Founded in 1984, West Hollywood, commonly called WeHo, is a popular city in Los Angeles County. If you’re considering moving to West Hollywood, we’ve got all the details covered. From where to live and work, to fun places to spend your days off, our complete city guide will help you navigate West Hollywood like a SoCal native.

Interesting Facts About West Hollywood

Pride

West Hollywood is the LGBTQ capital of Los Angeles. It’s also one of the few cities in America with a heterosexual minority! Only about 43% of WeHo residents identify as straight, with 39% identifying as gay men, and the remaining 18% split between bisexual men and women, lesbian women, and those who choose not to answer.

It’s Dog-, Vegan- and Cross-Fit-Friendly

Basically, WeHo is the hippest city we know. You can take your dog pretty much anywhere, as most of the restaurants and cafes here have pet-friendly patios. You can even take your dog to the gym, or to some local yoga classes here!

Speaking of the gym, whether they’re hiking local trails, running down the boulevards, or visiting a high-end gym, WeHo residents are pumped up for fitness. When your workout is over, you can rest assured you’ll be able to find plenty of food options in West Hollywood, no matter your dietary lifestyle. The vegan food here is so good, even meat lovers will enjoy taking a break from their burgers.

Halloween is a BIG DEAL Here

The West Hollywood Halloween Carnival is so iconic that many think it was the basis for Michael Jackson’s famous anthem, Thriller. It’s also the second largest event of the year in SoCal, and brings in thousands of Californians and visitors. In addition to tons of entertainment, there are also costume contests and bar specials all night long.

This year’s event will be on Wednesday, October 31st. You can find the party down on Santa Monica Boulevard between North Doheny Drive and La Cienega Boulevard from 6:00 p.m. to 10:30 p.m. The best part: Admission is FREE.

Population

Despite its small size, West Hollywood is home to over 35,000 people, and growing. WeHo is mostly white, with 11% of residents identifying as Hispanic, and 5% as Asian. However, about 32% of the WeHo population speak a language other than english. About 45% of WeHo residents have received their Bachelor’s Degree, and 17% have also attained a Graduate-level Degree.

The median age in West Hollywood is 39; the two largest age brackets are 30-39 and 20-29, in that order. Most of the folks in West Hollywood, 78% to be precise, rent their homes or apartments. That leaves just 22% of homes as “owner-occupied,” with the rest as unoccupied. This info, together with resident commentary, tells us that West Hollywood is mostly occupied by young singles, and professionals at the start of their careers.

Work

Living in West Hollywood gives you a ton of access to job opportunities. WeHo itself employs roughly 25,000 people, mostly in Science and Tech, Information Services and Healthcare. The most common jobs held by WeHo residents are in Arts and Recreation, Management, and Business Operations.

Jobs here are growing, too! Between 2015 and 2016, employment in West Hollywood grew 2.85%. Plus, if you don’t want to work in the neighborhood where you live, you have access to all of LA, Santa Monica and Glendale within commuting distance.

Weather

West Hollywood, like most of LA, indulges in hot, sunny days. Winters here are cool and wet; January and February bring most of the yearly rainfall, averaging about 6.3” between them. During the summer months, you’ll almost never see rain. And, please, don’t move to West Hollywood if you love the snow: it hasn’t snowed in LA since 1962.

One aspect of weather in West Hollywood that you need to be prepared for if you move to California is the possibility of earthquakes. Southern California experiences about 15-20 earthquakes per year above a 4.0 on the Richter Scale, which can cause massive damage. If you’re considering moving to West Hollywood, or anywhere in SoCal, it’s important to learn proper safety precautions in the event of an earthquake.

Schools

In West Hollywood, there are 2 public school systems, a single charter school, and 14 private schools available for students. However, students in West Hollywood also have access to the entire Los Angeles area, which includes 260 private schools and 300 charter schools. In addition, older students have their pick of amazing colleges and universities in Los Angeles. There’s UCLA, of course, which is just 4 miles from WeHo’s town center. But there’s also CalTECH, the University of Southern California and Loyola Marymount University nearby.

Neighborhoods

West Hollywood is a pretty small city, covering just 1.9 square miles. Still, it’s got seven rockin’ neighborhoods for new residents to choose from. Here’s the skinny on three of West Hollywood’s best communities.

Tri-West

Tri-West is a small West Hollywood community characterized by a mix of single-family homes and apartment complexes. Residents love the safe neighborhood, and its convenient location near the West Hollywood Park and Library. Unlike other parts of LA, Tri-West is pretty flat, which makes this neighborhood great for people who love to walk.

WeHo Heights

The smallest of the small, WeHo Heights only covers a few blocks of the city. WeHo Heights is almost entirely made up of apartment buildings, but many residents have lived there for years, so it’s less transient than you’d think. One issue here is the traffic, since the neighborhood is bounded by the always-crowded Sunset Boulevard.

Norma Triangle

This strip of land running north of Santa Monica Boulevard and south of Sunset Boulevard houses single-family bungalows from the 1910’s and ‘20’s. Legend has it that silent movie star Norma Talmadge had a studio here, and that the small homes were originally dressing rooms for the stars.

Cost of Living

Like the rest of LA, it’s not cheap living in West Hollywood. The median gross rent here in 2016 was about $1,500 per month. For those who do choose to own a house here, they generally cost around $640,000– more than triple the national average.

Living in WeHo usually means owning a car, especially if you’re commuting to work. It also means dealing with the expense of owning a car. Transportation costs in West Hollywood are 26% more expensive than the national average, though only 1% more expensive than the California average.

Similarly, your groceries, healthcare and goods and services are are likely to cost more in West Hollywood than in other parts of the U.S. The benefit, however, comes from not being directly in downtown LA. You can work in LA and make LA pay, but you don’t have to pay a million dollars for an LA hour or thousands in rent to be downtown. You get the benefit of access with slightly less cost.

Fun Things to Do in West Hollywood

Living in West Hollywood, you’ll never run out of fun things to do! We’ve already mentioned WeHo’s annual Halloween Bash, but the fun doesn’t stop there.

Visit the Sunset Strip to become a part of West Hollywood’s nightlife! This stretch of Sunset Boulevard runs right through WeHo, and it’s where we go to party. Bars and clubs are open all night long, with drink specials that will keep you moving to the beat.

Santa Monica Boulevard, famously also known as Route 66, is home to plenty of upscale shopping opportunities and delicious restaurants. It’s also at the heart of the LGBTQ scene here in WeHo, so you’ll catch a lot of gay-friendly events going on in this area.

Of course, you can always head east until you hit Hollywood, proper. Check out the studios filming your favorite shows and movies. Catch a glimpse of some stars, or even take a bus tour that stops by their houses. Take a walk on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, and then catch a concert at the Hollywood Bowl amphitheater. With all of LA at your feet, you won’t ever be bored.

In Conclusion

West Hollywood rocks, and we hope you agree. The friendly neighbors, fun town events, and fantastic location of this mini-city make it a great place for singles, young couples, and professionals looking to get into the LA scene.

If you’re thinking of moving to West Hollywood, you’ll likely need some help getting your belongings there. That’s where Osmon Moving & Storage comes in! To get more information about moving to West Hollywood, or receive a West Hollywood moving quote, give us a call at (800) 807-6181.