[2] The 2020 United States census reported La Selva Beach's population was 2,531.

When founded, the small beach community was surrounded by dense conifer woods.

La Selva Beach lies near the San Andreas Fault, and was close to the epicenter of the October 17, 1989 Loma Prieta earthquake.

According to the United States Census Bureau, the CDP covers an area of 5.3 square miles (13.7 km2), all of it land.

The now-defunct (since 2000) Rob Roy Video Store was the only business in the area to make note of this heritage.

The 2010 United States Census[6] reported that La Selva Beach had a population of 2,843.

There were 1,376 housing units at an average density of 259.8 per square mile (100.3/km2), of which 727 (67.6%) were owner-occupied, and 349 (32.4%) were occupied by renters.

Rio del Mar Elementary school[7] and the Monterey Bay Academy are the nearest educational institutions.