Best Neighborhoods on the Westside of Los Angeles – Who Each One Suits

Ocean air, a train to downtown and, in most cases, a shorter commute than the city average: it’s easy to see why so many people set their hearts on the Westside. So which are the best neighborhoods on the Westside of Los Angeles? It depends on how you want to live. Santa Monica and Culver City suit people who like to walk and take the train. Brentwood and Beverly Hills offer more houses at higher prices. Westwood and Marina del Rey are mostly apartments. Here’s how six Westside favorites compare, trade-offs included!

TLDR Quick Guide

• The Westside has no official border. The Los Angeles Times maps it as 23 neighborhoods.

• Walk and ride: Santa Monica (Walk Score 83) and Culver City (76) are both on Metro’s E Line.

• More houses: Brentwood (41% detached), Beverly Hills (37%) and Culver City (36%).

• Mostly apartments: Marina del Rey (95% of homes in buildings with 20 or more units) and Westwood (62%).

• Median rents in all six are above the City of Los Angeles median of $1,933, so price is part of every trade-off.

What Counts as the Westside?

There’s no official line on the map. The Los Angeles Times Mapping L.A. project defines the Westside as 23 neighborhoods, including Santa Monica, Beverly Hills, Culver City, Brentwood, Westwood, Bel-Air, Marina del Rey, Venice and Pacific Palisades. Malibu is not on that list, so it gets a short note near the end.

Westside Neighborhoods at a Glance

Source: U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey estimates for 2020-2024, read from Census Reporter. Brentwood and Westwood are City of Los Angeles neighborhoods with no Census figures of their own, so we show the ZIP code listed for each. ZIP code 90049 also takes in part of Bel Air. Rent is the median gross rent (rent plus utilities) for all unit sizes. A plus sign means the Census Bureau reports the median only as above that amount. “Homes Rented” is the share of occupied homes. Commute is the average one-way trip to work. *Only about 6% of occupied homes in Marina del Rey are owner-occupied, so this median describes a small group of homes. Walk Scores below are from walkscore.com and train times are from LA Metro weekday timetables, both checked in October 2026.

Six Westside Places and Who They Suit

Santa Monica: A Beach City for Walkers and Renters

Santa Monica is the largest of our six, a city of 91,169 with the beach at its front door. It suits you if you want a walkable routine and a train downtown. About 72% of homes are rented and only 19% are detached houses. The Walk Score is 83. Metro’s E Line runs from Downtown Santa Monica to 7th St/Metro Center in about 45 minutes on the weekday timetable. The trade-off: space is expensive. The median home value is $1,755,500.

Moving here? Our Santa Monica movers will take great care of you.

Culver City: A Real Mix of Homes, With a Train Station

Culver City suits you if you want a small city with both houses and apartments. Owners slightly outnumber renters here (55% to 45%), and 36% of homes are detached houses. The Culver City E Line station is about 26 minutes from 7th St/Metro Center, and the Walk Score is 76. Culver City also has its own school district. The trade-off: you give up the beach without saving on rent. The median rent of $2,737 is higher than Santa Monica’s. Our Culver City movers would love to help you settle in.

Beverly Hills: Its Own City, Its Own Schools

Beverly Hills is its own city of 31,624 people, with its own school district. It suits you if you want a house or an apartment at a famous address: 37% of homes are detached houses and 59% of households rent. Getting around got easier on May 8, 2026, when Metro’s D Line opened to Wilshire/La Cienega, a station Metro’s timetable lists under Beverly Hills. The ride to 7th St/Metro Center is scheduled at 15 minutes. The Walk Score is 75. The trade-off is price: the median home value is above the Census Bureau’s $2 million reporting cap, and the median rent is $2,830. Count on our Beverly Hills movers for a careful, stress-free move.

Marina del Rey: Apartment Living by the Water

Marina del Rey suits you if you want apartment living by the water and don’t need a yard. It is an unincorporated community of 9,176 people, and nearly everyone rents: 94% of homes are rented and 95% are in buildings with 20 or more units. The trade-off: it has the highest median rent of the six, above the Census Bureau’s $3,500 reporting cap, and the longest average commute at 32 minutes. Metro’s May 2026 rail map shows no station here, so plan on driving. Our Marina del Rey movers are ready to make your move smooth.

Brentwood: Houses and a Short Commute

Brentwood is a City of Los Angeles neighborhood, so our figures cover ZIP code 90049. It suits you if you want a house without a long drive to work: 41% of homes are detached houses, owners slightly outnumber renters, and the average commute is 22 minutes. The trade-off: you’ll want a car. The Walk Score is 52, and Metro’s rail map shows no station in Brentwood. Prices are high too, with a median home value above the $2 million cap and a median rent of $2,957. Our Brentwood movers handle every piece with care.

Westwood: UCLA’s Neighborhood, Built for Renters

Westwood (ZIP code 90024) is home to UCLA, which listed about 33,000 undergraduate and 13,600 graduate students on its Facts & Figures page in October 2026. It suits students, campus staff and anyone happy in a big apartment building: 67% of homes are rented and 62% are in buildings with 20 or more units. The average commute, 21 minutes, is the shortest of the six, and the Walk Score is 69. Metro is building the last section of the D Line to Westwood, with stations at UCLA and the VA Hospital. The trade-off: that work can mean lane reductions and detours for now, and only 13% of homes are detached houses. Our Westwood movers are here whenever you’re ready.

Also Worth a Look: Bel Air and Malibu

Bel Air is on the Los Angeles Times’ Westside list, but it is a small market of mostly houses. In ZIP code 90077, which it shares with Beverly Glen, 86% of homes are detached houses and about 16% are rented. If that’s your dream, our Bel Air movers can help. Malibu is its own city of 10,421 people, and the Times places it in the Santa Monica Mountains region, not the Westside. Its median rent and home value are both above the Census reporting caps, and the average commute is 32 minutes. Heading up the coast? Meet our Malibu movers.

Planning Your Westside Move With Pure Moving Company

Found your favorite? We’d love to get you there. We are licensed and insured (license MTR0191103), and we keep pricing simple, with no hidden fees. Blankets, wardrobe boxes, shrink wrap and tape are all included in our hourly rate. We don’t charge extra for stairs or a long walk to the truck, which is good news for an apartment move. Our crew wraps furniture and valuables one by one and treats your home like it matters, because it does. Our main office is at 1601 N Gower St Ste 205, Los Angeles, CA 90028. See our rates for what’s included.

Have ANY questions? Call us at 800-816-5121!

Key Takeaways

• The Westside is a region, not a city. Santa Monica, Beverly Hills and Culver City are separate cities, Brentwood and Westwood are Los Angeles neighborhoods, and Marina del Rey is unincorporated.

• Santa Monica, Culver City and Beverly Hills each have a Walk Score of 75 or higher and a Metro Rail station.

• Five of the six have a shorter average commute than the City of Los Angeles (31 minutes). Marina del Rey is the exception.

• Price is the common trade-off. Visit in person and confirm today’s rent or price for the exact address.

Frequently Asked Questions