Best Places to Live in Los Angeles

With beaches, mountains and a neighborhood for every kind of life, Los Angeles is an easy place to love and a hard one to choose from. So where are the best places to live in Los Angeles? It depends on what matters most to you. If you want to walk to almost everything, West Hollywood and Santa Monica have the highest Walk Scores in this guide. If you want a detached house, look at Torrance, Burbank and Pasadena. If budget comes first, Long Beach has the lowest median rent here. Below, we compare ten places region by region so you can choose with confidence!

TLDR Quick Guide

Los Angeles County has about 9.8 million residents (2020-2024 Census estimate), so pick a region before you pick a street.
Most walkable in this guide: West Hollywood (Walk Score 91) and Santa Monica (83).
Most detached houses: Manhattan Beach (66% of homes) and Torrance (53%).
Lowest median rent: Long Beach at $1,871 a month. Highest: Manhattan Beach at $3,449.
Every place has a trade-off, usually price, space or travel time. We name each one below.

Los Angeles at a Glance: 10 Places Compared

Place	Region	Population	Median Rent	Median Home Value	Average Commute	Walk Score
Los Angeles (city)	Several	3,857,263	$1,933	$921,200	31 min	69
Santa Monica	Westside	91,169	$2,402	$1,755,500	25 min	83
Culver City	Westside	39,931	$2,737	$1,142,900	27 min	76
Manhattan Beach	South Bay	34,210	$3,449	$2,000,000+	28 min	73
Torrance	South Bay	142,130	$2,280	$1,074,700	27 min	67
Burbank	San Fernando Valley	104,546	$2,192	$1,089,100	26 min	71
Pasadena	Verdugos	136,969	$2,265	$1,093,300	27 min	69
Glendale	Verdugos	190,748	$2,182	$1,102,300	27 min	71
West Hollywood	Central LA	34,884	$2,091	$924,800	27 min	91
Long Beach	Harbor	455,548	$1,871	$806,600	30 min	73

Population, rent, home value and commute are U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey estimates for 2020-2024, read from Census Reporter. Rent is the median gross rent (rent plus utilities) for all unit sizes. “$2,000,000+” means the Census Bureau reports the median only as above $2 million. Commute is the average one-way trip to work. Walk Scores are from walkscore.com, retrieved October 2026. Regions follow the Los Angeles Times Mapping L.A. project. Train times below are from LA Metro weekday timetables in effect in October 2026. These are survey figures for homes people already live in, so the rent on a listing you tour today will differ.

Best Places to Live in Los Angeles by Region

The Westside: Beach Living and Shorter Commutes

Love the idea of ocean air on your morning walk? Start here. Santa Monica suits renters who want to leave the car parked: 72% of its homes are rented, and Metro’s E Line runs from Downtown Santa Monica to 7th St/Metro Center in about 45 minutes on the weekday timetable. Culver City has more detached houses (36% of homes) and its own E Line station. Average commutes are 25 to 27 minutes, against 30 countywide. The trade-off is price: Santa Monica’s median home value of $1,755,500 is more than double the county’s $834,200.

When you’re ready, our Santa Monica movers and Culver City movers are here to help.

The South Bay: Beach Towns With More Houses

If your dream is a house near the sand, the South Bay belongs on your list. In Manhattan Beach, 66% of homes are detached houses and only 35% are rented. Torrance, also in the South Bay, is the big, practical option, with 142,130 residents, 53% detached houses and a median rent of $2,280. Metro’s K Line runs through El Segundo and ends at Redondo Beach station, and the May 2026 rail map shows no stations farther south, so plan on driving for most trips. The trade-off is the price of a beach address: Manhattan Beach has the highest median rent in our table, and its median home value is above the Census Bureau’s $2 million reporting cap.

Our Manhattan Beach movers and Torrance movers are ready when you are.

The San Fernando Valley: A Little More Room

The Valley suits you if a bit more space matters more than being near the beach. Burbank, a city of 104,546, has 44% detached houses, a median rent of $2,192 and an average commute of 26 minutes. Sherman Oaks, Studio City, Encino and North Hollywood are City of Los Angeles neighborhoods, so the Census Bureau publishes no separate city figures for them. Metro’s B Line subway runs from North Hollywood to 7th St/Metro Center in about 26 minutes, and the G Line busway crosses the Valley from North Hollywood to Chatsworth. The trade-off: the subway stops at North Hollywood, so west of there it’s the busway or the freeway. We have Burbank movers, Sherman Oaks movers and Studio City movers ready to roll.

Pasadena and Glendale: Two Cities, Plenty of Choice

These neighbors suit you if you want a full-size city of your own inside LA County. Pasadena has 136,969 residents and 43% detached houses, and Metro’s A Line links its Memorial Park station to Union Station in 25 minutes. Glendale is larger, at 190,748 people, and leans toward renting: 65% of homes are rented and the median rent is $2,182. The trade-off: buying is costly in both, with median home values near $1.1 million, and Metro’s rail map shows no station in Glendale. Talk to our Pasadena movers or Glendale movers once you’ve picked.

Central LA: Hollywood and West Hollywood

Want to live in the middle of it all? West Hollywood has the highest Walk Score in our table at 91. It is a compact city of 34,884 where 80% of homes are rented and 41% sit in buildings with 20 or more units. Next door, Hollywood is a City of Los Angeles neighborhood on Metro’s B Line, about 17 minutes from Hollywood/Highland to 7th St/Metro Center. The trade-off is space. Only 9% of West Hollywood homes are detached houses, so expect apartment and condo living. Our West Hollywood movers and Hollywood movers are happy to help.

Long Beach: A Big Beach City With Lower Rents

Long Beach is a city of 455,548 people with the lowest median rent in our table, $1,871 a month. Its median home value of $806,600 is also below the county’s. Housing is mixed, with 41% detached houses, and Walk Score rates the city “Very Walkable” at 73. Metro’s A Line starts here. The trade-off is distance: the ride from Downtown Long Beach to 7th St/Metro Center is scheduled at 57 minutes. Our Long Beach movers can get you settled.

Planning Your Move With Pure Moving Company

Picked your spot? This is the fun part, and we’d love to help. We are licensed and insured (license MTR0191103), and our main office is at 1601 N Gower St Ste 205, Los Angeles, CA 90028. You won’t find hidden fees with us. Blankets, wardrobe boxes, shrink wrap and tape are all included in our hourly rate, and there is no additional fee for stairs or a long walk to the truck. Our movers wrap your furniture and valuables piece by piece, because we really care about your things and about your day. See our rates or meet our Los Angeles movers. Have ANY questions? Call us at 800-816-5121!

Key Takeaways

No single place is best for everyone. Match the region to your budget, your commute and the kind of home you want.
For walkability, look at West Hollywood and Santa Monica. For detached houses, look at Manhattan Beach, Torrance, Burbank and Pasadena.
Long Beach and the City of Los Angeles have the lowest median rents in this guide.
Check the trade-off before you fall for a place: price on the coast, distance in Long Beach, limited rail in the Valley and the South Bay.
All housing figures are 2020-2024 Census estimates. Confirm today’s rent or price for any address you tour.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the best place to live in Los Angeles?

There is no single winner, because people want different things. Start with three questions. Can you rent or buy at local prices? How long a commute will you accept? Do you want a house or an apartment? Then use the table above to shortlist two or three places and visit them.

Is Los Angeles the same as Los Angeles County?

No. The City of Los Angeles has about 3.86 million residents. Los Angeles County has about 9.81 million (2020-2024 Census estimates) and covers 4,084 square miles, according to the County. Santa Monica, Culver City, Burbank, Pasadena, Glendale, West Hollywood, Torrance, Manhattan Beach and Long Beach are separate cities inside the county.

Where is rent lowest among these places?

Long Beach has the lowest median gross rent in our table at $1,871 a month, followed by the City of Los Angeles at $1,933. Manhattan Beach is the highest at $3,449. These are 2020-2024 Census medians for all unit sizes, so today’s asking rents will differ.

Which Los Angeles areas work without a car?

West Hollywood (Walk Score 91) and Santa Monica (83) score highest in this guide. Santa Monica, Culver City, Hollywood, Pasadena and Long Beach all have Metro Rail stations. Even so, the average commute across the county is about 30 minutes, so test your own trip before you sign a lease.