Los Angeles/Compare
Palms vs Westwood
Palms and Westwood are two official neighborhoods in Los Angeles. Westwood is the calmer Part I map (100 vs 86). Westwood wins the errand count. Palms has the lower ACS median ($2,316).
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 | Palms | Westwood |
|---|---|---|
| Safety | 86 | 100 |
| Schools | 67 | 86 |
| Walk | 22 | 36 |
| Cost fit | 100 | 91 |
| Vibe | 17 | 43 |
| Median rent | $2,316 | $2,746 |
| Median home | $1,208,580 | $1,627,095 |
| Population | 43,219 | 55,668 |
| Commute to Downtown | 36 min | 42 min |
| Commute to Westside | 15 min | 6 min |
| Commute to Hollywood | 20 min | 16 min |
Living numbers
Who rents, how old, how much crime, how many shops — beside the scores.
| Fact | Palms | Westwood |
|---|---|---|
| Renters | 87% | 67% |
| Median age | 34 | 32.6 |
| Median income | $105K | $94K |
| Part I per 1k | 14.0 | 9.5 |
| Groceries / 800m | 23 | 20 |
| Transit stops / 800m | 93 | 118 |
| Parks / 800m | 9 | 46 |
| 311 last 14 days | 854 | 629 |
Rent
Rent since 2014
ACS 5-year median gross rent for Los Angeles city. Up 62% since 2014. Palms is 20% above the 2024 city median. Wwood is 42% 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 Palms if the rent gap is the point and the shorter ride to Downtown is the point. ACS median rent is $2,316 vs $2,746. 36 vs 42 minutes to Downtown. Read both pages before you decide.
Pick Westwood if you want the cafes and the night and the school rating nearby is the point. Vibe is 43 vs 17. Schools score 86 vs 67. Safety is 100 vs 86. Read both pages before you decide.
Palms
Rentals, the Expo Line, and a westside zip that still has a grocery you can walk to. The practical neighbor of Mar Vista.
$2,316 median rent · safety 86 · walk 22
Westwood
UCLA at the north edge, a village that still walks, and rentals that outnumber the houses. The westside that still has a bus.
$2,746 median rent · safety 100 · walk 36
Common questions
Same pair, said in questions. The numbers are in the tables.
Which is cheaper, Palms or Westwood?
Palms is the lower ACS median: $2,316 vs $2,746. About 87% rent in Palms vs 67% in Westwood. Survey medians, not a listing you can message tonight.
Is Palms more walkable than Westwood?
Westwood wins the errand count (walk 22 vs 36). Groceries inside 800 meters: 23 vs 20. Not a Walk Score license.
Which is safer on this map, Palms or Westwood?
Westwood is the calmer Part I read (100 vs 86). Combined rate 9.5 vs 14.0 per 1,000. Visitors count in those numbers.
Which scores higher for families, Palms or Westwood?
Westwood leads the school axis (86 vs 67). Nearby rating is 8.2 / 10 vs 7.4 / 10. Median age 32.6 vs 34. Neither number is a school assignment.
Which has the shorter commute to Downtown?
36 minutes from Palms to Downtown, 42 from Westwood. Palms is the shorter weekday. Not this hour's traffic.
If you drop both
Closest official neighborhood that is not Palms or Westwood: Mar Vista. Bungalows, a farmers’ market, and the beach ten minutes south. Family westside that is not trying to be Santa Monica.
Scores are relative among official Los Angeles neighborhoods with the same editorial weights. Read the method.