Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
A town of 18,513, settled in 1903.
For most people who can afford it, yes. Hermosa Beach grades B overall, 129th of 841 graded towns in California. On CDC health estimates it is near the top nationally and its public schools beat 98% of California towns on state tests and graduation. What holds it back is price: homes are expensive, about $2.3 million for a typical one and 23.7 times the Los Angeles metro’s $96K median household income. 76% of adults 25 and older hold a bachelor’s degree or more in Hermosa Beach, above both California’s towns (29%) and U.S. towns (29%). Hermosa Beach is easier to get around on foot or by transit than 94% of U.S. towns. Among 846 California towns, just 5 have a higher January low than Hermosa Beach.
Where Hermosa Beach beats most towns.
| Widest gap | Hermosa Beach | CA |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer uninsured adults | 3.3% | 10.6% |
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within California), ordered by how far Hermosa Beach is from typical.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Census counts: 679 in 1910, 19,728 in 2020. The archive holds 14 old photos and papers going back to 1890 and 8 maps from 1896 on.
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Hermosa Beach. Close and well known come first.
Big draw7 mi Stadium & arenaSoFi Stadium
Big draw16 mi LandmarkHollywood Walk of Fame10.0M visitors a year
Big draw12 mi MuseumLucas Museum of Narrative Art
Big draw12 mi MuseumUSS Iowa
Big draw12 mi Stadium & arenaLos Angeles Memorial Coliseum
Big draw28 mi Theme parkDisneyland17.3M visitors a yearSoFi Stadium: Thank You (21 Millions+) views, CC BY 2.0 · Hollywood Walk of Fame: BenSherman, Public domain · Lucas Museum of Narrative Art: Kriddl, CC0 · USS Iowa: PH1 Jeff Hilton, Public domain · Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum: CanonStarGal, CC BY-SA 4.0 · Disneyland: HarshLight from San Jose, CA, USA, CC BY 2.0
Who provides power, water and the rest in Hermosa Beach, and how to reach them.
EPA SDWIS (Oct 9, 2026) · HIFLD + EIA-861 2025 · Census 2020 ZCTAs · NCES 2024–25 · registration: vote.gov, updated Nov 18, 2024.
Ordered by what stands out in Hermosa Beach.
Hermosa Beach has schools in the top 5% of California, has less no health insurance than most of California and has milder winter nights than nearly all U.S. towns.
At 23.7 years of the Los Angeles metro’s $96K median household income, the typical home (about $2.27M) costs more against local pay than in 97% of California towns; that ratio is one input to its D− for cost of living.
Hermosa Beach’s median rent is $2,887 a month. Typical home values rose 5.5% in the year to September 2026. 51% of Hermosa Beach households own their home.
| Hermosa Beach | California towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $2,887 a month | $1,895 a month | $1,185 a month |
| Households that own their home | 51% | 64% | 73% |
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Its A+ ranks #6 of the 847 California towns we grade for schools. Its A+ for schools comes with a D− for cost of living: the typical home is worth about $2.27M.
Its public schools are run by the Hermosa Beach City Elementary school district. Two of its 6 schools are below, each with why it’s listed.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hermosa Valley ElementaryLargest public middle schoolGrades 5–8 | Grades 5–8 | 589 | – |
| Fusion Academy SB: South Bay PrivateLargest high schoolGrades 6–12 | Grades 6–12 | 125 | – |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within CA on state tests
Its widest gap with California is no health insurance: 3.3% of those 18–64 have no health insurance, against 10.6% statewide.
13% of adults get no exercise outside work in Hermosa Beach. Hermosa Beach beats the California average on 24 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 2. 20% of adults binge drink in Hermosa Beach.
| Hermosa Beach | California towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Get no exercise (CDC PLACES) | 13% | 24% | 25% |
| Frequent physical distress (CDC PLACES) | 9.4% | 14% | 14% |
| Obesity (CDC PLACES) | 22% | 29% | 35% |
| Diabetes (CDC PLACES) | 6.9% | 12% | 12% |
| What stands out | Hermosa Beach | CA |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer uninsured adults | 3.3% | 10.6% |
| Fewer adults facing food insecurity | 6.4% | 17.9% |
| More binge drinkers | 19.6% | 15.3% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
The violent crime rate in Hermosa Beach is 4.1 per 1,000 residents.
| Hermosa Beach | California towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Property crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 23.7 per 1,000 residents | 13.3 | 9.9 |
| Violent crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 4.1 per 1,000 residents | 2.9 | 1.6 |
FBI crime data, 2025 · crimes reported to police
Expected storm and flood damage is higher than in 82% of U.S. communities. Since 1980, 5 flood insurance claims have been paid out in Hermosa Beach.
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
January nights average 49.9°, milder than in 99% of U.S. towns; July afternoons average 74.3°.
Hermosa Beach has warm winters and cool summers, with very little rain. Snow is almost unheard of.
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Jobs based here grew from 4,893 in 2013 to 6,431. 36.5% of workers work from home, against 17.2% across California.
Most working residents leave Hermosa Beach for work: only 6% work in town. Jobs based in Hermosa Beach grew to 6,431 in 2023, 1,538 more than in 2013. The top destinations are Los Angeles (27%), El Segundo (9%) and Torrance (5%).
| Hermosa Beach | California towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Work from home | 37% | 14% | 11% |
| Median household income | $166,000 | $95,000 | $80,000 |
| Below the poverty line | 5.6% | 10% | 9.6% |
| Average trip to work | 29 minutes | 28 minutes | 25 minutes |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
2.7 miles of trail in 8 parks and preserves.
| Hermosa Beach | California towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Miles of trail per square mile | 0.4 miles per square mile | 1.0 | 0.4 |
| Conserved land | 3.4% | 4.3% | 4.3% |
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Greenbelt | 0.9 mi | 8 |
| 2. The Greenbelt | 0.5 mi | 6 |
| 3. Valley Park | — | 9 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
33 within 15 miles of the center of Hermosa Beach
About 3 of every 100 Hermosa Beach residents are enrolled in college, against 8 across California.
10 notable people were born in Hermosa Beach.
City in California, United States
Hermosa Beach (Hermosa, Spanish for "Beautiful") is a beachfront city in Los Angeles County, California, United States. Its population was 19,728 at the 2020 U.S. census. The city is located in the South Bay region of the Greater Los Angeles area; it is one of the three Beach Cities. Hermosa Beach is bordered by the other two, Manhattan Beach to the north and Redondo Beach to the south and east. The city's beach is popular for sunbathing, beach volleyball, surfing, paddleboarding, bars, cycling and running. The city itself extends only about 15 blocks from east to west and 40 blocks from north to south, with Pacific Coast Highway running down the middle. Situated on the Pacific Ocean, Hermo…
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
2 towns share a border with Hermosa Beach.
| Town | CA rank | Overall | Cost | Safety | Schools | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hermosa Beach | #129 | B | D− | C− | A+ | A+ |
| Manhattan Beach | #84 | B+ | D− | C | A+ | A+ |
| Redondo Beach | #151 | B | D− | C− | A | A+ |
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
For most people who can afford it, yes. Hermosa Beach grades B overall, better than 62% of U.S. towns and #129 of 841 in California. It grades A+ for health, C− for safety and A+ for schools. Cost of living is its weak spot, with a D−.
Yes. Cost of living, which also weighs rents, property taxes and how many households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, grades D−.
10 notable people were born here, including Jacqueline Frank DeLuca and Canyon Ceman.
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