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

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

Schools

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

Health

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

13Seaside

9Lawndale

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

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

Left end = #1 in California. Showing the lists where the towns are furthest apart. All of Seaside’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%

Seaside$4,470/mo

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

Lawndale$4,450/mo

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

SeasideLawndale

Snow a year0″0″

January low43°F —

July high66°F —

Growing season (days)365d —

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

Outdoors & history

SeasideLawndale

Trails19 mi 1 mi

Conserved land10.4%2.3%

Settled1954 1959

Archive photos18 —

Famous people born here6 —

Community

SeasideLawndale

Library hours a week46 hrs 40 hrs

Colleges in town1 —

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.

SeasideCA LawndaleCA

Seaside ↔ Lawndale272 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

SeasideLawndale

People

Population 31,814Highest 30,781Lowest

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

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

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

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

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

Age 65+ 12.8%±1.4Highest CA: 15.7% 10.9%±1.3Lowest 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+ 29.6%Highest CA: 37.1% 20.6%Lowest CA: 37.1%

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

Cost of living

Household incomemedian $85,311±$6kLowest 14% below CA $85,441±$5kHighest 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 $787,100±$33kHighest 7% above CA $781,900±$43kLowest 6% 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 $2,409±$116Highest 18% above CA $1,938±$76Lowest 5% below CA

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

Renters paying 30%+of income on rent 65.3%±6.4Highest CA: 55.3% 57.8%±5.9Lowest 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 16%Highest CA: 12% 13%Lowest CA: 12%

Housing

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

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

Getting to work

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

Work from home 8.3%±1.5Highest CA: 17.2% 7.2%±1.7Lowest 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 9.5%Highest 4.3%Lowest

Typical commute distancemedian, straight-line 6.8 miLowest 9.8 miHighest

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

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

Between these townsresidents who work in the others Few work in LawndaleFew work in Seaside

Outdoors

Conserved landshare of the town 10.4%Highest 2.3%Lowest

Trailsmapped miles 18.9 miHighest 1.0 miLowest

Trail densitymiles per sq mi 2.1 miHighest 0.5 miLowest

Parks & preservesnamed on the map 23Highest 5Lowest

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

Schools

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

School district International School of Monterey District · Monterey Peninsula UnifiedCentinela Valley Union High · Lawndale Elementary

High school in town Seaside HighLeuzinger High

Students per teacherat that high school 20.3Lowest 22.1Highest

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.

Seaside neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Seaside’s Town Square.

Lawndale neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Lawndale’s Town Square.

Add a town

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One tap adds it. Up to 4 towns at once.

Bordering Seaside

+ Compare

Monterey29,613 people · $1.08M homes

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Sand City404 people · $1.08M homes

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Del Rey Oaks1,570 people · $836K homes

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Marina22,563 people · $819K homes

Towns like Seaside

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Imperial Beach25,764 people · $857K homes

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San Pablo31,720 people · $552K homes

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Rohnert Park44,575 people · $666K homes

+ Compare

East Palo Alto29,069 people · $1.1M 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.

Seaside vs Lawndale

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 Seaside and Lawndale

Bordering Seaside

Towns like Seaside

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