How do we feel about Manhattan Beach? People who live here give it a big thumbs up, according to a new community survey. 

The survey of 588 residents, conducted by True North Research in late September and early October, found that 96% of residents rated the overall quality of life in Manhattan Beach as excellent or good. Additionally, 87% expressed satisfaction with the city's performance in providing municipal services.

“These results are truly exceptional and reflect the hard work of our entire team,” said City Manager Talyn Mirzakhanian in a statement. “When 96% of residents rate our quality of life as excellent or good, and we see significant improvements in how safe people feel in our community, it shows we're moving in the right direction. We're energized by this feedback and committed to maintaining this momentum.”

Key findings from the city include:

• 94% of residents feel Manhattan Beach is a safe place to live, with a significant increase in those rating the city as "very safe"
• Highest service satisfaction scores were for graffiti removal (98%), fire protection (97%), and emergency medical services (97%)
• Top spending priorities identified by residents include fixing potholes and street repairs (92% high or medium priority), improving park maintenance (87%), and upgrading sewer systems (79%)
• 81% of residents are satisfied with the City's communication efforts, up from 75% in 2021

When asked what they like most about Manhattan Beach, residents most frequently cited the small-town feel and beach community vibe, proximity to the ocean, and the City's safety and low crime rate.

Of the 23 services assessed in both 2021 and 2025, only two registered statistically significant changes. There were statistically significant declines in satisfaction with the city’s efforts to address bike safety and e-bikes (-12%) and provide services and programs for seniors (-9%). Each of the other 21 services remained statistically consistent from 2021 to 2025.

When asked what the city's government could do to make Manhattan Beach a better place to live, the topics of addressing bike safety and e-bikes, enforcing traffic laws, enforcing animal control laws, street and sidewalk repair/maintenance, improving park maintenance and amenities, repairing/upgrading the city’s sewer and wastewater systems, and addressing parking issues stood out as the key areas of opportunity and interest for residents.

Regarding the short-term rentals issue, when the topic of allowing limited short-term vacation rentals on a temporary basis to accommodate increased demand when the 2026 FIFA World Cup and the 2028 Summer Olympics come to Los Angeles was presented to residents, 58% indicated that they strongly (28%) or somewhat (30%) supported the idea. After being informed that the city will need to provide additional public safety services for security and emergency medical during the Olympics and World Cup and that the taxes generated by short-term vacation rentals will help cover these additional costs, support increased to 66% (+8%). Thirty-two percent (32%) remained opposed to the city allowing residents to rent their properties on a short-term basis during the events and 2% were unsure or declined to state. If the city allowed short-term vacation rentals for the Olympics and World Cup, 12% of residents anticipated they would rent their property. 

The survey followed a mixed-method design that employed multiple recruiting methods (email, text, and phone) and multiple data collection methods (phone and online). Administered between September 29 and October 6, 2025, the average interview lasted 18 minutes.

The survey results will help guide City Council decisions on budget priorities, service improvements, and policy matters in the coming fiscal year. The complete survey report is available here.