In its “Best Places to Live 2005” feature, Money Magazine ranked Manhattan Beach the 4th most expensive town in America. Additionally, in 2005 it ranked 2nd in California for the number of million-dollar homes sold.

The Manhattan Beach Unified School District is on the most prestigious public school districts in the country. It has received on an average a score of 896 on the 2005 California Academic Performance Index, making it one of California's best performing districts.

Manhattan Beach has an upscale shopping area comparable to any exclusive area in America. Specialized shops and restaurants line the streets of this quaint city. Then take a walk to the Manhattan Beach pier and watch the surfers and boogey boarders ride the waves.

Torrance Beach lies between Redondo Beach and Malaga Cove. The region shared by Torrance and Redondo Beaches is often called "Rat Beach" (short for "Right After Torrance").
It has large aircraft, electronics, and oil industries. Among the many other manufactures are aluminum products, iron, steel, chemicals, and oil-field equipment. Founded in 1911, Torrance was developed as a planned industrial city.

Because of the large Japanese industrial presence in Torrance, the city has one of the highest concentrations of Japanese expatriots and Japanese-Americans in the United States.