Westlake Hills is a quiet pocket of about 200 single family homes from the 1970s, laid out on looping streets that wrap around a K through 5 elementary school and a shaded seven acre park, so kids walk to class and families drift to the playground after dinner. It suits buyers who want a settled, unpretentious Westlake address with room to remodel rather than a brand new product. Homes run three to five bedrooms and sold for about $780K to $1.7M over the most recent 12 months, with most trading near $1.4M.
On a weekday afternoon the center of Westlake Hills is Medicine Bow Court, where the school bell empties onto the lawns of Russell Park and parents catch up under the shade structure the park district added. The streets curve back on themselves rather than cutting through, so almost no car on Sierra Drive or Cascade Avenue is passing through on its way somewhere else. Our clients who land here tend to say the same thing a year later: it feels like the version of the Conejo Valley they moved here for.
| Homes | About 200 detached single family homes |
|---|---|
| Built | 1970s |
| Size | 3 to 5 bedrooms, roughly 1,400 to 3,200 square feet |
| Price range | About $780K to $1.7M over the most recent 12 months, median near $1.38M |
| HOA | Voluntary property owners association, about $40 per year |
| Gated | No |
| Schools | Westlake Hills Elementary (inside the neighborhood), Colina Middle, Westlake High, Conejo Valley Unified |
| City and county | Thousand Oaks, Ventura County |
A Park and a School in the Middle, Homes Wrapped Around Them
Most neighborhoods have a park somewhere on the edge. Westlake Hills was built the other way around. Russell Park and Westlake Hills Elementary sit at the core, and the homes ring outward from there on concentric streets just north of the 101. The layout does two things you feel every day: the school run is a walk, not a drive, and through traffic simply does not exist.
Russell Park itself is seven acres that the park district developed in 1972, so the trees are mature and the shade is real by midsummer. There is a fully accessible play area, and in 2016 the park district worked with the bordering property owners association to add a concrete picnic pad with a shade structure, the kind of small, practical improvement that tells you the neighbors are paying attention. The park is run by the Conejo Recreation and Park District, which also works with the Conejo Open Space Conservation Agency, administrator of more than 15,000 acres of open space and about 140 miles of trails across the valley.
There is no gate, and the neighborhood has no recreation facility of its own. Dues sit at about $40 a year. What you get instead is a steady, lived in neighborhood where roughly 20 homes change hands in a typical year and the rest stay put.
Communities within Westlake Hills
- Northgate TownhomesGated 1980 community of side by side duplex townhomes on North Valley Drive and Arroyo Oaks Drive, with oak lined streets, a wash running through the
The Homes: 1970s Bones and a Wide Range of Finish
Every home in Westlake Hills is detached single family from the 1970s, with three to five bedrooms and roughly 1,400 to 3,200 square feet. Within that, the range of condition is as wide as we see anywhere in the Westlake area. Some homes still carry original era kitchens and layouts, and some have been opened up, re roofed, re plumbed and finished to a standard that competes with much newer product.
That spread explains the pricing. Over the most recent 12 months, sales ran from about $780K at the smaller, more original end to about $1.68M for the largest, most thoroughly updated homes, with the median near $1.38M. For buyers who want to put their own stamp on a house, the lower and middle part of that range is where Westlake Hills earns its keep: you buy the location and the lot, then build equity with the remodel.
If you are weighing it against other established Conejo Valley neighborhoods, our guides to Village Homes, Westshore and Foxmoor are the right comparisons, and our Westlake Village home values page shows how the broader market has moved.
Schools: The Elementary Is Around the Corner
Westlake Hills is in Conejo Valley Unified. The assigned elementary, Westlake Hills Elementary, is physically inside the neighborhood next to Russell Park. It serves kindergarten through fifth grade, enrolls about 410 students, offers a gifted program, and rates near the top of Ventura County public elementary schools in recent third party rankings. For a lot of our clients the ability to walk a first grader to school without crossing a major road is the single biggest reason they choose this neighborhood over others at the same price.
From there students move on to Colina Middle School and Westlake High School. As with every neighborhood in the district, confirm the assignment for a specific address directly with CVUSD before you write an offer, since boundaries can change.
Thousand Oaks, Not Westlake Village, and Why That Matters
Westlake Hills carries a Westlake name and sits in the heart of the Westlake area. But it is inside the City of Thousand Oaks in Ventura County, not the City of Westlake Village in Los Angeles County. Property tax bills, permits, city services and voting all run through Thousand Oaks and Ventura County, even when a listing or a school directory prints Westlake Village in the address line.
Day to day, the location is simple. The neighborhood sits just north of the 101, so the freeway is minutes away without the noise of living on it, and the rest of the Conejo Valley is a short drive in either direction. Within the neighborhood the park and the elementary school are the walkable destinations; nearly everything else is a car trip, as it is almost everywhere in Thousand Oaks and Westlake Village. See how it fits among the other Westlake Village neighborhoods we cover.
Who Westlake Hills Suits, and What to Check Before You Buy
Westlake Hills is a strong fit for families who want a walk to school, buyers who prefer a quiet established street to a newer tract with a big association, and anyone who would rather remodel a solid 1970s house than pay for someone else's finishes. It is a weaker fit for buyers who want a gate, a community pool or lake frontage.
- The association is voluntary. Dues are reported at about $40 a year, and the association is described as handling architectural guidelines. Ask the association directly what the current dues fund and how exterior changes, roofs and additions are reviewed before you plan a project.
- Budget for 1970s systems. Roof, plumbing, electrical panel and sewer lateral should all be on the inspection list unless the seller can document recent replacement.
- Get insurance quotes early. The Conejo Valley has real wildfire history, and availability and cost vary by property. Do this during the contingency period, not after.
- Do not assume lake privileges. Westlake Lake is a private lake south of the 101, and access rights are tied to specific tracts rather than to any address with Westlake in the name. Westlake Hills sits north of the freeway, so confirm in writing with the lake management association before counting on access.
- Confirm schools by address with Conejo Valley Unified rather than relying on the listing.
We walk our clients through each of these on every Westlake Hills purchase, and the answers rarely change the decision; they just make it a clean one.
Owning in Westlake Hills
What a typical home costs to own
About $7,327/month
- Principal and interest$6,270
- Property tax (about 1.1% of price, Ventura County)$1,054
- HOA$3
Estimate for a $1.15M home, near the middle of the recent range here, with 20% down at 7.24% (30 year fixed, Freddie Mac, October 29, 2026). Homeowners insurance is extra and varies with fire zone, so get a quote early. Your lender's figures will differ.
Westlake Village market, latest data
- Median sale price$1.67M
- Change over 12 months+14.9%
- Typical days on market45
Citywide, three months ending May 2026. Westlake Village home values
Our experience here
We have sold homes in Westlake Hills and work in the neighborhood regularly. We are glad to share what we are seeing on the ground.
Westlake Village home prices, the last five years
Questions people ask about Westlake Hills
Is Westlake Hills in Westlake Village or Thousand Oaks?
Thousand Oaks. Westlake Hills is inside Thousand Oaks city limits in Ventura County, just north of the 101. Listings and school directories sometimes print Westlake Village in the address line, but property taxes, permits and city services run through Thousand Oaks and Ventura County.
How much do homes in Westlake Hills cost?
Over the most recent 12 months, Westlake Hills homes sold for about $780K to $1.68M across 21 sales, with the median near $1.38M. The low end tends to be smaller homes in more original condition; the high end is the largest, most thoroughly remodeled houses in the neighborhood.
What schools serve Westlake Hills?
The neighborhood is in Conejo Valley Unified. Westlake Hills Elementary, a K through 5 school with about 410 students and a gifted program, sits inside the neighborhood next to Russell Park. Students then attend Colina Middle School and Westlake High School. Confirm assignments by address with the district.
Does Westlake Hills have an HOA?
There is a voluntary property owners association with dues reported at about $40 a year, and it is described as handling architectural guidelines. The neighborhood has no clubhouse, pool or gate, which is consistent with dues staying low. Contact the association directly to confirm current dues and rules.
Is Westlake Hills gated, and does it have lake rights?
It is not gated. Westlake Hills is an open neighborhood north of the 101. Westlake Lake is a private lake south of the freeway, and lake privileges are tied to specific tracts near it, so a Westlake Hills purchase should not be expected to include lake access without written confirmation.
Thinking about Westlake Hills?
Whether you are weighing a move here or wondering what your home would bring, Davis and the team are happy to talk it through, street by street. No obligation.
Sources
- California Department of Education, Westlake Hills Elementary
- City of Thousand Oaks HOA registry (GIS)
- Conejo Recreation and Park District, Russell Park
- Conejo Recreation and Park District, parks directory
- Conejo Valley Unified School District
- U.S. News, Westlake Hills Elementary
- Niche, Westlake Hills Elementary
- Conejo Recreation and Park District overview
Facts checked October 2026.
