Economic Development Resources

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On Tuesday, July 12, 2022, the Hermosa Beach City Council adopted the Economic Development Strategy.

Local Economy

The City of Hermosa Beach is a beachfront, bedroom community, located six miles south of Los Angeles International Airport. The City occupies 1.43 square miles and serves a stable population of 19,614. However as a beach community, Hermosa experiences a high visitor population. Beach attendance ranges monthly between 85,000 to 750,000 in summer months, according to the Los Angeles County Fire Department Lifeguard Division.

The three largest employment sectors are leisure/hospitality (23%), education/health (19%) and professional/management (12%), however residents enjoy access to a much greater employment base with the close proximity of all of the other cities in Los Angeles County. The unemployment rate in Hermosa Beach is low, compared with Los Angeles County, and California. Median household income is 105% higher than the Los Angeles County average, with households exceeding $100,000 per year.

Hermosa Beach is a community with more bedrooms (10,026 units) than businesses (under 1,000). The average median home price in Hermosa Beach as of 2020 was $2,000,000 compared to $775,000 for Los Angeles County.

Business Corridors & Zoning

The City has four major business corridors plus the Cypress District:

Aviation Boulevard
Cypress District
Downtown – including Pier Plaza and Hermosa Avenue
Pacific Coast Highway
Upper Pier Avenue

View the City zoning information:

The City is comprehensively updating the zoning ordinance. For more information, please visit the ZONE-IN Hermosa project website here: www.hermosabeach.gov/zoning

City Resources:

City Council and staff from the City Manager's Office, Community Development, Community Resources, Finance, Police and Public Works Departments work with businesses to foster a vibrant local economy while also observing regulatory and planning requirements to ensure a high quality of life for the overall community.

Decision-Making Tool
Demographics
Downtown Core Revitalization Strategy - ROMA Design Group - February 2015
- Principles and Guidelines
Hermosa Beach Downtown Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design (CPTED) Concepts Security Assessment Report - Guidepost Solutions / ENVIRON - October 2017
PLAN Hermosa - the City's General Plan
Economic Development Strategy
Guide to Starting a Business in Hermosa Beach

Links:

Federal Government

Internal Revenue Service (IRS) – apply for an Employer Identification Number - https://sa.www4.irs.gov/modiein/individual/index.jsp

Small Business Administration – how to start a new business, financing programs and other services - https://www.sba.gov/

State of California

Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control – ABC license - https://www.abc.ca.gov/

Long Beach / Lakewood
3950 Paramount Blvd., Suite 250
Lakewood CA 90712
(562) 982-1337
(562) 982-1396 FAX
LongBeach/Lakewood@abc.ca.gov

Department of Consumer Affairs – licensing by profession - https://www.dca.ca.gov/index.shtml
Department of Industrial Relations – labor code, prevailing wage projects, workers compensation, workplace safety (Cal-OSHA) - https://www.dir.ca.gov/
Department of Tax and Fee Administration (formerly the Board of Equalization) – seller’s permit / sales & use tax / State special tax and fee programs - https://www.cdtfa.ca.gov/taxes-and-fees/sutprograms.htm

Governor’s Office of Business and Economic Development (GO-Biz) - http://www.business.ca.gov/

Secretary of State – Starting a Business - https://www.sos.ca.gov/business-programs/business-entities/starting-business/
Secretary of State – Starting a Business Checklist - https://www.sos.ca.gov/business-programs/business-entities/starting-business-checklist/

Los Angeles County

Registrar-Recorder/County Clerk’s Office – filing a Fictitious Business Name - https://www.lacounty.gov/business/starting-a-business-in-the-county/filing-a-fictitious-business-name/