What it's like to live in Hermosa Beach

Hermosa Beach 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. Hermosa Beach deals with rent well above the national average, home prices well above the national average, county 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 in the county
  • Crime above national average
  • Above-average commute times
  • Air quality concerns

How Hermosa Beach compares

Median household income

Hermosa Beach$166,442
California avg$99,122
US$80,734

Median rent (per month)

Hermosa Beach$2,887
California avg$2,036
US$1,413

Median home value

Hermosa Beach$2,000,000+
California avg$734,700
US$332,700

The Census tops out at $2,000,000+ for home value; it doesn't publish exact figures above that.

What it takes to move to Hermosa Beach

Based on Hermosa Beach's median rent, home value and household income

To rent

$5,774

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

  • Income to keep rent under 30%: $115,480 a year
  • 43% of Hermosa Beach renters spend 30% or more of their income on rent

To buy

$400,000

a 20% down payment on the median home

  • With 10% down: $200,000
  • Homes cost 12.0× the typical local household income (US: 4.1×)

Moving costs, closing costs and taxes not included.

The details

Cost of living▲ 104% above US

$2,887/mo median rent

Rent is expensive here, at $2,887 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 $2,000,000+. Renting first to get a feel for the city before buying is often the more practical route.

Median home value $2,000,000+ · 43% of renters cost-burdened

Job market

5.7% county unemployment

Unemployment in Los Angeles County is 5.7%, somewhat above the national average of 4.3%. Lining up work before the move is the safer route. That's the county-wide rate; BLS doesn't measure a place this size on its own.

Los Angeles County (county-wide)

Safety▲ 28% above US

423 violent crimes per 100k

Crime is worth weighing seriously here. Rates run above the national average, and while plenty of residents live comfortably, neighborhood selection matters a lot more than it does in a safer city.

Property crime 2379/100k · Hermosa Beach Police Department · 2025 data

Getting aroundNear US average

29 min average commute

Commutes run about average, at 28.5 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; 37% work from home.

How workers get to work

Drive alone
53%
Work from home
37%
Carpool
4.9%
Other
3.8%
Walk
1.4%
Public transit
0.3%

Climate

Summers are comfortable, with highs around 75°F, and winters are mild, with lows rarely dropping below 47°F. It's a dry climate with limited rainfall.

Average month

High °FLow °FPrecip (in)
30°40°50°60°70°80°90°4"Jan: 2.97" precipitationFeb: 3.69" precipitationMar: 2.24" precipitationApr: 0.62" precipitationMay: 0.32" precipitationJun: 0.09" precipitationJul: 0.05" precipitationAug: 0.01" precipitationSep: 0.12" precipitationOct: 0.52" precipitationNov: 0.77" precipitationDec: 2.36" precipitationJJan: high 67°F, low 47°FFFeb: high 66°F, low 48°FMMar: high 66°F, low 50°FAApr: high 68°F, low 52°FMMay: high 70°F, low 56°FJJun: high 72°F, low 58°FJJul: high 76°F, low 62°F77°AAug: high 77°F, low 63°FSSep: high 76°F, low 62°FOOct: high 74°F, low 57°FNNov: high 71°F, low 51°F47°DDec: high 66°F, low 47°F

30-year averages, 1991–2020

Education & workforce▲ 111% above US

76% 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

3 public schools inside the boundary

There are 3 public schools inside the boundary and 2 private schools. The student-to-teacher ratio is 23:1, above the national average of 16:1.

Parks & recreation

The nearest national park or historic site is Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area (26 miles away). There are 4 national parks and sites within a day's drive.

Bottom line

Hermosa Beach'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 ($2,887/mo) equals 21% of the median household income here, about the same as the 21% typical nationwide. It tends to suit remote workers (37% 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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