Ten miles west of Los Angeles and five miles east of the coast sits Culver City, a buzzy jobs town with a population of about 40,000. “There are some major employers here, including Sony Pictures, Amazon, and Apple has a half-million square foot campus under construction,” says Dannie Cavanaugh, principal at Cavanaugh Realtors and a resident since 1962. “For people lucky enough to buy a house here, sometimes they can walk to work, a luxury you can’t buy in most of LA.” The city was once home to the famous MGM Studios and served as the backdrop for iconic movies like “The Wizard of Oz,” “Grease” and “Raging Bull.” Today, Sony allows studio tours, and fans can visit the Sony Pictures Entertainment Museum, home to memorabilia from blockbuster classics.
Culver City is The Heart of Screenland as seen on its welcome sign.
View of The Culver Studios Entry From Top of The Culver Stairs
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From vintage builds to contemporary infill development
In early 2025, the median home price in Culver City was around $1.2 million — three times the national number and above the state median of $900,000. The city is primarily single-family homes, but there are clusters of townhomes and condos around its edges. Early homes in the city were built between 1900 and 1930 in classic builds like Tudor, Spanish and Colonial Revival, and pockets of bungalows. There are also many midcentury ranch-style homes and contemporary infill developments. “ Park East by Carlson Park is an older section of the city built between the 1920s and ‘50s,” Cavanaugh says. “People like Park West because it’s within walking distance of the schools, and you don’t have to cross any highly trafficked streets.” Just outside of downtown, there is a lot of Spanish influence in the architecture of the Washington Culver neighborhood. A vintage bungalow in the city could sell under a million, while a modern build can sell for as much as $4 million.
Many different styles of homes are prevalent in Culver City.
Modern homes make up a big portion of Culver City's residential areas.
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Dual immersion schools in Spanish and Japanese
Culver City Unified is a high-performance public school district with an A from Niche. The district serves nearly 7,000 students in six walkable community elementary schools, two middle schools and one high school. “The school grades in Culver City are higher than in Los Angeles,” Cavanaugh says. “They’ve got immersion schools in Spanish in Japanese, so when these kids come out, they’re bilingual.”
Culver City Middle School in Culver City, CA is home to the Panthers.
Students can prosper in both STEM and Arts at El Rincon Elementary School in Culver City, CA.
Embrace learning at Culver City High School in Culver City, CA.
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Shopping at Westfield Culver City and Michelin-mentioned dining
There are shopping and dining outlets across Culver City, with the largest concentration being downtown. “Restaurants are always coming and going downtown, and it’s all across the spectrum in terms of cost and the type of food,” Cavanaugh says. The city has four Michelin-mentioned restaurants, including the contemporary Vespertine and the Austrian-inspired Lustig. Locals flock to Main Street on Tuesdays throughout the year for the Culver City Famers Market, which boasts farm-fresh produce and locally crafted artisan foods. Westfield Culver City is a traditional mall with national chain stores and a robust food court. Platform is a modern shopping center known for boutiques and locally owned retail outlets.
Citizen Public Market is a hotspot in downtown Culver City for food and drinks.
Westfield Mall is located in central Fox Hills, Culver City.
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A dozen parks and beach access within a few miles
Culver City is home to over a dozen parks, the largest of which is Culver City Park. This 40-acre community park is home to youth sporting events, a dog park, a skate park and much more. The city also has a community pool, senior center and community centers. The Ballona Creek Bike Path is a popular trek for cyclists. The path follows Ballona Creek from the city to the beach at Santa Monica Bay. "We're close enough that you can go to the beach without it being your entire day," Cavanaugh says. "People also love walking the steps at Kenneth Hahn State Park. There are beautiful views there, and on a clear day, you can see the mountains and the ocean."
Children in Culver City can enjoy the large playground at Veterans Memorial Park.
Biking on the Ballona Creek path
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Annual Fiesta La Ballona at Veteran's Park
Foodies will appreciate the many festivals, including the Taste of the Nation and the Taste of Culver City events that promote and support local businesses. “The Fiesta La Ballona is a three-day event that has been going on for around 80 years,” Cavanaugh says. “It’s usually held at Veteran’s Park, and they’ll have food vendors and little booths from places like the Historical Society and the Chamber of Commerce.” The annual Screenland 5K run/walk event raises money for youth sports.
Fiesta La Ballona features vendor booths with toys for young kids.
Kids enjoy the colorful carousel at Fiesta La Ballona.
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Direct Interstate access and a stop on the E Line Metro
Culver City has direct access to Interstate 405, which connects north to Interstate 10 and south to Interstate 105. “In terms of traffic and getting around, it’s pretty bad,” Cavanaugh says. “Part of it is from all the employers, but the city is between so many places, so if you want to get from A to C, you must go through B, which is often Culver City.” There is an E Line Metro stop for those who rely on public transit, and Culver CityBus operates multiple bus routes inside city limits. To catch a flight, Los Angeles International Airport is only 10 miles south via the 405.
High property crime and 300 days of sunshine annually
According to FBI statistics, violent crime occurs at a very similar rate to national and state levels. For comparison, violent crime in Los Angeles is over 60% higher. Property crime, on the other hand, is substantially higher than it is nationally and in California.
Due to its urban location, Culver City doesn’t face the intense wildfire threat like nearby Pacific Palisades, but there is still a moderate risk to some residential areas. A mere 2 miles from Venice Beach, the city’s coastal climate is temperate, with warm, arid summers with temperatures in the upper 70s and mild, wet winters in the upper 60s. "Anywhere within 4, 5, 6 miles of the beach benefits. It might be 95 degrees in West Hollywood, but it'll only be 75 degrees here," Cavanaugh says. The city sees around 300 days of sunshine annually, compared to the U.S. average of 205.
Hiroko is experienced in the real estate field and business in both USA and Japan. In the course of her 17-year career, she occupied positions of leadership in publications concerned with the real estate market in Japan. As a result, she developed a multitude of business contacts from a wide variety of fields and she still maintains the contacts.
Hiroko’s main area of expertise is in Residential Property sales. She specializes in buying and selling houses, arranging for relocation services, and undertaking and successfully completing international transactions. By collaborating with specialists in different fields such as finance, taxes, and the elderly nursing system in both the USA and Japan, she is able to provide timely and specialized information to her clients by holding seminars and private consultations.
Disclaimer: Certain information contained herein is derived from information provided by parties other than Homes.com. Our sources include: Accuweather, Public Records and Neustar. All information provided is deemed reliable, but is not guaranteed to be accurate and should be independently verified.
