Why Do Celebrities Live In L.A.? (10 Reasons)
If someone asked you where most celebrities live, you would probably say something along the lines of Hollywood, Beverly Hills, or Los Angeles.
Have you ever wondered why so many celebrities live in this one area, though?
After all, the U.S. has many beautiful large cities spread out all across the country.
There are many reasons why celebrities gravitate towards living in L.A., and these are the top 10.
Why Do Celebrities Live In L.A.? 10 Reasons
1. Networking
If you want to “make it” in music or film, there is no better place to be than Los Angeles.
One of the main reasons that aspiring actors and actresses move to L.A. is for networking opportunities.
The reality is that it is incredibly unlikely to get “discovered” while living in a small town in middle America.
In fact, it is unlikely to get “discovered” at all.
There are tens of thousands of people in Los Angeles who are working incredibly hard to become actors and actresses.
Directors have plenty to choose from when it comes to auditions, so there is no reason for them to seek out inexperienced individuals who don’t have the motivation or resources to come to auditions on their own.
Many opportunities come from being surrounded by the right people.
If someone goes to lunch with fellow celebrities and attends their parties, they are much more likely to find their way onto the shortlist for the next casting.
Think of the phrase “out of sight, out of mind.”
If you were looking for someone to start a new project with, would you go to a random town and select a stranger, or would you choose someone you see often and have a relationship with?
The relationship wins out every time.
This is why networking is so important for celebrities that want to maintain their fame.
2. Money
L.A. is famously expensive.
Celebrities can afford the best of what L.A. has to offer.
It is a city that can only be fully enjoyed with a sufficient amount of money in your bank account.
Celebrities also have a much higher earning potential when living in L.A.
If they lived in another city, they would still have to come to L.A. frequently to audition and film.
It is not only the cost of flights and housing that motivates celebrities to move to L.A.
The time cost plays a huge role too.
The average cost of a flight between L.A. and New York ranges from $173-$288.
That’s not very expensive for a celebrity, but keep in mind that they are unlikely to be flying coach.
Still, the real cost is in the average time it takes to fly! It takes around 6 hours to fly direct from NYC to L.A.
That is 12 hours round trip.
Imagine that a celebrity who lives in New York is going to L.A. just 12 times a year.
That is 144 hours spent in the air!
3. Work
This is one of the biggest reasons many celebrities choose L.A. as their home.
Just like the rest of us, celebrities need to live close to their work.
Yes, they can commute from other cities and only come to L.A. while they are shooting a show or movie, or recording an album.
However, most celebrities work quite a lot.
On average, Hollywood movies take between 30 to 120 days to shoot.
Film stars often work on more than one film in a year.
TV shows can require actors to work consistently for 9 to 10 months out of the year.
This means that if actors live outside of L.A. but most of their films are shot in L.A., they will only be spending 2-3 months a year at home.
Musicians have a bit more flexibility than actors, which is why you see celebrities like Taylor Swift choose to live in New York rather than L.A.
Music production can be done in many different cities.
For example, there are many skilled music production teams in cities like New York or Nashville.
4. They grew up there
Many of us like to imagine that our favorite celebrities made their careers based on their hard work.
The truth, though, is that Hollywood is chock-full of nepotism.
Many celebrities were born and raised in or around L.A. because their parents were also celebrities.
It’s not just nepotism, though.
Many celebrities that came from “normal” families grew up in L.A. or at least in the area.
When you are born in a city like L.A., you have a lot more opportunities to become famous.
One example of this is Rob Lowe, who moved with his mom to Malibu when he was a kid.
Malibu is only 26 miles from L.A. and is contained in Los Angeles county.
While living in Malibu, Lowe went to high school with Charlie Sheen, who quickly became one of his friends.
Living in L.A. and going to school with stars gave Lowe opportunities he would not have had if he stayed in Dayton, Ohio.
When actors and actresses grow up in Los Angeles, there isn’t much reason for them to leave home.
All of their friends and family live there, and their work and job opportunities are located in the valley.
5. Career Growth
Even after a celebrity has become famous, there are far more opportunities for career growth in L.A.
This opportunity for career growth is one reason why social media influencers are moving out to L.A.
This has been happening even before being an influencer was considered a mainstream career.
For example, in 2008, YouTuber iJustine moved to Los Angeles in the wake of her YouTube success.
In 2010, YouTuber Blair Fowler and her sister also moved to Los Angeles after finding success on social media as beauty influencers.
We see the same pattern repeat with many of the most notable TikTokers moving to L.A.
For example, Charli D’Amelio moved her entire family from Connecticut to L.A. after finding success on TikTok.
Many social media stars were able to make their careers more sustainable because of the opportunities provided by Los Angeles.
David Dobrik moved out to L.A. after gaining notoriety on Vine.
Once the platform Vine died, he was able to pivot to YouTube where he built himself up to be one of the largest YouTubers on the platform.
This was possible because of the collaboration he is able to do with his friends, all of whom live in L.A.
6. The Weather and Environment
California weather is not all rainbows and butterflies.
Many celebrities have lost their houses to the wildfires that rage in the Los Angeles area every summer.
However, the heat is a major factor attracting many celebrities.
L.A. has incredible weather in the fall, winter, and spring.
Sure, you won’t be getting any snow, but where else can you go out in a bikini on Christmas Day?
It’s not just the weather that attracts the rich and famous, but also the general environment.
The desert that surrounds L.A. is quite stunning.
For those who like escaping into the desert to find peace and quiet, L.A. provides the perfect backdrop.
L.A. is both a short drive from the beach and a relatively short drive from a major national park called Joshua Tree.
If you get tired of life in L.A., it is reasonably easy to get away to weekend destinations like Palm Springs and recharge.
Celebrities also tend to love the sun and the surf.
They work hard for their bodies, and L.A.’s fabulous weather gives them a chance to show off their fitness all year long.
7. Privacy
This might seem contradictory because of the constant presence of the paparazzi in Los Angeles, but many celebrities move to L.A. to be able to obtain a certain level of privacy.
Neighborhoods like Beverly Hills were created with privacy in mind.
They have landscaping that hides celebrities from the prying eyes of tourists and paparazzi.
Many of the houses in the neighborhood were built as fortresses of security so that they could be safe havens for celebrities who normally have to deal with significant public harassment.
Not only are the houses built to protect celebrity’s privacy, but there are also countless security organizations that are specially trained in how to manage the challenges that celebrities face.
It would be impossible for celebrities to hire the same level of security in cities like Birmingham, Alabama, or Glendale, Arizona.
Restaurants are also well equipped to handle celebrities.
Stars can go to exclusive places to make sure they are not faced with the general public.
They can also work with restaurant owners to hire out the place or be served in a back room to avoid any uncomfortable interactions with the public.
Famous individuals can easily hire other services that are not directly related to security but still enable them to live a more peaceful existence.
One example of this is drivers or house help.
Celebrities need a different level of discretion when it comes to the house staff they employ.
Since there is a huge celebrity market in L.A., it attracts the most qualified individuals in the private service industry.
8. Normalcy
It can be hard being a celebrity.
Underneath the good looks and money is a human being.
In Los Angeles, famous people are quite common, especially in the areas they tend to live.
Famous people can have a more normal life by living in a community with other celebrities.
Many celebrities go on to have children, and this is also a factor in why they choose to live or stay in the Los Angeles area.
Many of the famous neighborhoods in Los Angeles have schools that host dozens of famous children at any one time.
Being surrounded by many other famous people lessens the chance of celebrities being treated significantly differently than normal people.
People often time get star-struck when they meet their favorite actress or musician in real life.
They act nervous or ask for pictures.
This is less likely to happen in a place with a high concentration of famous people.
You can get used to anything, even being surrounded by celebrities.
It is also important to remember that what is “normal” for a celebrity might not be “normal” for us.
For example, some children of celebrities might have to have a security detail to prevent kidnapping and deal with the paparazzi.
Your normal public school would not be able to handle waves of paparazzi each day, but schools in Los Angeles are used to the kind of “normal” celebrities deal with.
9. Events
There are tons of events constantly happening in the L.A. area.
It’s not just limited to the city itself.
One prime example of this is Coachella, a music festival that happens every year.
Coachella is known for its over-the-top fashion and amount of famous people that attend each year.
Coachella happens not far from Los Angeles, so attending the festival every year is straightforward for the celebrities that make Los Angeles their home.
In addition to Coachella, the Academy Awards are held in Los Angeles every year.
Yes, that’s right, the Oscars take place right in Hollywood!
This means that most film stars don’t have to travel to receive their awards or attend the yearly ceremony.
Instead, they can simply get dressed in their own home and have their normal personal driver drop them off at the award ceremony!
It is not only actors and actresses that have their major award ceremonies in Los Angeles.
The Grammy awards also typically take place in L.A.
This means that major musicians who make Los Angeles their home base don’t have to travel to their award ceremony either.
Then there is the Emmys, which is also held in Los Angeles!
The Emmy awards are for the best actors and actresses in television.
One of the most coveted achievements a celebrity can obtain is an EGOT.
An EGOT is when a single celebrity wins at least one Emmy, one Grammy, one Oscar, and one Tony in their lifetime.
Out of those four prestigious award ceremonies, three are held in Los Angeles.
You can start to see why celebrities like to live in this town!
There is one more major event we have to mention: the L.A. Film Festival.
This is where many world premieres of movies take place and is a huge draw for celebrities.
As you can see, famous people prefer that major film, movie, and music events happen right in their backyard.
10. Los Angeles is built for celebrities
Everything about the way Los Angeles operates is built for celebrities.
Waitstaff is trained on how to treat famous individuals to make sure they are comfortable.
Shop owners know how to smuggle the uber-famous into their store so that they can shop comfortably, away from the prying eyes of the paparazzi.
People in Los Angeles are constantly trying to solve the problems that celebrities commonly face.
For example, the celebrity dating app Raya launched in Los Angeles in 2015.
The creators of the app saw that normal celebrities weren’t comfortable using mainstream dating apps and wanted to create something more exclusive.
In that same vein, the city of Los Angeles is full of VIP sections and private backrooms.
Houses of celebrities are often compounds that feature everything you could desire to live.
Living in Los Angeles allows celebrities to have a vibrant social life, better work-life balance, and date comfortably.
When you add that onto everything else on the list, is it any wonder they opt for Los Angeles?
