Living in Los Angeles: The 10 pros and cons

Discover why living in Los Angeles appeals to its 3.8 million residents. This guide’ll examine the pros and cons of living in LA to see if it’s for you.

Ellie

6 minute read

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21 Aug 2024

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Living

Los Angeles is one of the most popular cities to live in the US, with its sunny weather and abundance of opportunities. But is living in LA all it’s cracked up to be? In this article, we’ll explore the pros and cons of living in Los Angeles to help you decide if LA is the city for you.

Some of the main reasons people relocate to LA include the unique neighbourhoods, the thriving job market, the diverse population, the endless entertainment possibilities, and the incredible climate. Let’s explore the reasons people choose to live in Los Angeles a little further.

Your neighborhood is your life in Los Angeles. Fortunately for you, the city has a selection of over 100 neighborhoods, each with its own eclectic vibe and plenty of amenities. You’ll find entertainment, dining, places to go out, hiking trails, excellent schools, farmers’ markets and supermarkets, and access to public transport or freeways in any of the city’s neighborhoods.

Check out our guide on the best neighborhoods in Los Angeles, like Silver Lake and Larchmont Village if you need some suggestions. If you’re on a budget and are looking to save some money on rent, look into our selection of the cheapest neighborhoods in LA, like Koreatown and Carson.

2. The job market

While living in LA, you probably won’t see many business people walking around in their office-best, but the city remains a major economic hub in the US. The job market in LA is thriving, particularly in industries like entertainment, tech and international trade. The city is also home to many successful international start-ups. So, even if you don’t have much work experience, there’re plenty of opportunities for you to explore.

LA’s job market is highly competitive, particularly if you plan to work in entertainment. It’s a good idea to give yourself a decent amount of time to find a job in LA. If you move there without a job offer, make sure you budget accordingly so you’re not stuck.

3. Cultural diversity in Los Angeles

LA is home to plenty of different cultures and ethnicities. There’re plenty of ethnic neighborhoods in LA as the city has some of the highest concentrations of Mexicans, Koreans, and Samoans outside of those countries. Boyle Heights is home to the Latino barrio. Chinatown, Little Tokyo, and Koreatown are in Downtown LA. Leimert Park Village is home to the African-American art and culture scene. The diverse population of LA means there’s always a new culinary scene or cultural festival to experience.

4. Entertainment and nightlife in LA

LA is the center of the entertainment industry. After all, you’ll be living in the city that is home to some of the biggest celebs in the world, as well as some of the biggest companies working in entertainment. Warner Bros Studio is a popular tourist spot but a must-do for those living in LA interested in film and TV.

Los Angeles has plenty of museums, theatres, and sport centres to visit. You can visit the natural history museum, watch the Lakers playing basketball or head to a concert in the Hollywood Bowl. There’s always something to do to keep busy in LA, you’ll never have a dull moment while living there.

Nightlife in LA will give you some of the best options in all of the US. Hollywood Boulevard is home to plenty of rooftop restaurants with incredible views of the city. There’s also plenty of live DJs and vibrant clubs on the boulevard— it’s a pretty boujie area.

Koreatown has fucky cocktail bars, karaoke rooms and venues that are ideal for group get togethers. Downtown LA on the otherhand has a mixture of chilled bars and high-energy nightclubs. You’ll find the best of both worlds in Downtown LA, as well as plenty of cultural event nights. Silver Lake has plenty of glamorous cocktail bars and gastro pubs with live music.

5. The LA climate

One of the biggest appeals of life in Los Angeles is its incredible climate. With an average of 284 days of sunshine per year, you’ll be guaranteed pleasant weather for most of the year. With so much sunny weather, the lifestyle in LA is very outdoorsy and laid back. You’ll be able to explore the gorgeous Californian landscape without the weather holding you back. You’ll enjoy plenty of meals al fresco and make the most of LA’s diverse culinary scene.

Even the winters in LA are very mild winters, quite different from other cities in the US. Compared to cities like Seattle and Washington, the winters in LA are very temperate and liveable.

It’s easy to find plenty of reasons to live in LA, but what are some reasons that LA mightn’t be the right US city for you? Some of the cons of living in LA include; the cost of living, the traffic, the taxes, the lack of public transportation and the size of the city. Let’s take a closer look at each of these cons.

1. The cost of living in LA

Living in the City of Angels doesn’t come cheap. The average monthly cost of living in LA is about $3,437 per month. The amount you’ll spend in LA per month will be majorly impacted by the cost of your rent, and finding an affordable apartment in LA can be tricky.

Living expenses such as groceries are also more expensive in LA than in other US cities. A single person in LA spends between $400 and $500 a month on groceries. The cost of transport is also expensive, whether you opt for public transportation or driving. Navigating the enormous city will set you back quite a bit of money each month.

Los Angeles is the home of partying and entertainment, but those costs can build up. While there’re plenty of free and affordable activities to enjoy in LA, a simple dinner for 2 could set you back about $120. Of course, if you budget carefully, and make the most of what LA offers in terms of affordable food and entertainment (which is still a lot!) you can navigate the higher cost of living in LA.

Taxes in Los Angeles are high. As it’s in the state of California, state income taxes apply to residents of LA. California has one of the highest income tax rates, going as high as 11.75% on average for federal taxes and 4.59% on average for state taxes. At 9.5%, sales taxes in the City of Los Angeles are among the highest in American metropolitan areas. Some neighboring cities have even higher sales tax rates ranging between 7.25% and 10.75%. Because of these variations, when you’re buying groceries, for example, you’ll see both the gross and net price of the item on the label.

3. The traffic in LA

One of the biggest deterrents for car enthusiasts wanting to live in LA is the traffic congestion. LA is a big city, and its infrastructure relies heavily on cars. As a result, daily traffic jams can create long commute times, and you’ll spend a lot of time sitting in traffic. Despite having plenty of highways and streets, making your way around LA by car requires a lot of patience and planning. Use your map apps to avoid the constant congestion in LA, and you’ll quickly learn which streets to avoid during your commute.

4. The lack of public transportation

Despite its size and status in the US, LA is quite limited in terms of public transportation options. There’s a metro system and bus network in place. However, these systems offer regular services to all parts of the city, making it tricky to get around LA at times. The lack of public transportation in LA leads so many people to rely on cars, contributing to traffic congestion in LA.

However, in recent years, the government has stepped in to improve the public transportation infrastructure in LA, so there’s hope that it will improve. More investment has created more frequent bus and metro routes. The metro lines are being extended, and the NextGen Bus Plan is underway to make the bus systems more dependable and accessible.

5. The size of the city

The cons of traffic congestion, lack of public transportation and the size of LA all go hand-in-hand when trying to navigate this metropolis. LA is one of the largest US cities in terms of both land and population. With minimal traffic, it can take 90 minutes to get from one side of the city to the other. This will impact your daily life in LA a lot, as the neighborhood you decide to live in will be where you spend most of your time— so choose carefully! The size of LA should also be a factor in where you decide to work. Living on one side of LA and working on the other will lead to lengthy commute times. You should also check which public transit options service the area you plan to live and work in if you don’t want to drive.

However, the sheer size of LA is only a con to living there if you don’t plan effectively. Once you choose your home and work locations carefully, it's easy to navigate this huge city. Public transportation in LA is only set to improve, and with its improvement, traffic congestion should ease.

In short, life in Los Angeles has a decent balance of pros and cons. There’s a reason thousands of people from across the country and the world have chosen to call LA home. Living in LA will give you incredible opportunities, experiences and occasional challenges, but such is life with any big city! If you’ve decided LA is the place you want to live, it’s time to look for your dream home in LA.