What it's like to live in Manhattan Beach

Manhattan Beach is a small city in California with household incomes running above the national average, crime rates well below 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. Manhattan Beach deals with rent well above the national average, home prices well above the national average, air quality that falls short of national benchmarks, and a population that has been shrinking.

The good

  • Higher-than-average incomes
  • Low crime rates
  • Highly educated workforce

The not so good

  • Rent well above the national average
  • High home prices
  • Air quality concerns
  • Shrinking population
  • High student-teacher ratio

How Manhattan Beach compares

Median household income

Manhattan Beach$204,306
California avg$99,122
US$80,734

Median rent (per month)

Manhattan Beach$3,449
California avg$2,036
US$1,413

Median home value

Manhattan 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 Manhattan Beach

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

To rent

$6,898

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

  • Income to keep rent under 30%: $137,960 a year
  • 37% of Manhattan 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 9.8× the typical local household income (US: 4.1×)

Moving costs, closing costs and taxes not included.

The details

Cost of living▲ 144% above US

$3,449/mo median rent

Rent is expensive here, at $3,449 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+ · 37% of renters cost-burdened

Job market▲ 12% above US

4.8% unemployment

Unemployment here is 4.8%, somewhat above the national average of 4.3%. Lining up work before the move is the safer route.

City-level (BLS)

Safety▼ 63% below US

121 violent crimes per 100k

Pretty safe, all things considered. Violent crime sits below the national average, nothing alarming, just ordinary city-life awareness.

Property crime 2216/100k · Manhattan Beach Police Department · 2025 data

Getting aroundNear US average

28 min average commute

Commutes run about average, at 28 minutes. Fine day to day, but it adds up over a year, and where someone lives relative to where they work starts to matter. 5 in 10 workers drive to work; 39% work from home.

How workers get to work

Drive alone
51%
Work from home
39%
Walk
3.8%
Carpool
3.3%
Other
1.7%
Public transit
0.7%

Climate

Summers are comfortable, with highs around 75°F, and winters are mild, with lows rarely dropping below 50°F. It's a dry climate with limited rainfall.

Average month

High °FLow °FPrecip (in)
40°50°60°70°80°90°3"Jan: 2.86" precipitationFeb: 2.99" precipitationMar: 1.73" precipitationApr: 0.60" precipitationMay: 0.28" precipitationJun: 0.08" precipitationJul: 0.04" precipitationAug: 0.00" precipitationSep: 0.11" precipitationOct: 0.49" precipitationNov: 0.82" precipitationDec: 2.23" precipitationJJan: high 66°F, low 49°FFFeb: high 66°F, low 50°FMMar: high 66°F, low 52°FAApr: high 68°F, low 54°FMMay: high 70°F, low 58°FJJun: high 72°F, low 61°FJJul: high 75°F, low 64°F77°AAug: high 77°F, low 65°FSSep: high 77°F, low 64°FOOct: high 74°F, low 60°FNNov: high 71°F, low 54°F49°DDec: high 66°F, low 49°F

30-year averages, 1991–2020

Education & workforce▲ 119% above US

79% 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

8 public schools inside the boundary

There are 8 public schools inside the boundary and 5 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 (25 miles away). There are 4 national parks and sites within a day's drive.

Bottom line

Manhattan Beach's strongest points are household incomes running above the national average and crime rates well below the national average; the main tradeoffs are rent well above the national average and home prices well above the national average. A year of median rent ($3,449/mo) equals 20% of the median household income here, about the same as the 21% typical nationwide. It tends to suit anyone prioritizing low crime, remote workers (39% of workers here already work from home), and college-educated professionals. It may be a harder fit for renters on a tight budget.

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