10 towns within about an hour of the main post area: drive time, rent, home values and the school district for each.
The green or red number is an E-5 with dependents' 2026 BAH ($3,882) minus that town's median 2-bedroom rent. Check your own pay grade.
E-5 BAH left over after the median 2-bedroom rent: +$381 a month
Manhattan Beach Unified School District: 8 schools, 5,925 students, 23.1 students per teacher. District facts
E-5 BAH left over after the median 2-bedroom rent: +$1,946 a month
Hawthorne Elementary School District (high school: Centinela Valley Union High School District): 11 schools, 7,025 students, 25.6 students per teacher. District facts
E-5 BAH left over after the median 2-bedroom rent: +$1,037 a month
El Segundo Unified School District: 5 schools, 3,563 students, 23.8 students per teacher. District facts
E-5 BAH left over after the median 2-bedroom rent: +$821 a month
Wiseburn Unified School District: 5 schools, 2,545 students, 25.7 students per teacher. District facts
E-5 BAH left over after the median 2-bedroom rent: +$2,200 a month
Lennox Elementary School District (high school: Centinela Valley Union High School District): 6 schools, 4,038 students, 20.3 students per teacher. District facts
E-5 BAH left over after the median 2-bedroom rent: +$1,876 a month
Lawndale Elementary School District (high school: Centinela Valley Union High School District): 9 schools, 4,420 students, 22.2 students per teacher. District facts
E-5 BAH left over after the median 2-bedroom rent: +$635 a month
Hermosa Beach City Elementary School District: 3 schools, 1,325 students, 22.5 students per teacher. District facts
E-5 BAH left over after the median 2-bedroom rent: +$1,557 a month
Lawndale Elementary School District (high school: Centinela Valley Union High School District): 9 schools, 4,420 students, 22.2 students per teacher. District facts
E-5 BAH left over after the median 2-bedroom rent: +$1,676 a month
Los Angeles Unified School District: 785 schools, 419,929 students, 19.3 students per teacher. District facts
E-5 BAH left over after the median 2-bedroom rent: +$1,826 a month
Long Beach Unified School District: 82 schools, 63,966 students, 23.7 students per teacher. District facts
Updated October 12, 2026. How we get our numbers.
Manhattan Beach, CA is about 10 minutes from the main post area (3.1 road miles) without traffic.
Los Angeles, CA, with about 3,857,263 people, 20 minutes from the main post area. Bigger towns usually mean more rentals, schools and jobs to choose from.
Lennox, CA, where the Census median rent is $1,517 a month (rent plus utilities, 2020-2024 average). New leases usually cost more than the median, so check current listings too.
For an E-5 with dependents the 2026 DoD BAH is $3,882 a month. That is at or above the Census median 2-bedroom rent in 10 of the 10 towns here with a Census figure for that size, with the most left over in Lennox, CA.
Manhattan Beach Unified School District, with 8 schools and 5,925 students (23.1 students per teacher), from the NCES Common Core of Data. Always confirm the school for a specific address with the district.