Los Angeles/Compare
Highland Park vs Mar Vista
Highland Park and Mar Vista are two official neighborhoods in Los Angeles. Mar Vista is the calmer Part I map (90 vs 76). Highland Park wins the errand count. Highland Park has the lower ACS median ($1,851).
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 | Highland Park | Mar Vista |
|---|---|---|
| Safety | 76 | 90 |
| Schools | 38 | 81 |
| Walk | 25 | 11 |
| Cost fit | 100 | 100 |
| Vibe | 19 | 12 |
| Median rent | $1,851 | $2,303 |
| Median home | $1,003,228 | $1,794,442 |
| Population | 48,167 | 36,713 |
| Commute to Downtown | 29 min | 44 min |
| Commute to Westside | 41 min | 18 min |
| Commute to Hollywood | 30 min | 27 min |
Living numbers
Who rents, how old, how much crime, how many shops — beside the scores.
| Fact | Highland Park | Mar Vista |
|---|---|---|
| Renters | 61% | 61% |
| Median age | 38.5 | 39.1 |
| Median income | $91K | $119K |
| Part I per 1k | 14.5 | 13.0 |
| Groceries / 800m | 20 | 13 |
| Transit stops / 800m | 100 | 48 |
| Parks / 800m | 22 | 18 |
| 311 last 14 days | 918 | 661 |
Rent
Rent since 2014
ACS 5-year median gross rent for Los Angeles city. Up 62% since 2014. Highland is 4% below the 2024 city median. Mar V is 19% 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 Highland Park if the rent gap is the point and the shorter ride to Downtown is the point. ACS median rent is $1,851 vs $2,303. 29 vs 44 minutes to Downtown. Walk is 25 vs 11. Read both pages before you decide.
Pick Mar Vista if the school rating nearby is the point and the quieter map matters more than the scene. Schools score 81 vs 38. Safety is 90 vs 76. Mar Vista is tagged family on this map; Highland Park is not. Read both pages before you decide.
Highland Park
York Boulevard, craftsman houses, and a Gold Line stop. Northeast that gentrified without becoming a postcard.
$1,851 median rent · safety 76 · walk 25
Mar Vista
Bungalows, a farmers’ market, and the beach ten minutes south. Family westside that is not trying to be Santa Monica.
$2,303 median rent · safety 90 · walk 11
Common questions
Same pair, said in questions. The numbers are in the tables.
Which is cheaper, Highland Park or Mar Vista?
Highland Park is the lower ACS median: $1,851 vs $2,303. About 61% rent in Highland Park vs 61% in Mar Vista. Survey medians, not a listing you can message tonight.
Is Highland Park more walkable than Mar Vista?
Highland Park wins the errand count (walk 25 vs 11). Groceries inside 800 meters: 20 vs 13. Not a Walk Score license.
Which is safer on this map, Highland Park or Mar Vista?
Mar Vista is the calmer Part I read (90 vs 76). Combined rate 13.0 vs 14.5 per 1,000. Visitors count in those numbers.
Which scores higher for families, Highland Park or Mar Vista?
Mar Vista leads the school axis (81 vs 38). Nearby rating is 8.0 / 10 vs 6.2 / 10. Median age 39.1 vs 38.5. Neither number is a school assignment.
Which has the shorter commute to Downtown?
29 minutes from Highland Park to Downtown, 44 from Mar Vista. Highland Park is the shorter weekday. Not this hour's traffic.
If you drop both
Closest official neighborhood that is not Highland Park or Mar Vista: Hollywood. The Boulevard, the clubs, and a lot of visitors in the crime file. Nightlife is the product; the residential streets are quieter than the postcard.
Scores are relative among official Los Angeles neighborhoods with the same editorial weights. Read the method.