Los Angeles/Compare
Fairfax vs Mid-Wilshire
Fairfax and Mid-Wilshire are two official neighborhoods in Los Angeles. Mid-Wilshire is the calmer Part I map (57 vs 5). Mid-Wilshire wins the errand count. Mid-Wilshire has the lower ACS median ($2,442).
Data vintage. ACS 2024 5-year · LAPD Oct 2025 – Aug 2026 · OSM Sep 2026 · updated Sep 2026
Scores
Fit axes among official Los Angeles neighborhoods.
| Axis | Fairfax | Mid-Wilshire |
|---|---|---|
| Safety | 5 | 57 |
| Schools | 43 | 52 |
| Walk | 8 | 19 |
| Cost fit | 86 | 100 |
| Vibe | 15 | 10 |
| Median rent | $2,896 | $2,442 |
| Median home | $1,838,776 | $1,478,482 |
| Population | 15,570 | 41,134 |
| Commute to Downtown | 28 min | 22 min |
| Commute to Westside | 19 min | 31 min |
| Commute to Hollywood | 14 min | 29 min |
Living numbers
Who rents, how old, how much crime, how many shops — beside the scores.
| Fact | Fairfax | Mid-Wilshire |
|---|---|---|
| Renters | 75% | 81% |
| Median age | 38.2 | 39.2 |
| Median income | $119K | $99K |
| Part I per 1k | 46.1 | 21.4 |
| Groceries / 800m | 8 | 12 |
| Transit stops / 800m | 52 | 112 |
| Parks / 800m | 5 | 11 |
| 311 last 14 days | 282 | 577 |
Rent
Rent since 2014
ACS 5-year median gross rent for Los Angeles city. Up 62% since 2014. Fairfax is 50% above the 2024 city median. Mid Wil is 26% above the 2024 city median.
Overlapping 5-year ACS windows (B25064), not asking rent. Census does not publish a rent series for each official neighborhood, so the line is the city place. Dashed marks are each area’s ACS 2024 median.
Which to pick
The same numbers as the table, in sentences. Nobody wins the city.
Pick Fairfax if you already want this pocket more than the table. Mid-Wilshire leads the numbered axes on this page.
Pick Mid-Wilshire if the quieter map matters more than the scene and the rent gap is the point. Safety is 57 vs 5. ACS median rent is $2,442 vs $2,896. Walk is 19 vs 8. Read both pages before you decide.
Fairfax
Melrose, Canter’s, and a district that still has a nightlife strip. Compact, central, and not cheap.
$2,896 median rent · safety 5 · walk 8
Mid-Wilshire
Miracle Mile museums, Park La Brea towers, and Wilshire buses. Central without downtown’s visitor count.
$2,442 median rent · safety 57 · walk 19
Common questions
Same pair, said in questions. The numbers are in the tables.
Which is cheaper, Fairfax or Mid-Wilshire?
Mid-Wilshire is the lower ACS median: $2,896 vs $2,442. About 81% rent in Mid-Wilshire vs 75% in Fairfax. Survey medians, not a listing you can message tonight.
Is Fairfax more walkable than Mid-Wilshire?
Mid-Wilshire wins the errand count (walk 8 vs 19). Groceries inside 800 meters: 8 vs 12. Not a Walk Score license.
Which is safer on this map, Fairfax or Mid-Wilshire?
Mid-Wilshire is the calmer Part I read (57 vs 5). Combined rate 21.4 vs 46.1 per 1,000. Visitors count in those numbers.
Which scores higher for families, Fairfax or Mid-Wilshire?
Mid-Wilshire leads the school axis (52 vs 43). Nearby rating is 6.8 / 10 vs 6.4 / 10. Median age 39.2 vs 38.2. Fairfax has more of the night. Neither number is a school assignment.
Which has the shorter commute to Downtown?
28 minutes from Fairfax to Downtown, 22 from Mid-Wilshire. Mid-Wilshire is the shorter weekday. Not this hour's traffic.
If you drop both
Closest official neighborhood that is not Fairfax or Mid-Wilshire: Hancock Park. Windsor Square houses, Larchmont Village, and a median that prices like the westside. Central, quiet, and not trying to be a scene.
Scores are relative among official Los Angeles neighborhoods with the same editorial weights. Read the method.