Places › California › Manhattan Beach

Living in Manhattan Beach, CA

Suburb in California

Manhattan Beach is a suburb in California, home to about 35,000 people, with 9.4 million living within 31 mi. Day to day, much of daily life is walkable. Life moves at a very fast pace, and homes are mostly houses.

Is Manhattan Beach a good place to live? Pros and cons

👍 Pros

  • Strong healthcare: 27 top-rated (4–5★) hospitals within 31 mi
  • Mild summers: highs around 75°F
  • Easy flying: LAX is 3 mi away
  • Big job market: about 9.4 million people live within 31 mi

👎 Cons

  • Few dog parks: 25 within 9 mi
  • Pricey housing: a typical 3-bedroom home is about $2.78M, and rent is $3,300 a month

Whether it's a good place for you depends on what you value. Take the quiz to see how Manhattan Beach ranks against your own priorities.

Key facts

Population
35,000
9.4 million within 31 mi
Winter / summer highs
66°F / 75°F
Average daily highs
3-bedroom home
$2.78M
Typical value (Zillow)
3-bedroom rent
$3,300/mo
Incl. utilities (HUD)
Cost of living
114
US average = 100 (BEA)
Taxes
$3,279
State income tax per resident · 0.5% property tax
Safety
0.4× US
Violent crime vs US (FBI 2019)
Natural disasters
15 since 2000
Declared in the county · mainly earthquakes, flooding
Top-rated hospitals
27
4–5★ within 31 mi (CMS)
Public schools
Excellent
Tests well above US average · 25 students per teacher
Adults with a degree
79%
6 research universities within 31 mi
Nearest major airport
LAX
3 mi away

Living in Manhattan Beach: common questions

What is the cost of living in Manhattan Beach?

A typical 3-bedroom home is worth about $2.78M, and a 3-bedroom rents for about $3,300 a month including utilities. Overall living costs are above the US average (index 114, where the US is 100).

What are taxes like in Manhattan Beach?

California collects about $3,279 in state income tax per resident, and homeowners here pay about 0.5% of their home's value in property tax each year.

Is Manhattan Beach safe?

Violent crime is well below the national rate (0.4× in FBI 2019 data).

How are the schools in Manhattan Beach?

Public schools in Manhattan Beach test well above the US average in math and reading (2018–19 state tests, put on one national scale with NAEP), with about 25 students per teacher.

What is the weather like in Manhattan Beach?

Manhattan Beach is warm all year: winter days average around 66°F and summer days around 75°F.

Does Manhattan Beach get natural disasters?

Natural disaster risk is moderate, mainly from earthquakes and flooding: 15 federally declared disasters have hit the county since 2000, and FEMA expects about 0.75 deaths or injuries per 100,000 residents a year.

What is the nearest major airport to Manhattan Beach?

The nearest major airport is LAX, about 3 mi away.

How Manhattan Beach scores

Each bar compares Manhattan Beach with the other 1,990 places in Best Life Fit Me. A dot shows where it sits between two ends, such as major metro and small town; neither end is better. Coloured bars run from poor (red) to excellent (green).

🏙️City sizeBig city Major metroSmall town
🏘️Urban or quietUrban Dense & urbanQuiet / rural
🚶Getting aroundMostly walkable Walk & transitCar essential
🌲Culture or natureStrong culture scene Culture & nightlifeNature on the doorstep
🌡️ClimateWarm all year Warm all yearLong, snowy winters
💰Cost of livingVery expensive Very expensiveVery affordable
⏱️PaceVery fast-paced Very fast-pacedSlow & calm
🤝CommunityFriendly community AnonymousTight-knit community
🏡HousingMostly houses ApartmentsHouses with yards
🏷️Affordable housingPoor
💸Low taxesAverage
💼Job marketExcellent
🏥HealthcareExcellent
🏫SchoolsExcellent
🎓EducationExcellent
🧸Kids & familyGood
🐕Dog-friendlyPoor
⛰️OutdoorsExcellent
🎭CultureExcellent
👮SafetyVery safe
🌪️Few natural disastersAverage
☀️SunnyExcellent
🌤️Mild summersExcellent
✈️AirportExcellent

Places like Manhattan Beach

These places have the most similar overall profile across all 24 aspects.

The circle is each place's all-round score out of 100: the average of its 15 quality scores, from red (poor) to green (excellent).

Cypress, CASuburb71 $970k$4,390/moVery safe Temple City, CASuburb71 $1.04M$3,300/moVery safe Cerritos, CASuburb70 $987k$3,300/moSafe Arcadia, CASuburb69 $1.20M$3,300/moVery safe La Mirada, CASuburb68 $864k$3,300/moVery safe Fountain Valley, CASuburb75 $1.24M$4,390/moVery safe

Nearby

Redondo Beach, CASuburb · 4 mi away72 $1.45M$3,300/moVery safe Lawndale, CASuburb · 4 mi away65 $821k$3,300/moSafe Hawthorne, CASuburb · 4 mi away62 $862k$3,300/moModerate crime Inglewood, CASuburb · 6 mi away59 $799k$3,300/moModerate crime Torrance, CASuburb · 6 mi away70 $1.09M$3,300/moVery safe Gardena, CASuburb · 6 mi away63 $791k$3,300/moModerate crime

See all the best places to live in California.

Is Manhattan Beach right for you?

Answer 27 quick questions and see how it ranks against your priorities.

Take the free quiz →

Sources: US Census ACS 2019–2023, Census State Tax Collections FY2025, Zillow 3-bedroom ZHVI, HUD Fair Market Rents, BEA Regional Price Parities 2024, FBI 2019, FEMA National Risk Index v1.20, OpenFEMA disaster declarations, NOAA Normals 1991–2020, NASA POWER, CMS, NCES IPEDS 2023, IMLS, OpenStreetMap. How scores work.