Home of SpaceX, the Tesla Design Center and the Beach Boys
About 15 miles from downtown Los Angeles, Hawthorne seems like an unassuming suburb, but it builds rockets and is famous as the home of the Beach Boys. This technological hub houses SpaceX, the Tesla Design Center, OSI Systems and more, a legacy that started when Northrop Aircraft Corporation built their headquarters here in 1939. “Northrop eventually merged with Grumman and moved to El Segundo, but this has always been an aerospace community. SpaceX is the city’s largest employer,” says Partners CRE’s Dario Svidler, who has almost a half-billion dollars in sales. The population of about 85,000 has a strong employment base and is just south of Silicon Beach and north of Torrance, two more major job centers. Highly-rated schools and freeway proximity are other draws — not to mention, it's only a few miles from the Pacific Ocean.
Modestly sized ranch-style homes from the 1950s and '60s
In early 2025, the median home price in Hawthorne was around $900,000, more than double the national number but on par with the broader California median. “Affordability is actually not bad here. These were working-class homes built in the 1950s and ‘60s, so you’ve got mostly modestly sized ranch-style homes on compact lots,” Svidler says. “You’re not going to find a lot of big homes here. These are more entry-level.” The community is overwhelmingly single-family and most homes are priced between $600,000 and $1.4 million. “Hawthorne is very small, but the homeowners are very opinionated, opposing anything but low-density homes. They want to keep it the way it is, which can create barriers to entry,” Svidler says. The cost of living is substantially lower than in some neighboring coastal communities, making it appealing to teachers and airport workers from nearby Los Angeles International Airport. “Hawthorne is great for buyers who want to be on the Westside but can’t pay Westside prices like in Santa Monica and Manhattan Beach,” Svidler says.
Hawthorne School District is above-average
The Hawthorne School District is an above-average public school district graded B-plus by Niche. Hawthorne has 11 schools — including seven walkable community elementary schools — serving over 7,000 students. A few neighborhoods in town are zoned for the Wiseburn Unified School District, which is graded A-plus by Niche.
Over a dozen community parks and easy access to local beaches
Hawthorne has 16 parks and recreation sites, including a dozen community parks, the Hawthorne Pool, Betty Ainsworth Sports Center, Hawthorne Memorial Center and the Senior Center. Memorial Park is the biggest, sitting on about 14 acres. The park hosts community events like Winter Wonderland’s pictures with Santa and Bunny Bonanza’s Easter egg hunt. Polliwog Park has a central pond and a nine-hole disc golf course, and its pirate-themed playground was renovated in September 2023. That is just one of many improvements in this area, as the city seeks to revamp nine parks in the coming years. Hawthorne also boasts easy access to the coast, with El Segundo Beach about 5 miles west.
National chain dining and mom-and-pop restaurants
Multiple commercial stretches in Hawthorne allow residents to meet most of their needs in town. "You definitely have access to shopping and dining here. It's not what we would call a resource desert, but for certain types of things, people might travel outside of town," Svidler says. There are shopping centers anchored by grocery stores and big-box retailers like Lowes and Costco. The local dining scene includes national chain favorites and many mom-and-pop shops representing a wide range of cuisine. Residents looking for an upscale night out might travel to nearby Manhattan Beach or Gardena for a meal at a Michelin-mentioned restaurant. Just south of the city is Torrance, a retail mecca and home to the famous Del Amo Fashion Center.
The city maintains a robust calendar of events year-round
The city of Hawthorne hosts community events year-round, from groundbreaking projects to ribbon-cutting ceremonies, the city’s calendar is robust. Seasonal events include the Autism Awareness Walk and Art Festival in the spring, concerts and movies in the park during the summer, and the Halloween Spooktacular and Operation Gobble — where residents register to receive a free turkey — in the fall.
Direct interstate access but freeway noise is a concern
Hawthorne is about 15 miles south of downtown Los Angeles and around 20 miles north of Long Beach. “You’re bound by the 405 and the 105 freeways, which is good in that it’s easily accessible to the rest of the region, but highway noise is a concern for many residents,” Svidler says. Traffic in the area is heavy, and cut-through traffic is typical for drivers on the way to Torrance, another jobs center about 5 miles south. For those who rely on public transportation, LA County Metro Transit operates bus services in the city, and the Hawthorne/Lennox station is part of the Metro Rail system’s C Line. Catching a flight is super convenient, as LAX is only 5 miles away.
Average crime rate and lots of sunshine
According to the FBI data, violent crime is about on par with state and national rates, beyond a six-month spike in 2022. Property crime is up and down month-to-month but still mainly aligns with state and national numbers.
Only 5 miles east of the beach, Hawthorne enjoys a coastal climate that keeps arid summer temperatures more moderate than farther inland. Winters are cooler and rainier, with temperatures in the upper 60s. There are around 280 days of sunshine annually, compared to around 205 nationally.
Due to its urban location, wildfire risk in Hawthorne isn’t high, but it does face a few environmental dangers, such as earthquakes and air quality. “The air quality here isn’t as good as one would want. You get smog from the heavy traffic and spillover from the Chevron refinery when it blows east,” Svidler says.
Written By
Amber Steinmetz-Cole
Photography Contributed By
Josh Cavallo
