights Compare to Nearby Neighborhoods?
To put Madison Heights in context, here is how it compares to two of its nearest neighbors: Bungalow Heaven to the northeast and the Old Town-adjacent blocks immediately north of Colorado Boulevard.
| Factor | Madison Heights | Bungalow Heaven | Old Town Pasadena Area |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median Price (2026) | ~$1.1M - $1.4M | ~$1.0M - $1.25M | ~$1.3M - $1.6M+ |
| Walk Score (approx.) | 75 - 80 | 65 - 72 | 85 - 92 |
| Dominant Architecture | Craftsman + Spanish Colonial | Craftsman bungalows (HPOZ-protected) | Mixed residential/commercial |
| Historic Overlay | No formal HPOZ designation | Yes (HPOZ landmark district) | Partial (Old Town commercial overlay) |
| School Zone | Madison Elem. / Blair HS (IB) | McKinley Elem. / Blair HS (IB) | Jefferson/Eliot Elem. / PHS |
| Key Proximity | Lake Ave, Old Town (walk), Caltech | Lake Ave, Marengo corridor | Old Town, Gold Line, restaurants |
| ADU Potential (R-1) | Yes, most lots eligible | Yes, but HPOZ review adds steps | Varies by parcel and zoning |
The practical difference between Madison Heights and Bungalow Heaven is the historic protection overlay. Bungalow Heaven is designated as a Historic Preservation Overlay Zone (HPOZ), which means exterior alterations, including re-roofing with a different material, replacing windows, or adding an accessory structure, require a Certificate of Appropriateness from the Pasadena Planning Department. That process adds 30 to 90 days and design constraints to any renovation. Madison Heights has no such overlay, so permit-only renovation timelines apply without the additional HPOZ review layer.
"Buyers choosing between Madison Heights and Bungalow Heaven need to understand what the HPOZ means in practice: every exterior project, including window replacement, goes through a separate design review. That is not a dealbreaker, but it is a real difference in what you can do with the house."
Justin Borges, REALTOR | eXp RealtyWhat Is My Home Worth in 2026?
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Get My Free Home Valuation →Frequently Asked Questions about Madison Heights Pasadena
What is Madison Heights in Pasadena?
Madison Heights is a residential neighborhood in south-central Pasadena, bounded by Colorado Boulevard to the north, California Boulevard to the south, Los Robles Avenue to the east, and Lake Avenue to the west. It is best known for original Craftsman bungalows from the 1910s through 1930s, a walkable position near Old Town Pasadena and the Lake Avenue commercial corridor, and access to Pasadena Unified schools including Blair High School's International Baccalaureate program.
Is Madison Heights a good place to live in Pasadena?
Yes, for the right buyer. Madison Heights combines a walkable residential environment, strong PUSD schools, original architectural character, and access to major employment centers like Caltech and JPL. The tradeoff is that the housing stock is older (most homes are 80 to 110 years old), which means buyers should budget for ongoing maintenance, pre-offer inspections are advisable, and buyers need to understand what an older Craftsman home requires in terms of upkeep versus a newer property.
How much does a house cost in Madison Heights Pasadena?
Median home prices in Madison Heights range from approximately $1.1 million to $1.4 million as of 2026, according to Redfin and Zillow data. Smaller bungalows and condos near California Boulevard enter around $850,000 to $1.1 million. Well-preserved Craftsman homes with original detail intact on interior streets typically trade above $1.3 million. Multiple-offer situations are common for move-in ready properties in this price range, and buyers should expect to compete on terms as well as price.
What are the schools like in Madison Heights?
Madison Heights is zoned primarily for Madison Elementary School (kindergarten through grade 5) and Blair High School (grades 9 through 12) within Pasadena Unified School District. Blair High offers the International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme for eligible students, which is a competitive academic program and a key draw for families with high school-aged children. Pasadena Arts and Science Charter School offers a charter alternative within PUSD for elementary-age students, subject to a lottery enrollment process.
Is Madison Heights Pasadena walkable?
Madison Heights scores approximately 75 to 80 on Walk Score, which qualifies it as "very walkable" by the index's standards. Residents can reach grocery stores, coffee shops, restaurants, pharmacies, and the Del Mar Metro Gold Line station on foot from most blocks within the neighborhood. Old Town Pasadena is a 15 to 20 minute walk from the western side of the neighborhood, or about 5 minutes by car.
Is Madison Heights Pasadena affected by fire zones?
No. Madison Heights sits in the central core of Pasadena and is not designated as a Very High Fire Hazard Severity Zone by CAL FIRE. The Eaton Fire of January 2026 affected Altadena and the foothill areas north of Pasadena, not the central neighborhood grid where Madison Heights is located. Buyers should still confirm the current FHSZ designation for any specific address and obtain a homeowners insurance quote before removing contingencies, as fire risk designations can change and insurers apply their own underwriting criteria.
Call Justin Borges to discuss buying or selling in Madison Heights
(626) 240-1750 →Madison Heights Pasadena: Quick Reference
| Question | Short Answer |
|---|---|
| Where is it? | South of Colorado Blvd, north of California Blvd, east of Los Robles, west of Lake Ave |
| What is the typical price? | ~$1.1M - $1.4M for single-family homes (Redfin/Zillow 2026) |
| What style are the homes? | Craftsman bungalows (1910s-1930s), Spanish Colonial Revival, some mid-century |
| What are the schools? | Madison Elementary, Blair High School (IB magnet), PUSD |
| How walkable is it? | Walk Score ~75-80; walkable to Lake Ave, Old Town (15-20 min on foot) |
| Is there fire risk? | No Very High FHSZ designation; central Pasadena core, away from foothill zones |
| What is the market like? | Competitive; ~18-25 days on market, multiple offers on desirable homes |
| Can I build an ADU? | Yes (R-1 zoning); no HPOZ overlay; standard permit process through Pasadena |
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Justin Borges serves buyers and sellers across Pasadena and the San Gabriel Valley. CA DRE #01940318.
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