60fit
Westwood
$3K median rent
UCLA at the north edge, a village that still walks, and rentals that outnumber the houses. The westside that still has a bus.
Family streetsWalk 36Safety 100
Los Angeles/Mar Vista
47fit
Mar Vista
Official neighborhood: Mar Vista
Data vintage. ACS 2024 5-year · LAPD Oct 2025 – Aug 2026 · OSM Sep 2026 · updated Sep 2026
Bungalows, a farmers’ market, and the beach ten minutes south. Family westside that is not trying to be Santa Monica.
marvista
Best in Los Angeles for familiesWalkable Los AngelesUnder $2,500 rent
Why this score
Safety
90
56 violent · 423 property · 13.0 per 1k (Oct 2025 – Aug 2026)+40 vs city set
Schools
81
Rating 8.0 / 10 nearby+29 vs city set
Walk
11
OSM: 13 groceries · 13 cafes · 48 transit · 18 parks-15 vs city set
Cost
96
$2,303 ACS median vs your rent budget+4 vs city set
Vibe
12
OSM: 13 cafes · 32 restaurants · 2 bars · 18 parks-13 vs city set
Commute to work
From Mar Vista, a typical weekday is 44 min to Downtown, 18 min to Westside, 27 min to Hollywood. Not live traffic.
Westside is the fastest of these three job centers from here.
Downtown
44 min
DTLA, Arts District · +7 min vs the city-set median
Westside
18 min
Westwood, Century City · -10 min vs the city-set median · fastest of these three
Hollywood
27 min
Studios, the Boulevard · +2 min vs the city-set median
Minutes are baked from neighborhood geography to three job centers — not Google, not this hour’s traffic.
Cost of living
ACS median gross rent is $2,303 across all occupied rental units — studios through large apartments mixed together, not a live 1-bed or 2-bed quote.
That is 23% of median household income — under the 30% HUD cost-burden line. A household at this area’s median income ($119K) could “afford” about $2,969 a month at 30% of gross pay.
61% of households rent. Median home value is $1,794,442.
ACS median rent
$2,303
30% income budget
$2,969
Rent / income
23%
Median home
$1,794,442
HUD treats 30% of gross household income as the cost-burden line. We do not split ACS median rent into 1-bed vs 2-bed — that table is all occupied rental units. Method.
Within a walk
Inside the official neighborhood or within 800 meters of its centroid, OpenStreetMap maps 13 groceries, 13 cafes, 18 parks, and 48 transit stops.
Daily errands and coffee are realistic on foot. Parks are close — 18 mapped parks in that radius. Transit is dense (48 stops or stations).
13 cafes and 32 restaurants make this one of the busier food pockets in the Los Angeles set.
Counts from OpenStreetMap, 800 m. Not a Walk Score license. Groceries here beat 10 of 21 other areas in this city set.
Population
36,713
Median age
39.1
Median income
$119K
Renters
61%
Bachelor+
64%
Violent / 1k
1.5
Property / 1k
11.5
ACS 2024 5-year (2020-2024) · 10 census tracts · LAPD Oct 2025 – Aug 2026 · OSM 2026-09-01
Family streets
Crime is LAPD Part I reports per 1,000 ACS residents — not a judgment of who lives here. Home and rent figures are ACS medians, not live MLS. Read the method.
On the ground
What it is like to live here, beyond the scores.
Bungalows, a farmers’ market, and the beach ten minutes south. Family westside that is not trying to be Santa Monica. The grid is actually a grid, which in Los Angeles is a gift. Venice Boulevard is the seam, not the identity.
You will still own a car for the rest of the city. Daily life can happen on foot in a way Brentwood’s will not. Weight family and walk. Palms is cheaper and more renter; Venice is the ocean tax.
Compiled from Zillow neighborhood guides, 5280 Magazine, Chicago and San Francisco resident guides, Mpls With Love, Eastside LA reporting, and local coverage, 2025–2026. Editorial — not part of the fit score.
Common questions
Answers from the same ACS, crime, and OSM figures on this page.
Is Mar Vista safe?
On this map Mar Vista is safer than most Los Angeles neighborhoods in the set (safety 90 vs city 50). LAPD logged 1.5 violent and 11.5 property incidents per 1,000 ACS residents — 13.0 combined. Rates mix residents and visitors. They are not a judgment of who lives here.
What is rent in Mar Vista?
ACS median rent is $2,303. Median home value is $1,794,442. About 61% of households rent. These are survey medians, not this week's listings.
Is Mar Vista walkable?
Walk scores 11 here vs 26 for the Los Angeles set — you will likely drive or ride for daily errands. OpenStreetMap counts within 800 meters: 13 groceries, 13 cafes, 48 transit stops, 18 parks.
Is Mar Vista good for families?
The scores lean family-friendly relative to this city set. Nearby school rating is 8.0 / 10. Median age is 39.1.
How long is the commute from Mar Vista?
Typical weekday minutes to Downtown: 44. Not live traffic. Open the neighborhood page for the other job centers in Los Angeles.
How many people live in Mar Vista?
About 36,713 residents, median income $119K, 64% with a bachelor's or higher. ACS 2024 5-year (2020-2024) · LAPD Oct 2025 – Aug 2026 · OSM.
What neighborhoods are next to Mar Vista?
Closest on this map: Palms, Sawtelle, Venice. Compare Mar Vista vs Palms if you are deciding between two official neighborhoods.
Next door
Adjacent on the neighborhood map, ranked with your weights.
Mar Vista vs PalmsMar Vista vs SawtelleMar Vista vs Venice
50fit
Brentwood
$3K median rent
San Vicente, school runs, and a median home that assumes you already made it. Quiet westside, on purpose.
Family streetsWalk 17Safety 95
50fit
Palms
$2K median rent
Rentals, the Expo Line, and a westside zip that still has a grocery you can walk to. The practical neighbor of Mar Vista.
Family streetsWalk 22Safety 86
47fit
Sawtelle
$2K median rent
Little Osaka, Sawtelle Boulevard, and the 405 in earshot. Westside food without Brentwood prices.
Walk 32Safety 38
35fit
Venice
$3K median rent
Abbot Kinney, the boardwalk, and canals that still photograph. The ocean is the amenity; the visitors are the tax.
WaterfrontNightlifeWalk 21Safety 14