Los Angeles/Compare
Sherman Oaks vs Westwood
Sherman Oaks and Westwood are two official neighborhoods in Los Angeles. Westwood is the calmer Part I map (100 vs 67). Westwood wins the errand count. Sherman Oaks has the lower ACS median ($2,321).
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 | Sherman Oaks | Westwood |
|---|---|---|
| Safety | 67 | 100 |
| Schools | 76 | 86 |
| Walk | 26 | 36 |
| Cost fit | 100 | 91 |
| Vibe | 17 | 43 |
| Median rent | $2,321 | $2,746 |
| Median home | $1,313,232 | $1,627,095 |
| Population | 71,463 | 55,668 |
| Commute to Downtown | 74 min | 42 min |
| Commute to Westside | 42 min | 6 min |
| Commute to Hollywood | 45 min | 16 min |
Living numbers
Who rents, how old, how much crime, how many shops — beside the scores.
| Fact | Sherman Oaks | Westwood |
|---|---|---|
| Renters | 61% | 67% |
| Median age | 40.6 | 32.6 |
| Median income | $111K | $94K |
| Part I per 1k | 21.0 | 9.5 |
| Groceries / 800m | 16 | 20 |
| Transit stops / 800m | 137 | 118 |
| Parks / 800m | 20 | 46 |
| 311 last 14 days | 1,277 | 629 |
Rent
Rent since 2014
ACS 5-year median gross rent for Los Angeles city. Up 62% since 2014. Sherman 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 Sherman Oaks if the rent gap is the point. ACS median rent is $2,321 vs $2,746. Read both pages before you decide.
Pick Westwood if the quieter map matters more than the scene and the shorter ride to Downtown is the point. Safety is 100 vs 67. 42 vs 74 minutes to Downtown. Vibe is 43 vs 17. Read both pages before you decide.
Sherman Oaks
Valley flats, Ventura Boulevard, and a backyard if you pay for it. The family default north of the hills.
$2,321 median rent · safety 67 · walk 26
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, Sherman Oaks or Westwood?
Sherman Oaks is the lower ACS median: $2,321 vs $2,746. About 61% rent in Sherman Oaks vs 67% in Westwood. Survey medians, not a listing you can message tonight.
Is Sherman Oaks more walkable than Westwood?
Westwood wins the errand count (walk 26 vs 36). Groceries inside 800 meters: 16 vs 20. Not a Walk Score license.
Which is safer on this map, Sherman Oaks or Westwood?
Westwood is the calmer Part I read (100 vs 67). Combined rate 9.5 vs 21.0 per 1,000. Visitors count in those numbers.
Which scores higher for families, Sherman Oaks or Westwood?
Westwood leads the school axis (86 vs 76). Nearby rating is 8.2 / 10 vs 7.8 / 10. Median age 32.6 vs 40.6. Neither number is a school assignment.
Which has the shorter commute to Downtown?
74 minutes from Sherman Oaks to Downtown, 42 from Westwood. Westwood is the shorter weekday. Not this hour's traffic.
If you drop both
Closest official neighborhood that is not Sherman Oaks or Westwood: Brentwood. San Vicente, school runs, and a median home that assumes you already made it. Quiet westside, on purpose.
Scores are relative among official Los Angeles neighborhoods with the same editorial weights. Read the method.