Charter Oak, California (1), 2019
Charter Oak’s story
127 years in pictures
Census counts: 6,840 in 1980, 9,739 in 2020. The archive holds 2 old photos and papers going back to 2019 and 7 maps from 1894 on.
- 1899Charter Oak is settled
Charter OakCA
A town of 9,442, settled in 1899.
3 bordering townsMap →
Photo: Los Angeles County Department of Regional Planning · Public domain
Population
9,442
Census survey, 2020–24
Median home value
$606K
Census ACS
Household income
$88K
median
Median age
39.6
years
Jobs based here
886
A commuter town
TownGrade
B−
#215 of 841 in CA
Is Charter Oak a good place to live?
Charter Oak grades B− overall, 215th among California's 841 graded towns, with clear strengths and some subjects that lag. It is more walkable than 88% of U.S. towns. On the other side, homes are expensive, about $606K for a typical one and 6.3 times the Los Angeles metro’s $96K median household income. FEMA rates its natural-hazard risk higher than 86% of U.S. communities, with earthquakes at the top.
What makes Charter Oak stand out
Where Charter Oak beats most towns, and one thing worth knowing.
A commuter town
99% of working residents leave Charter Oak for work
Where Charter Oak’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
886jobs based in Charter Oak
1%of working residents work in town
17 mimedian commute distance
Census LEHD 2023
How Charter Oak grades
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within California), ordered by how far Charter Oak is from typical.
Cost of livingDOpen →Hazard riskearthquakes tops the listDOpen →WalkabilityEPA walkability 14 of 20; 3.9% of households have no carAOpen →HealthSan Dimas Community Hospital 1.3 miles awayB+Open →SchoolsBeat 70% of California districts on tests and graduationB+Open →Jobs & income$88K median household incomeBOpen →
Character Graded, but not part of the overall grade.
Described, not graded Taste, not quality: snow or an older crowd is neither good nor bad.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Nearby attractions
All 278 attractions →Disneyland and 246 more within 40 miles
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Charter Oak. Close and well known come first.
Big draw21 mi Theme parkDisneyland17.3M visitors a year
Big draw30 mi Stadium & arenaSoFi Stadium
Big draw28 mi LandmarkHollywood Walk of Fame10.0M visitors a year
Big draw26 mi MuseumLucas Museum of Narrative Art
Big draw25 mi Stadium & arenaLos Angeles Memorial Coliseum
Big draw20 mi Theme parkKnott's Berry Farm4.5M visitors a yearSources: National Park Service · ski areas © OpenSkiMap / OpenStreetMap contributors · Wikidata · Wikipedia readership · photos via Wikimedia Commons
Photo credits
Disneyland: HarshLight from San Jose, CA, USA, CC BY 2.0 · SoFi Stadium: Thank You (21 Millions+) views, CC BY 2.0 · Hollywood Walk of Fame: BenSherman, Public domain · Lucas Museum of Narrative Art: Kriddl, CC0 · Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum: CanonStarGal, CC BY-SA 4.0 · Knott's Berry Farm: Phydend at English Wikipedia, Public domain
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Getting set up
Moving to Charter Oak: who provides what
Charter Oak is unincorporated, so Los Angeles County and regional agencies provide most services.
PowerSouthern California Edison31.5¢/kWh · EIA 2025HIFLD · EIA
WaterThree Valleys Mwd water systemNo health-based violations in 5 years · EPAEPA
Internet5 providers99% of addresses get 100/20 MbpsFCC
Trash & county servicesLos Angeles CountyLos Angeles County provides services here
Register to voteOnlineIn California you can register online until 15 days before Election Day, in person up to and including Election Day, or by mail (postmarked 15 days before).vote.govWho runs elections hereLos Angeles Registrar-Recorder County ClerkLos Angeles County; contacts on the Handbook page.FVAP, Sep 2025
ZIP codes91724, 9172291724 90% · 91722 9%Census 2020
EPA SDWIS (Oct 9, 2026) · HIFLD + EIA-861 2025 · Census 2020 ZCTAs · NCES 2024–25 · registration: vote.gov, updated Nov 18, 2024.
The data
Ordered by what stands out in Charter Oak.
Charter Oak has milder winter nights than nearly all U.S. towns and sends most of its workers to Los Angeles and beyond.
Natural hazardsHazard risk grade D
Charter Oak faces a very high natural-hazard risk, led by earthquakes
86risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
EarthquakesInland flooding
FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Work & commuteJobs & income grade B
Most working residents commute out of Charter Oak
Charter Oak has 886 jobs for its 3,889 working residents: even if every job went to a resident, most would still commute out.
Most working residents leave Charter Oak for work: only 1% work in town. Jobs based in Charter Oak fell to 886 in 2023, 140 fewer than in 2013. The top destinations are Los Angeles (13%), Covina (5%) and Glendora (4%).
1%work in town
| Charter Oak | California towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Working residents who work in town | 1% | 6.6% | 8% |
| Below the poverty line | 8% | 10% | 9.6% |
| Average trip to work | 27 minutes | 28 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Median household income | $88,000 | $95,000 | $80,000 |
Where working residents work
In Charter Oak1%
Los Angeles13%
Covina5%
Glendora4%
Pomona3%
17 mi
median commute distance
886
jobs based in Charter Oak
A commuter town
jobs vs. working residents
A
Walkability grade: more walkable than 88% of U.S. towns
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
HealthB+
Charter Oak ranks healthier than 72% of the country’s towns
Charter Oak beats the California average on 7 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 0. 40% of adults feel lonely in Charter Oak, where California’s towns sit at 36% and U.S. towns at 33%. 26% of adults have obesity in Charter Oak.
72%healthier than U.S. townsB+Health Grade
| Charter Oak | California towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Feel lonely (CDC PLACES) | 40% | 36% | 33% |
| Obesity (CDC PLACES) | 26% | 29% | 35% |
| Yearly checkup (CDC PLACES) | 72% | 72% | 79% |
| High blood pressure (CDC PLACES) | 28% | 31% | 35% |
32 measures vs. California
7 better25 too close to call0 worse
| What stands out | Charter Oak | CA |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer adults with COPD | 4.1% | 5.1% |
| Fewer older adults who have lost all their teeth | 8.7% | 10.6% |
San Dimas Community Hospital
1.3 mi away · emergency room
None
primary care, dental or mental-health shortage
61st
percentile among CA towns
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Climate
Charter Oak has mild winters and hot summers
January nights average 43.3°, milder than in 96% of U.S. towns; July afternoons average 90°.
Charter Oak has warm winters and warm summers, with very little rain. At 43°F, Charter Oak’s January low is near the California town median (40°F) and above the median of U.S. towns (22°F). The July high in Charter Oak is 90°F.
92°summer high
| Charter Oak | California towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| January low | 43°F | 40°F | 22°F |
| July high | 90°F | 89°F | 85°F |
Typical low → high °F
Winter44–68°
Spring50–75°
Summer61–88°
Fall54–81°
+2.7°
vs. the 20th-century average
92°
typical summer high
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Who lives here
An age mix much like California’s
No broad age group is more than 4 points off the California average. 18% of Charter Oak residents are under 18. 32% of adults 25 and older have a bachelor’s degree or more, vs 37% across California.
39.6median age · CA 37.9
| Charter Oak | California towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 18 | 18% | 22% | 22% |
| Aged 65 or older | 15% | 16% | 18% |
| Bachelor’s degree or more, 25+ | 32% | 29% | 29% |
Charter OakCaliforniaUnited States
Ages · share of residents
17%
Education · adults 25 and older
No diploma13%
High school25%
Some college22%
Associate’s8%
Bachelor’s23%
Graduate9%
Women and men · all residents
52% women, 48% men
That’s an even split within the survey’s margin of ±2.7 points. Across California, 50.1% of residents are women.
| Charter Oak | CA | U.S. | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 10 | 10.8% | 11.4% | 11.6% |
| 10 to 17 | 7.6% | 10.5% | 10.3% |
| 18 to 24 | 8.5% | 9.1% | 9.1% |
| 25 to 34 | 17.4% | 14.8% | 13.7% |
| 35 to 44 | 16.1% | 13.9% | 13.2% |
| 45 to 54 | 11.6% | 12.5% | 12.2% |
| 55 to 64 | 13% | 12.1% | 12.7% |
| 65 to 74 | 9.9% | 9.2% | 10.2% |
| 75 and older | 5.1% | 6.5% | 7% |
| No diploma | 13.2% | 15.3% | 10.4% |
| High school | 24.9% | 20.5% | 26% |
| Some college | 21.9% | 19.3% | 19.1% |
| Associate’s | 8.2% | 7.9% | 8.8% |
| Bachelor’s | 23.2% | 22.7% | 21.6% |
| Graduate | 8.5% | 14.4% | 14.1% |
U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates
2%conserved
| Charter Oak | California towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Miles of trail per square mile | 0.4 miles per square mile | 1.0 | 0.4 |
| Conserved land | 2% | 4.3% | 4.3% |
2%
conserved · 12 of 583 acres
0.4 mi
of trails · 0.4 per sq mi
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Charter Oak Park | 0.4 mi | 12 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
HousingCost of living grade D
Homes in Charter Oak sell for about $800K
Charter Oak’s median rent is $1,900 a month.
$800Kmedian sale price
| Charter Oak | California towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $1,900 a month | $1,895 a month | $1,185 a month |
| Households that own their home | 59% | 64% | 73% |
3
homes sold in May
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Charter Oak
17pages on Charter Oak
The big questions
Out and about
Day to day
After high school
Colleges nearby
22 within 15 miles of the center of Charter Oak
Life Pacific UniversityUniversity or college · Private nonprofit · San Dimas1.6 mi$22,118 tuitionCitrus CollegeCommunity college · Public · Glendora2.9 mi$1,204 in-state tuitionCalifornia State Polytechnic University-PomonaUniversity or college · Public · Pomona3.7 mi$7,780 in-state tuition
About 7 of every 100 Charter Oak residents are enrolled in college, about the same as California.
About Charter Oak
Place in California, United States
Charter Oak is an unincorporated community and census-designated place (CDP) in the San Gabriel Valley of Los Angeles County, California, approximately 26 miles (42 km) east of downtown Los Angeles. The population was 9,739 at the 2020 census, up from 9,310 at the 2010 census. Charter Oak is located in the eastern San Gabriel Valley, situated along Arrow Highway in between Covina to the south, Glendora to the north and San Dimas to the east. Residents tend to refer to the CDP portion as the "unincorporated part of Covina", or simply as "Covina". Originally a small agricultural settlement (primarily citrus orchards) centered on the intersection of Arrow Highway and Bonnie Cove Avenue, popula…
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Area
- 0.9 sq mi
- Elevation
- 761 ft
- Area code
- 626
Charter Oak’s neighbors
3 towns share a border with Charter Oak.
CovinaSan DimasGlendoraCharter Oak
How the neighbors grade
| Town | CA rank | Overall | Cost | Safety | Schools | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Charter Oak | #215 | B− | D | — | B+ | B+ |
| Covina | #339 | C | D− | C | B+ | B+ |
| San Dimas | #273 | C+ | D− | C | A | A− |
| Glendora | #191 | B− | D− | C | A− | A− |
Charter Oak reports no FBI crime data of its own. Compare Charter Oak with a neighbor →
Questions about Charter Oak
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is Charter Oak, CA a good place to live?
Charter Oak grades B− overall, better than 48% of U.S. towns and #215 of 841 in California. It grades B+ for health and B+ for schools. Cost of living is its weak spot, with a D.
Is Charter Oak, CA expensive?
Yes. The typical home is worth about $606,000, 20% below the California typical home. Cost of living, which also weighs rents, property taxes and how many households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, grades D.