The short answer: Manhattan Beach in four numbers
- $3,353,430: Zillow's typical home value, September 2026, a record and up 95.0% in ten years.
- $6,406 a month: Zillow's typical rent, up 9.0% in a year.
- $204,306: median household income, Census Bureau 2020-2024.
- 90.9%: share of residents living in the same home a year earlier, one of the clearest signs that people who arrive tend to stay.
The city covers 3.934 square miles of land (Census Bureau Gazetteer) with about 8,700 residents per square mile. Most homes are detached houses on small lots, and 64.8% of homes are owner-occupied.
Pros of living in Manhattan Beach
Pros: more than two miles of Manhattan Beach sand
Los Angeles County's beach department describes Manhattan Beach as having over 2 miles of ocean frontage and 115 acres of sandy beach, with lifeguards during daylight hours, a playground and more than 450 public parking spaces. The Strand walk and bike path runs behind the sand.
Pros: the Manhattan Beach Pier
The 900-foot pier sits at the end of Manhattan Beach Boulevard and splits the beach in two. Fishing is allowed on it all year, according to the county.
Pros: El Porto surfing and beach volleyball
The north end, El Porto, is described by the county as an extremely popular surf spot with lessons available. Volleyball nets run south toward Hermosa Beach, and the AVP Manhattan Beach Open is held each summer.
Pros: a mild Manhattan Beach climate
NOAA's 1991-2020 normals for the Los Angeles International Airport station show average highs from 65.6°F in February to 76.7°F in August, and no month's average low falls below 49°F. Annual rainfall averages about 12.2 inches, most of it from November to March.
Pros: Manhattan Beach Unified school results
On the 2025 California School Dashboard, the district scored 86.3 points above standard in English and 65.9 above in math, with a 98.4% graduation rate. See our Manhattan Beach schools guide for each school's results.
Pros: low reported crime per resident in Manhattan Beach
California DOJ figures for 2025 show the Manhattan Beach Police Department reported 40 violent crimes and 727 property crimes. In 2024 the department had reported 49 violent and 829 property crimes, so both counts fell in 2025. Per resident, that violent crime rate was the lowest of the four beach-area cities in the table below. Crime data describe reports to police, not risk at any address.
| City (police agency) | Violent crimes, 2025 | Property crimes, 2025 | Violent per 1,000 residents | Property per 1,000 residents |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Manhattan Beach | 40 | 727 | 1.2 | 21.3 |
| Hermosa Beach | 76 | 437 | 4.0 | 22.9 |
| El Segundo | 67 | 570 | 4.0 | 34.0 |
| Redondo Beach | 161 | 1,533 | 2.3 | 22.1 |
Rates per 1,000 are our calculation using Census 2020-2024 population. See our Manhattan Beach crime data guide for the method.
Pros: Manhattan Beach home values have held up
Zillow's typical value rose 23.8% in five years and 9.4% in the last year. Redfin's price per square foot in the city was $1,560 in the three months to September 2026, up 9.3% from a year earlier.
Pros: a short commute or none in Manhattan Beach
The Census Bureau found that 39.1% of working residents work from home, and those who commute average 28.0 minutes each way.
Pros: a settled Manhattan Beach community
With 90.9% of residents in the same home as a year earlier, blocks change slowly. The city's median age is 42.8, and 78.9% of adults 25 and over hold at least a bachelor's degree.
Cons of living in Manhattan Beach
Cons: Manhattan Beach home prices
The typical home costs about 16 times the median household income. Redfin's median for detached houses in ZIP 90266 was $3,904,015 in the three months to September 2026. At 7.24% with 20% down, the typical home costs about $18,283 a month in principal and interest alone.
Cons: Manhattan Beach rents
At $6,406 a month, Zillow's typical rent is $2,436 above Hermosa Beach's and more than double Torrance's $3,006. Rents rose 34.6% in five years.
Cons: few Manhattan Beach homes for sale
Redfin counted only 78 homes on the market at the end of September 2026, 24.6% fewer than a year earlier. Condos are especially rare: 2 condo sales in three months.
Cons: small lots and close neighbors in Manhattan Beach
Many beach-area parcels are small: October 2026 MLS sales included houses on lots of 1,345 to 1,829 square feet near the beach. Expect neighbors close on both sides and rebuilding next door.
Cons: Manhattan Beach summer crowds and parking
The county notes that the AVP Manhattan Beach Open brings out a big crowd each summer. Beach parking is shared with visitors from across the region, and homes near the sand see the most traffic on warm weekends.
Cons: a higher Manhattan Beach sales tax
The sales tax is 10.75% from October 1, 2026 (CDTFA), half a point higher than Hermosa Beach and Redondo Beach.
Cons: coastal hazards and insurance in Manhattan Beach
Homes near the beach should be checked on the FEMA flood map and the California Geological Survey tsunami hazard maps. Insurance can cost more and take longer to arrange; see our homeowners insurance guide.
Cons: little public transit in Manhattan Beach
Only 0.7% of working residents commute by public transit (Census Bureau). Bus routes such as Commuter Express 438 and Beach Cities Transit 109 stop near the beach, but most daily trips are by car, bike or on foot.
What living in Manhattan Beach is like
Manhattan Beach weather through the year
NOAA's 1991-2020 normals for the Los Angeles International Airport station show August and September are the warmest months, with average highs of 76.7°F and 76.5°F, while December and January average highs near 66°F and lows near 49°F. February is the wettest month at 2.99 inches, and June through September together average less than a quarter of an inch of rain. Spend time here in more than one season before you decide.
Getting around Manhattan Beach
Main streets include Manhattan Beach Boulevard, Highland Avenue, Rosecrans Avenue, Sepulveda Boulevard and Aviation Boulevard, which forms the eastern edge of the city. The Strand is reserved for walking and biking along the sand. Beach Cities Transit runs local buses, and the nearest Metro K Line stations, Douglas and Redondo Beach, are just outside the city. Most residents who commute drive, so test your route at rush hour.
Things to do in Manhattan Beach
Beyond the beach and pier, the city hosts free Concerts in the Park at Polliwog Park on summer Sunday evenings, and the volunteer-run Manhattan Beach Hometown Fair, which began in 1972. Sand Dune Park keeps the city's last exposed sand dune. The county library's Manhattan Beach branch is on Highland Avenue.
Shopping and services in Manhattan Beach
Downtown runs along Manhattan Beach Boulevard near the pier, with restaurants, boutiques and the Metlox mixed-use center, which has a hotel and underground parking. The north end has its own small business district around Rosecrans Avenue and Highland Avenue. On the east side, the Manhattan Village Mall sits east of Sepulveda Boulevard between Marine and Rosecrans avenues, and the Sepulveda corridor has supermarkets, medical offices, banks and car dealers.
Jobs in and near Manhattan Beach
The Aviation Boulevard corridor holds the Northrop Grumman Space Park complex and the Manhattan Beach Studios media campus. Confirm current employers and commute times yourself; job sites change faster than maps.
Salary needed to live in Manhattan Beach
MIT's Living Wage Calculator for Los Angeles County puts the pre-tax income a single adult needs at $60,161 a year, and $140,735 for a household of two working adults with two children. Those figures assume county-average housing costs, which Manhattan Beach far exceeds. Renting at Zillow's typical $6,406 while keeping rent to 30% of gross pay takes about $256,000 a year by our calculation. Our Manhattan Beach cost of living guide breaks down every cost.
Who is moving to Manhattan Beach
The Census Bureau's 2020-2024 survey asked where residents lived a year earlier. Of 33,947 residents aged one and over, 30,872 lived in the same home. Of those who moved, 2,315 came from elsewhere in Los Angeles County, 130 from another California county, 528 from another state and 102 from abroad. In short, most newcomers move from nearby. About 12.5% of the city's homes were vacant at the time of the survey, including 553 held for seasonal or occasional use.
The housing stock is older than the prices suggest. The median home in the city was built in 1970, 14.9% of homes date from before 1950, and only 7.1% were built in 2010 or later, according to the same survey. Yet new homes do appear on established blocks: 3 of the 31 sales on one October 2026 MLS list of recent Manhattan Beach sales were homes built in 2026, on 1st Street, 25th Street and El Porto Street, and all three sold for between $4,100,000 and $6,050,000. If you buy next to an older house, ask the city whether any building permits are pending next door. Owner-occupied homes make up 64.8% of occupied homes and the rest are rented. Renters should ask a landlord how long they plan to keep the property and what notice they would give if they decide to sell or rebuild, and keep that answer in writing with your lease.
Retiring in Manhattan Beach
About 16.5% of residents are 65 or older (Census Bureau). For owners, the main financial question is property tax: a long-held home may carry a much lower assessed value than its price, and selling resets it. Owners 55 and over who buy elsewhere in California may be able to carry their tax base with them under Prop 19; our Prop 19 guide explains the rules. For downsizing within the city, condos and townhouses are the main option; see the Manhattan Beach condos guide. Our best places to retire in California guide compares other cities.
Where to live in Manhattan Beach
Choose by the type of home you want. Oceanfront homes on The Strand and walk-street houses in the Sand Section carry the highest prices. The Hill Section offers views from steeper streets, El Porto has small lots at the north end near the surf, and the east side, including Manhattan Village and Manhattan Heights, has more detached houses on larger lots plus the city's main townhouse community. Compare them on our Manhattan Beach neighborhoods guide and check prices on the Manhattan Beach homes guide.
Should you move to Manhattan Beach? A checklist
- Price your target home type from Redfin's ZIP 90266 figures, not the city median.
- Run the payment at today's rate and add property tax at about 1.11% of the price.
- Get an insurance quote and check flood and tsunami maps for the address.
- Check school assignment with MBUSD by address, never by listing description.
- Drive your commute at rush hour and visit the beach on a summer weekend.
- Compare Hermosa Beach, Redondo Beach and El Segundo on the same measures; see our Hermosa Beach and Redondo Beach guides.