What it's like to live in Culver City

Culver City is a small city in California with household incomes running above the national average and a highly educated workforce. Those factors carry real weight for anyone weighing where to move next.

The tradeoffs are worth naming plainly. Culver City deals with rent well above the national average, home prices well above the national average, unemployment above the national average, and crime rates above the national average.

The good

  • Higher-than-average incomes
  • Highly educated workforce

The not so good

  • Rent well above the national average
  • High home prices
  • Above-average unemployment
  • Crime above national average
  • Air quality concerns
  • Shrinking population

How Culver City compares

Median household income

Culver City$117,389
California avg$99,122
US$80,734

Median rent (per month)

Culver City$2,737
California avg$2,036
US$1,413

Median home value

Culver City$1,142,900
California avg$734,700
US$332,700

What it takes to move to Culver City

Based on Culver City's median rent, home value and household income

To rent

$5,474

up front: first month plus a typical one-month deposit

  • Income to keep rent under 30%: $109,480 a year
  • 51% of Culver City renters spend 30% or more of their income on rent

To buy

$228,580

a 20% down payment on the median home

  • With 10% down: $114,290
  • Homes cost 9.7× the typical local household income (US: 4.1×)

Moving costs, closing costs and taxes not included.

The details

Cost of living▲ 94% above US

$2,737/mo median rent

Rent is expensive here, at $2,737 a month median and well above the national average. This is the kind of city where housing costs deserve serious budgeting before committing to a move. Home prices are steep, with a median around $1,142,900. Renting first to get a feel for the city before buying is often the more practical route.

Median home value $1,142,900 · 51% of renters cost-burdened

Job market▲ 30% above US

5.6% unemployment

Unemployment here is 5.6%, somewhat above the national average of 4.3%. Lining up work before the move is the safer route.

City-level (BLS)

Safety▲ 101% above US

663 violent crimes per 100k

Crime is a real factor here, with violent rates significantly above the national average. That doesn't make the whole city a write-off, but it does mean specific neighborhoods deserve real research before signing a lease.

Property crime 4877/100k · Culver City Police Department · 2025 data

Getting aroundNear US average

27 min average commute

Commutes run about average, at 26.7 minutes. Fine day to day, but it adds up over a year, and where someone lives relative to where they work starts to matter. 6 in 10 workers drive to work; 33% work from home.

How workers get to work

Drive alone
55%
Work from home
33%
Carpool
5.1%
Other
2.7%
Public transit
2.5%
Walk
1.6%

Climate

Summers are comfortable, with highs around 77°F, and winters are mild, with lows rarely dropping below 48°F. It's a dry climate with limited rainfall.

Average month

High °FLow °FPrecip (in)
30°40°50°60°70°80°90°3.5"Jan: 3.25" precipitationFeb: 3.46" precipitationMar: 2.16" precipitationApr: 0.60" precipitationMay: 0.38" precipitationJun: 0.06" precipitationJul: 0.02" precipitationAug: 0.00" precipitationSep: 0.13" precipitationOct: 0.56" precipitationNov: 0.94" precipitationDec: 2.49" precipitationJJan: high 67°F, low 48°FFFeb: high 67°F, low 49°FMMar: high 68°F, low 51°FAApr: high 71°F, low 53°FMMay: high 72°F, low 57°FJJun: high 75°F, low 60°FJJul: high 78°F, low 63°F79°AAug: high 79°F, low 64°FSSep: high 78°F, low 62°FOOct: high 76°F, low 58°FNNov: high 71°F, low 52°F47°DDec: high 66°F, low 47°F

30-year averages, 1991–2020

Education & workforce▲ 73% above US

62% bachelor's degree or higher

This is a highly educated city, with over half the adult population holding a college degree. That tends to shape the job market and the broader culture, and it's a solid indicator of a strong professional scene.

Schools

9 public schools inside the boundary

There are 9 public schools inside the boundary and 12 private schools. The student-to-teacher ratio is 22:1, above the national average of 16:1.

Parks & recreation

The nearest national park or historic site is Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area (22 miles away). There are 4 national parks and sites within a day's drive.

Bottom line

Culver City's strongest points are household incomes running above the national average and a highly educated workforce; the main tradeoffs are rent well above the national average and home prices well above the national average. A year of median rent ($2,737/mo) equals 28% of the median household income here, more than the 21% typical nationwide. It tends to suit remote workers (33% of workers here already work from home) and college-educated professionals. It may be a harder fit for renters on a tight budget and anyone moving without a job lined up.

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