Moving To Westchester, CA

If you read that title and thought, "where is Westchester?" read on, because this is for you. Westchester is what you might term a hidden-gem, and though it has long flown under the radar, in recent times, it's started to shoot up the Los Angeles Rentals popularity chart in decidedly meteoric fashion. In spite of what articles like this report from L.A. Weekly will tell you, the lure of the suburbs hasn't deterred people from flocking to this hotspot in droves. What's got people moving to Westchester? Let's take a look at where the appeal lies.

Is Los Angeles Really That Attractive To Live In?

It's seems every few months there's a new story about how people are leaving the coast and the city will start to experience a crunch on growth. Housing shortage, they might say, or exorbitant rents are driving people out of Los Angeles and beckoning them elsewhere. Here's one such article, courtesy of the L.A. Times:

"To escape high prices, people — often younger and with lower- or middle-class incomes — are looking toward the Inland Empire and nearby states for additional square footage and a lower mortgage payment."

They cite some statistics showing that people are leaving L.A. County at increasing rates:

"In 2016, about 75,000 more people left Los Angeles County than moved here from other places in the United States, the data show. That rate of “negative domestic migration” is 21% more than a year earlier, and nearly double the level seen in 2012 when moves away from the county had bottomed out."
Even renters, some sources say, are not long for the city:

"Seventy-seven percent of Los Angeles renters plan to relocate to a different city, higher than the national average and, not surprisingly, the most-cited reason why is affordability, according to a new study from the rental site Apartment List."

And yet, in spite of that, Los Angeles continues to add residents to an ever-growing total. A May report from the L.A. Times showed that the city gained 42,470 residents from 2016 to 2017. That put the city over the 4-million mark (and not for the first time in history, mind you). People still love L.A. They still love the city and have a desire to move in.

Publications like Lifestyles & Properties note that every time it seems that L.A. (in general) will lose its appeal, they compensate to keep residents flocking in:

"Lanes are added to the widened roads, trains are built underground and new natural-gas busses are added to commuter lines – and more people keep moving here."
Now that the economy is looking to be back on track in a big way, they list even more reasons that people find the area intriguing. Specifically, an abundance of careers, great weather, a pleasant lifestyle, more laid-back attitudes, thriving culture, ample diversity, and loads of opportunity from an investment standpoint. Some of these facets are reflected in the reason people are moving into Westchester, along with a few other factors unique to the area.

So, Why Is Westchester Popular?

A quick look at Westchester's "Livability Rankings" will yield some interesting information. Overall, the area is ranked #199 in California. Among its competition in Los Angeles, Westchester is ranked at #7 overall.

It might be more expensive for some people to move in here, and a cursory examination might have you thinking that the education and employment factors here are a significant knock against the area's appeal. Look a bit closer, though, and you'll see that folks in Westchester are doing plenty fine in both of those respects, with "median household income 74% higher than Los Angeles," and a "high school graduation rate 28% higher than Los Angeles."

Beyond that, though, there are several other factors contributing to the Westchester's appeal. The low crime rate is one, with Westchester having about 55% fewer crimes than the rest of Los Angeles at large. The high home values contribute to the area's worth, as do the number of amenities nearby.

For those already living in, or soon to be moving to Westchester, the proximity of this area to so much else that Los Angeles has to offer is a big draw. Just north (and south), residents can get to the beautiful beaches (without actually having to live there and put up with the dense crowds).

Heading north and east, residents can get up to Los Angeles' downtown area if they need to. The Forum is just east of Westchester, and LAX, the region's primary airport, is just south. The list goes on but the point is clear, Westchester's positioning makes it a prime place to live for those that want access to more of what L.A. is all about.

The result? Westchester's fortunes have been on the rise:

"We get a lot of people who potentially might want to reside north of us or south of us, but based on affordability they go, ‘You know, Westchester is a wonderful community and it’s more affordable,’ which has really accelerated the values here."
And there we have it. The reasons that people have been moving to Westchester are the same reasons that most people find Southern California attractive in general, but magnified to a greater degree. Westchester has jobs. Westchester has that L.A. charm and lovely weather. Westchester even has an abundance of things to see, do, and observe for those that just want to live somewhere that they can have a good time. It's on the upswing for a reason, and you might want to add yourself to the growing number of new residents.

Pursue These Hot Los Angeles Rentals

The best way to get in on Westchester's ascension is to check out hip new properties like The Madrid. This pinnacle of rental living is a community like no other, a place where style and luxury come together to provide the most for residents. The location, smack dab in the middle of Westchester, grants access to everything you'll want or need. With spacious floorplans and superb unit and community features as well, this is the place to be for true happiness. See what The Madrid has to offer and consider making it your choice for superlative L.A. living.