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Quality-of-Life Study: Hermosa Ranks No. 85 in West
Among communities in America's western region, Hermosa Beach ranks No. 85 in quality of life, according to a study by The Business Journals.
Hermosa Beach days:
Two young men enjoy a game of Frisbee on the Hermosa Beach sand with an offshore island visible in the background.
Marcus Bockman
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Life is pretty good in Hermosa Beach, at least according to an "On Numbers" quality-of-life study released by The Business Journals.
The report used U.S. Census Bureau data to rate the quality-of-life in 889 cities, towns, villages and other municipalities across the Western portion of the country.
Hermosa Beach ranked No. 85, and overall California towns topped the charts regionally.
"The top-rated communities have strong economic bases, impressive housing stocks and effective educational systems," The Business Journals reported Wednesday. "The only non-California community in the Western top five is No. 2 Paradise Valley, Ariz., which is northeast of Phoenix."
Hillsborough ranked No. 1, San Marino came in No. 3, Blackhawk-Camino Tassajara (east of Oakland) No. 4 and Coto de Caza No. 5.
When analyzing national data, "On Numbers" revealed that West University Place in Texas ranked the highest in quality-of-life. Nationwide a total of 3,764 U.S. cities, towns, villages and other municipalities were analyzed.
Here is a synopsis of Hermosa Beach's standing in the Western region:
| Place | Hermosa Beach |
| Type | city |
| State | California |
| West Quality-of-Life rank | 85 |
| West Quality-of-Life percentile | 90.54% |
| Population (2009 estimate) | 19,213 |
| In 25-44 age group | 46.00% |
| Living in same house for more than 1 year | 74.12% |
| Moved in from other state or abroad in past year | 5.03% |
| Workers who walk to work or work at home | 9.21% |
| Commuting time of 29 minutes or less | 53.14% |
| Median household income | $99,446 |
| Poverty rate for families | 2.64% |
| Workers with management and professional jobs | 59.53% |
| Workers who are self-employed | 17.79% |
| Unemployment rate for 25-64 age group | 4.42% |
| Houses built since 1990 | 12.21% |
| Houses with 9 or more rooms | 5.32% |
| Housing vacancy rate | 4.66% |
| Homeowner rate | 45.91% |
| Median house value | $1,000,001 |
| Mortgage affordability (house value per $1,000 of household income) | $10,056 |
| Rent affordability (annual median rent per $1,000 of household income) | $201 |
| Adults (25 or older) with high school diplomas | 98.61% |
| Adults (25 or older) with bachelor's degrees | 68.99% |
| Adults (25 or older) with advanced degrees | 24.37% |
(Source: American City Business Journals, Inc.)
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