Our letter grades for safety, schools and health, then every California ranking list both towns are on. A grade is one measure; read the page behind it.

Safety

C−LawndaleSafer than 15% of U.S. towns CSeasideSafer than 33% of U.S. towns

Schools

C+LawndaleBetter than 42% of districts in the state B+SeasideBetter than 68% of districts in the state

Health

C+LawndaleHealthier than 39% of U.S. towns B−SeasideHealthier than 51% of U.S. towns

9Lawndale

13Seaside

Lists won, of 23 where both are ranked. Ties go to nobody.

Most trailsOutdoors · 677 towns #537#154 Most conserved landOutdoors · 777 towns #523#244 SafestSafety · 411 towns #330#183 Rent easiest to affordCost of living · 422 towns #262#397 Most walkableOutdoors · 841 towns #49#278 Cheapest rentCost of living · 830 towns #437#628 Most educatedPeople · 844 towns #573#418 Shortest commuteGetting around · 843 towns #240#104

Left end = #1 in California. Showing the lists where the towns are furthest apart. All of Lawndale’s rankings →

Monthly cost

A typical home costs about the same each month

A typical home in each town, bought with 20% down at 6.3% for 30 years, plus property tax at the town’s own rate and insurance. Change the numbers to fit you.

Down paymentRate%

Lawndale$4,450/mo

Typical home $775K (Zillow) · tax rate 0.60% · or rent about $1,938/mo · Housing →

Seaside$4,470/mo

Typical home $789K (Zillow) · tax rate 0.51% · or rent about $2,409/mo · Housing →

Within $50 a month of each other.

Estimates, not a quote: your price, rate, tax bill and insurance will differ. Tax rate = the Census median tax bill over the median home value.

Life in each

What daily life feels like in each

The weather, the land, the history and the people, row by row. None of it is a grade: more snow is a plus to a skier.

Seasons

LawndaleSeaside

Snow a year0″0″

January low—43°F

July high—66°F

Growing season (days)—365d

Hazard risk (U.S. pctl)97th 86th

Outdoors & history

LawndaleSeaside

Trails1 mi 19 mi

Conserved land2.3%10.4%

Settled1959 1954

Archive photos—18

Famous people born here—6

Community

LawndaleSeaside

Library hours a week40 hrs 46 hrs

Colleges in town—1

Posts this month0 0

Neighbors joined0 0

A dot marks the most on each row. Climate: NOAA 1991–2020 normals at the nearest station. Hazard risk: FEMA National Risk Index, expected yearly damage vs U.S. towns.

Where they are

272 miles apart

Straight-line miles between town centers.

LawndaleCA SeasideCA

Lawndale ↔ Seaside272 miles apart

Everything, side by side

What matters to you?

Pick a few. Those rows jump to the top and the best fit on each is marked. There’s no overall score: what matters is up to you.

Only big differences vs California average

LawndaleSeaside

People

Population 30,781Lowest 31,814Highest

Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census -2.9%Lowest CA: +6.1% -2%Highest CA: +6.1%

Median age 36.9±2Highest about the CA average 34±1.5Lowest 10% below CA

Lawndale and Seaside are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.

Kids under 18 22.7%±2.3Highest CA: 22% 21.8%±1.9Lowest CA: 22%

Lawndale and Seaside are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.

Age 65+ 10.9%±1.3Lowest CA: 15.7% 12.8%±1.4Highest CA: 15.7%

Seaside and Lawndale are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.

Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ 20.6%Lowest CA: 37.1% 29.6%Highest CA: 37.1%

Enrolled in collegeshare of residents 8.3%±1.2Lowest CA: 7.6% 12.7%±1.4Highest CA: 7.6%

Cost of living

Household incomemedian $85,441±$5kHighest 14% below CA $85,311±$6kLowest 14% below CA

Lawndale and Seaside are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.

Home valuemedian, owner-occupied $781,900±$43kLowest 6% above CA $787,100±$33kHighest 7% above CA

Seaside and Lawndale are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.

Rentmedian gross, monthly $1,938±$76Lowest 5% below CA $2,409±$116Highest 18% above CA

Property taxmedian, yearly $4,686Highest 9% below CA $4,012Lowest 22% below CA

Renters paying 30%+of income on rent 57.8%±5.9Lowest CA: 55.3% 65.3%±6.4Highest CA: 55.3%

Seaside and Lawndale are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.

Below poverty line 13%Lowest CA: 12% 16%Highest CA: 12%

Housing

Homeownersof occupied homes 37%Highest CA: 55.9% 35.4%Lowest CA: 55.9%

Typical home builtmedian year 1967Lowest 9 yrs older than CA 1968Highest 8 yrs older than CA

Getting to work

Average commuteone way 25 minHighest 14% below CA 21 minLowest 27% below CA

Work from home 7.2%±1.7Lowest CA: 17.2% 8.3%±1.5Highest CA: 17.2%

Seaside and Lawndale are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.

Work in townworking residents 4.3%Lowest 9.5%Highest

Typical commute distancemedian, straight-line 9.8 miHighest 6.8 miLowest

Jobs per working residentover 1.5 = a job hub 0.41Lowest 0.56Highest

Top workplaceoutside town Los Angeles (27%)Monterey (25%)

Between these townsresidents who work in the others Few work in SeasideFew work in Lawndale

Outdoors

Conserved landshare of the town 2.3%Lowest 10.4%Highest

Trailsmapped miles 1.0 miLowest 18.9 miHighest

Trail densitymiles per sq mi 0.5 miLowest 2.1 miHighest

Parks & preservesnamed on the map 5Lowest 23Highest

Street connectivityintersections per sq mi, a walkability measure 148Highest 93.9Lowest

Schools

Public school scoresrank in state, math + reading #449 of 574 in CA #514 of 574 in CA

School district Centinela Valley Union High · Lawndale ElementaryInternational School of Monterey District · Monterey Peninsula Unified

High school in town Leuzinger HighSeaside High

Students per teacherat that high school 22.1Highest 20.3Lowest

California average“±” Census margin of errorACS 2020–2024

Deciding?

Ask the people who live there

The numbers stop at the town line. Neighbors can tell you about the commute at 7am, the schools, the winters and the feel of the place.

Lawndale neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Lawndale’s Town Square.

Seaside neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Seaside’s Town Square.

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Bordering Lawndale

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Hawthorne85,191 people · $863K homes

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Torrance142,130 people · $1.07M homes

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Redondo Beach69,291 people · $1.28M homes

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Alondra Park8,373 people · $835K homes

Towns like Lawndale

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San Pablo31,720 people · $552K homes

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Imperial Beach25,764 people · $857K homes

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National City58,893 people · $612K homes

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Stanton39,402 people · $579K homes

Sources: U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey 5-year estimates, 2010 & 2020 censuses, LEHD commute flows; Zillow Home Value Index; NCES Common Core of Data; FBI crime reporting; CDC PLACES; FEMA National Risk Index; NOAA U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020; USGS PAD-US and OpenStreetMap. “±” is the Census margin of error; differences inside it are never called. Property tax is top-coded by the Census at $10,000+. There is no overall score: which town is better depends on what matters to you.

Lawndale vs Seaside

Two towns, two different strengths

Where they part ways

Seaside places higher on 13 of 23 CA lists

A typical home costs about the same each month

What daily life feels like in each

272 miles apart

What matters to you?

Ask the people who live there

Set another town beside Lawndale and Seaside

Bordering Lawndale

Towns like Lawndale

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