Manchester, CA Real Estate & Homes for Sale
By Matthew Martinez, Founder, CEO & Managing Broker, Diamond Real Estate Group. California DRE #01869679.
Manchester is a small unincorporated community on Highway 1 on the south Mendocino Coast, in Mendocino County, California, between the City of Point Arena and Elk; its ZIP code, 95459, also takes in the Irish Beach subdivision. Redfin put the ZIP’s median sale price at $755,000 for the three months ending July 2026, on very few sales. Outside Irish Beach, which has a small water district, expect a private well and a septic system, and expect Mendocino County, not Point Arena, to set the rules.
- County
- Mendocino County
- Government
- Unincorporated (county coastal rules)
- ZIP code
- 95459 (includes Irish Beach)
- Median sale price
- $755,000 (3 months to Jul 2026, Redfin)
- Population
- 159 (2020 Census, Manchester CDP)
- Water
- Wells; Irish Beach Water District at Irish Beach
- Fire
- Redwood Coast Fire Protection District
Manchester and Irish Beach homes for sale
MLS listings in Manchester, Irish Beach and the rest of ZIP 95459 appear below. Our property search lets you add Elk, Point Arena and Gualala to the same search.
What do homes in Manchester and Irish Beach sell for?
$755,000
Three months to July 2026, Redfin (ZIP 95459)
198
Same period, Redfin
$365
Same period, Redfin
Read these numbers as a snapshot, not a trend. Redfin’s 15.2% year-over-year drop rests on very few sales, and homes took a median of 198 days to sell, selling on average 6.7% under list. Redfin’s recently-sold list for the ZIP shows eight sales between May 14 and October 2, 2026, from $68,000 to $1.2 million, a spread wide enough that the median says little about any one property.
| Measure | Figure | Period and source |
|---|---|---|
| Median sale price, ZIP 95459 | $755,000 (down 15.2% year over year) | Three months to July 2026, Redfin |
| Median days on market | 198 | Same period, Redfin |
| Average sale versus list price | 6.7% under list | Same period, Redfin |
| Sales listed by Redfin | 8, from $68,000 to $1,200,000 | May 14 to October 2, 2026, Redfin |
| Mendocino County median, for comparison | $480,000 | September 2026, C.A.R. |
Long marketing times leave room for the inspections that matter here: a well test, a septic inspection and a survey of the lot lines.
Irish Beach: the subdivision and its water district
Irish Beach, about four miles north of Manchester and eight miles south of Elk, is a coastal subdivision of about 460 parcels, of which about 200 were developed when Mendocino LAFCo last updated the district’s sphere of influence in 2016. The Irish Beach Water District, formed on April 14, 1967, covers 1,294 acres and, at the 2016 update, served about 200 residential customers from two diversions on Irish Gulch and two wells, with five storage facilities, a treatment plant and about 7.6 miles of pipe; LAFCo noted that one well’s output had declined (Mendocino LAFCo). The district counted about 65 year-round and 250 seasonal residents in 2016, and LAFCo started a new review of it in 2025.
- Septic, not sewer: as of 2016 the district owned no wastewater system. Its Resolution 93-5 requires septic tanks to be inspected or pumped every five years, so ask the seller for the most recent pumping record.
- Well limits: LAFCo’s 2016 update describes a district moratorium (Resolution 2000-7) on drilling wells in areas not served by district facilities. Ask the district how it applies to a lot before you plan on a well.
- Undeveloped lots: with more than half the parcels still vacant in 2016, confirm with the district that a connection is available for the specific lot, and what it costs, before you buy to build.
Wells and septic in the rest of Manchester
Outside Irish Beach, we found no water district serving Manchester in LAFCo’s reviews, so expect a private well unless the seller shows otherwise. Mendocino County Environmental Health handles well applications, septic permits and the testing behind them: percolation and wet-weather soil tests, a wet-season construction authorization, Coastal Groundwater Development Guidelines and a separate coastal water production test for second residential units.
On a well-and-septic property, make the purchase contingent on a recent flow test, water-quality results and a septic inspection, and pull the county’s permit file. On the coast, a well’s yield in late summer is the number that counts.
County coastal rules in Manchester
Manchester has no city government. Mendocino County Planning and Building Services issues building and coastal development permits under the Coastal Zoning Code and the county’s Local Coastal Program, whose main coastal segment was certified in 1992 (California Coastal Commission). Check each parcel against the coastal zone boundary before planning an addition or a second unit.
- Transfer tax: only the county’s, $1.10 per $1,000 of value.
- Lodging tax: 10% plus a 1% lodging assessment on stays of 30 days or less.
- Vacation rentals: the coastal code defines a vacation home rental, but the permit path for one outside the town of Mendocino isn’t clear from the code; get the county’s answer in writing.
- Earthquake fault: State Parks notes that the northernmost segment of the San Andreas Fault crosses part of Manchester State Park, so read the Natural Hazard Disclosure for any fault-zone listing.
For how these county rules compare across the coast and inland, see our Mendocino County real estate guide.
How is Point Arena different?
Point Arena, just down Highway 1, is an incorporated city, and its rules stop at the city limit.
| Item | Manchester (county) | City of Point Arena |
|---|---|---|
| Transfer tax | County: $1.10 per $1,000 | A city tax at half the county rate ($0.275 per $500), credited against the county tax under the county code and state law |
| Lodging tax | 10% plus 1% assessment | 12%; an increase to 14% is on the November 3, 2026 ballot, effective April 1, 2027 if approved (City of Point Arena) |
| Short-term rentals | County coastal code; permit path to confirm | City ordinance (2020): business license, a council-set number of licenses outside the commercial core, one rental per person, none in ADUs |
| Coastal program | County LCP, certified 1992 | City LCP, certified 1981 |
Ask your escrow officer to confirm the combined transfer tax on a Point Arena sale, because the county code grants a credit for the city’s tax.
Manchester State Park and the Pomo history of the coast
Manchester State Park, at 44500 Kinney Road, covers 1,500 acres onshore, with four to five miles of beach backed by dunes and a 3,782-acre underwater lease offshore, part of the Point Arena State Marine Reserve. Anglers can fish for steelhead in Alder and Brush creeks in season, tundra swans winter here, and gray whales pass from December to April. Its campground is first come, first served.
State Parks’ brochure records that this was Central Pomo territory and that the local Bokeya Pomo, whose village of Pda’hau stood near the mouth of the Garcia River, became the Manchester Band of Pomo Indians in 1936 and ran a dairy until 1959. The Bureau of Indian Affairs lists the federally recognized tribe as the Manchester Band of Pomo Indians of the Manchester Rancheria, previously listed as the Manchester-Point Arena Rancheria (BIA).
Fire protection, schools and getting around
The Redwood Coast Fire Protection District, formed by special election in 1997, covers more than 250 square miles of the coast, including Point Arena and the two Point Arena/Manchester Band reservations, from three stations in Point Arena, Manchester and Irish Beach. It is volunteer-based, with a stipended chief and 23 volunteers, which is worth knowing when you ask insurers for quotes.
- Schools: the Mendocino County Office of Education lists Manchester Union Elementary, based on South Highway 1 in Manchester, and Arena Union Elementary and Point Arena Joint Union High School in Point Arena. Confirm which districts serve the address.
- Bus: Mendocino Transit Authority Route 75 stops at the Manchester post office on weekdays, leaving about 8:25 a.m. for Elk, Anderson Valley and Ukiah and returning about 5:15 p.m. (MTA timetable). From Point Arena, Route 95 runs daily south through Gualala and The Sea Ranch to Santa Rosa.
Manchester compared with nearby areas
| Area | Government | One verified difference |
|---|---|---|
| Manchester | Unincorporated | Wells and septic, plus the Irish Beach Water District; ZIP median $755,000 (three months to July 2026, Redfin) |
| Elk | Unincorporated | Eight miles north of Irish Beach; a village water district serving about 102 developed lots |
| Point Arena | Incorporated city | Its own transfer tax, 12% lodging tax and rental ordinance |
| The Sea Ranch | Unincorporated, Sonoma County | One association’s covenants and design review over more than 2,200 homes and lots; Route 95 stop |
| Boonville | Unincorporated | Inland in Anderson Valley, on Route 75 between the coast and Ukiah |
How Diamond Real Estate Group helps Manchester buyers
On this part of the coast, the property’s water decides most of its value. We confirm whether a parcel is on the Irish Beach Water District or a well, ask the district about connection availability for vacant lots, pull septic and well records from the county, and check coastal permits for past work. If you plan to rent the home, we get the county’s position in writing first.
Owners in ZIP 95459 can see how we sell homes or request a home valuation. For the wider buying process, read how we work with buyers, and for income property, see our investor services.
Selling a home in Manchester
Manchester and Irish Beach share ZIP 95459 but not the same utilities, and that difference decides what a seller needs to gather. Both are unincorporated: Mendocino County Planning and Building Services holds the permits, and City of Point Arena rules do not apply.
Homes on the Irish Beach Water District
Mendocino LAFCo’s 2016 review of the district describes rules that belong in the disclosure file:
- Five-year septic checks. District Resolution 93-5 requires every septic tank to be inspected, and pumped if necessary, every five years by a registered sanitarian or septic tank operator. Have the latest report on hand.
- Well moratorium. Resolution 2000-7 bars drilling wells in district areas not already served by district facilities, so a buyer of a vacant lot will ask how water would reach it.
- Vacant lots. About 200 of the subdivision’s roughly 460 parcels were developed at the time of the review. Get the district’s written answer on service before advertising a lot as buildable.
Wells and septic elsewhere
Outside the district, buyers should expect a private well and septic system. The county sewage code adds no inspection at sale, so the buyer’s inspections are negotiated in the contract. Request the well completion report from Environmental Health, and consider a late-summer flow test.
Coastal permits and guest rentals
In the county coastal zone a coastal development permit must come before any building permit, so match each addition to both. If you have hosted short-stay guests, return the county occupancy tax certificate with your final payment at closing; the buyer cannot take it over.
Tax and statements
The county transfer tax is $0.55 per $500, with no city tax outside Point Arena’s limits; on a $750,000 sale it comes to $825. Sellers customarily pay in Diamond’s North Bay markets, though buyers sometimes negotiate a split (see our transfer tax guide). If the parcel is mapped High or Very High fire hazard, add AB 38 defensible-space documentation, or a signed buyer agreement, to the smoke alarm, water heater and plumbing fixture statements every seller provides.
A home valuation for a Manchester or Irish Beach property starts from its water source and lot; for the wider county picture, see our Mendocino County seller guide.
Sources for this section: Mendocino LAFCo: Irish Beach Water District Sphere of Influence Update (adopted May 2, 2016); Mendocino County Code (GoCodebook): Chapter 16.08, On-Site Sewage Systems; Mendocino County Environmental Health: Land Use (on-site sewage and water wells); Mendocino County Code (GoCodebook): Chapter 20.532, Coastal Development Permit Regulations; Mendocino County Code (GoCodebook): Chapter 5.20, Uniform Transient Occupancy Tax; Mendocino County Code (GoCodebook): Chapter 5.24, Real Property Transfer Tax; CAL FIRE Office of the State Fire Marshal: Information Bulletin 21-007, defensible space inspections in real estate transactions (2021); Justia: California Civil Code section 1102.19; California Public Law: Health and Safety Code section 13113.8; California Public Law: Health and Safety Code section 19211; California Public Law: Civil Code section 1101.4.
Manchester real estate FAQs
Where is Manchester, California?
Manchester is on Highway 1 on the south Mendocino Coast, between the City of Point Arena to the south and Elk to the north. Irish Beach lies about four miles north of Manchester, in the same ZIP code, 95459.
Is Irish Beach part of Manchester?
It shares Manchester’s ZIP code, 95459, but it is its own subdivision of about 460 parcels with its own water district, formed in 1967. Searching by the ZIP code catches listings in both.
What do homes in Manchester and Irish Beach sell for?
Redfin’s median for ZIP 95459 was $755,000 for the three months ending July 2026, with a median of 198 days on market. Sales Redfin showed between May and early October 2026 ranged from $68,000 to $1.2 million, so price depends far more on the parcel than on any average.
Does Irish Beach have public water and sewer?
Water, yes: the Irish Beach Water District served about 200 residential customers from Irish Gulch and two wells at LAFCo’s 2016 update. Sewer, no: the district owns no wastewater system, homes use septic, and the district requires tanks to be inspected or pumped every five years.
Can I drill my own well at Irish Beach?
Possibly not. LAFCo’s 2016 update describes a district moratorium, Resolution 2000-7, on drilling wells in areas not served by district facilities. Ask the district how that applies to the lot, and whether a connection is available, before you buy.
How many people live in Manchester?
The Manchester census-designated place counted 159 residents in the 2020 Census, down from 195 in 2010. Irish Beach had about 65 year-round residents and about 250 seasonal ones when LAFCo reviewed its water district in 2016.
What is the lodging tax on a Manchester rental?
The unincorporated county charges 10% plus a 1% lodging assessment on stays of 30 days or less. Point Arena’s city rate is 12%, with a proposed increase to 14% on the November 3, 2026 ballot.
What is Manchester State Park like?
It covers 1,500 acres onshore, with four to five miles of beach and dunes, creeks with steelhead and a first-come, first-served campground. The northernmost segment of the San Andreas Fault crosses part of the park.
Who are the Manchester Band of Pomo Indians?
A federally recognized tribe, listed by the Bureau of Indian Affairs as the Manchester Band of Pomo Indians of the Manchester Rancheria. State Parks records that the local Bokeya Pomo took the name in 1936.
Who provides fire protection in Manchester?
The Redwood Coast Fire Protection District, a volunteer district formed in 1997, with stations in Point Arena, Manchester and Irish Beach. Get insurance quotes early in escrow.
Which school districts are near Manchester?
MCOE lists Manchester Union Elementary in Manchester and Arena Union Elementary and Point Arena Joint Union High School in Point Arena. Confirm the district for a specific address with MCOE or the district.
Is there a bus from Manchester?
On weekdays, MTA Route 75 stops at the Manchester post office in the morning on its way to Elk, Anderson Valley and Ukiah, and returns in the late afternoon. For Santa Rosa, Route 95 starts in Point Arena.
Sources & notes
- Redfin: ZIP 95459 housing market (three months to July 2026) and C.A.R.: September 2026 sales and price report
- City Population: Mendocino County places (U.S. Census counts, 2000–2020)
- Mendocino LAFCo: Irish Beach Water District sphere of influence update (May 2, 2016) and 2025 service review notice
- Mendocino County Environmental Health: land use and California Coastal Commission: LCP status chart (October 2020)
- City of Point Arena: lodging tax measure notice (August 7, 2026) and Point Arena transfer tax code
- California State Parks: Manchester State Park brochure (rev. 2015) and Bureau of Indian Affairs: tribal listing
- Redwood Coast Fire Protection District, MCOE district directory and MTA Routes 65 and 75 (2026)
Figures carry their dates where they appear. This is general information, not legal, tax or insurance advice; confirm rules for a specific property with the agency named. Last reviewed October 2026 by Matthew Martinez.
Plan your next move
Share your preferred location, budget, property requirements and timing. We can help organize a focused search, arrange showings or discuss preparing a property for sale.
Local resource: Mendocino County planning resources. Check official information for the address you are considering; area descriptions do not establish a property’s permitted uses.
