CAMap-doton-Lawndale, 2006
Lawndale’s story
120 years in pictures
Census counts: 21,740 in 1960, 31,807 in 2020. The archive holds 2 old photos and papers going back to 2006 and 8 maps from 1896 on.
- 1906Lawndale is settled
Photo: FASTILY · CC BY-SA 4.0
Population
29,892
2025 Census estimate · −6.1% since 2020
Typical home
$772K
+0.3% in a year
Household income
$85K
median
Median age
36.9
years
Jobs based here
5,547
A commuter town
TownGrade
D
#610 of 841 in CA
Is Lawndale a good place to live?
Lawndale earns a D, 610th among California's 841 graded towns, mostly because of safety. Its crime rate is higher than 86% of U.S. towns, with 175 violent crimes reported to the FBI in 2025. What it does well: it is more walkable than 95% of U.S. towns. Lawndale’s July high is 77°F, where California’s towns sit at 89°F and U.S. towns at 85°F. Lawndale's civic life (library use, community groups, volunteering) trails 96% of U.S. towns. FEMA rates its natural-hazard risk higher than 97% of U.S. communities, with inland flooding at the top.
What makes Lawndale stand out
Where Lawndale beats most towns, and one thing worth knowing.
A commuter town
96% of working residents leave Lawndale for work
Where Lawndale’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
5,547jobs based in Lawndale
4%of working residents work in town
10 mimedian commute distance
Census LEHD 2023
How Lawndale grades
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within California), ordered by how far Lawndale is from typical.
Its grades run from A+ for walkability (better than 95% of comparable towns) to D− for hazard risk (better than 2%), so the D overall blends very different results.
Hazard riskinland flooding tops the listD−Open →Cost of livingD−Open →WalkabilityEPA walkability 15.6 of 20; 6.1% of households have no carA+Open →SafetyDOpen →HealthMemorial Hospital of Gardena 3.3 miles awayC+Open →SchoolsBOpen →Jobs & income$85K median household incomeB−Open →
Character Graded, but not part of the overall grade.
Outdoors1 mile of trail; 2% conserved landBOpen →History1 notable person born hereDOpen →Civic life2.2 community nonprofits per 1,000 residentsD−Open →
Described, not graded Taste, not quality: snow or an older crowd is neither good nor bad.
ClimateMild winters, 79° summer afternoons–Open →Housing market28 days on market–Open →Who lives hereMedian age 36.9; 21% of adults have a four-year degree–Open →
How TownRatings grades towns →
Nearby attractions
All 271 attractions →SoFi Stadium and 237 more within 40 miles
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Lawndale. Close and well known come first.
Big draw4 mi Stadium & arenaSoFi Stadium
Big draw15 mi LandmarkHollywood Walk of Fame10.0M visitors a year
Big draw10 mi MuseumLucas Museum of Narrative Art
Big draw10 mi Stadium & arenaLos Angeles Memorial Coliseum
Big draw4 mi Stadium & arenaIntuit Dome
Big draw11 mi MuseumUSS IowaSources: National Park Service · ski areas © OpenSkiMap / OpenStreetMap contributors · Wikidata · Wikipedia readership · photos via Wikimedia Commons
Photo credits
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 · Intuit Dome: Spatms, CC BY-SA 4.0 · USS Iowa: PH1 Jeff Hilton, Public domain
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Getting set up
The full setup list →Moving to Lawndale: who provides what
Who provides power, water and the rest in Lawndale, and how to reach them.
PowerSouthern California Edison31.5¢/kWh · EIA 2025HIFLD · EIA
WaterGswc - Southwest water systemNo health-based violations in 5 years · EPAEPA
Internet6 providers98% of addresses get 100/20 MbpsFCC
Trash & dumpRepublic ServicesTrash haulerTown site
SchoolsCentinela Valley Union High School DistrictLawndale Elementary School District2 districts serve Lawndale; which school depends on your address and gradeNCES
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 codes90260, 9025090260 97% · 90250 3%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 Lawndale.
Lawndale has milder winter nights than nearly all U.S. towns and has seen reported crime fall by a fifth or more.
Natural hazardsHazard risk grade D−
Very high risk in Lawndale, with inland flooding at the top
One flood insurance claim has been paid in Lawndale since 1998.
97risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
Inland floodingEarthquakes
1
paid flood claims since 1998
6
federal disasters paid out here
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
SchoolsB
Lawndale’s public schools outperform 56% of California districts
Two of its 11 schools are below, each with why it’s listed.
56%of CA districts it outscoresBSchool Grade
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Will Rogers MiddleLargest public middle schoolGrades 6–8 | Grades 6–8 | 799 | – |
| Leuzinger HighLargest public high schoolGrades 9–12 | Grades 9–12 | 1,981 | B− |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within CA on state tests and graduation
SafetyD
Lawndale’s grade for safety is a D
Reported crimes fell from 826 to 644 over the last three FBI years, a drop beyond ordinary year-to-year swings.
The violent crime rate in Lawndale is 5.9 per 1,000 residents. Lawndale reports more crime per resident than most U.S. towns we grade: about 86% report less. The property crime rate in Lawndale is 15.7 per 1,000 residents.
14%of U.S. towns report more crimeDSafety Grade
| Lawndale | California towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Violent crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 5.9 per 1,000 residents | 2.9 | 1.6 |
| Property crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 15.7 per 1,000 residents | 13.3 | 9.9 |
Violent crime per 1,000 residents
Lawndale5.9
California4.4
U.S.3.3
Property crime per 1,000 residents
Lawndale15.7
California18.2
U.S.15.5
14th
percentile among U.S. towns we grade
20th
percentile among CA towns
175
violent crimes reported in 2025
469
property crimes reported in 2025
FBI crime data, 2025 · crimes reported to police
Work & commuteJobs & income grade B−
Lawndale has 0.4 jobs for every working resident, so most commute out
Most working residents leave Lawndale for work: only 4% work in town. Since 2013, Lawndale has added 612 jobs, to 5,547 in 2023. 7.2% of Lawndale workers work from home.
4%work in town
| Lawndale | California towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Work from home | 7.2% | 14% | 11% |
| Below the poverty line | 13% | 10% | 9.6% |
| Average trip to work | 25 minutes | 28 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Working residents who work in town | 4.3% | 6.6% | 8% |
Where working residents work
In Lawndale4%
Los Angeles27%
Torrance7%
El Segundo4%
Redondo Beach4%
10 mi
median commute distance
5,547
jobs based in Lawndale
A commuter town
jobs vs. working residents
A+
Walkability grade: more walkable than 95% of U.S. towns
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Climate
In Lawndale, a typical January night runs milder than in the typical California or U.S. town
January nights average 48.5°, milder than in 98% of U.S. towns; July afternoons average 77.2°.
Lawndale’s January low is 49°F. Lawndale has warm winters and pleasant summers, with very little rain. Snow is almost unheard of.
79°summer high
Typical low → high °F
Winter49–67°
Spring53–70°
Summer62–77°
Fall58–76°
+2.3°
vs. the 20th-century average
79°
typical summer high
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
OutdoorsB
Lawndale has set aside 2.3% of its land for conservation
1.0 miles of trail in 5 parks and preserves.
#538for trails in CA
| Lawndale | California towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Miles of trail per square mile | 0.5 miles per square mile | 1.0 | 0.4 |
| Conserved land | 2.3% | 4.3% | 4.3% |
2.3%
conserved · 29 of 1,262 acres
1.0 mi
of trails · 0.5 per sq mi
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Jane Addams Park | 0.5 mi | 5 |
| 2. Rogers-Anderson Park | 0.2 mi | 11 |
| 3. William Green Park | — | 4 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
HealthC+
Lawndale is less healthy than 62% of U.S. towns
Lawndale beats the California average on 3 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 19. 43% of adults feel lonely in Lawndale.
38%healthier than U.S. townsC+Health Grade
| Lawndale | California towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Feel lonely (CDC PLACES) | 43% | 36% | 33% |
| Food insecurity (CDC PLACES) | 28% | 16% | 14% |
| Yearly checkup (CDC PLACES) | 69% | 72% | 79% |
| Fair or poor health (CDC PLACES) | 28% | 22% | 19% |
32 measures vs. California
3 better10 too close to call19 worse
| What stands out | Lawndale | CA |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer adults who have had cancer | 4.4% | 6.4% |
| Fewer adults with arthritis | 18.1% | 20.8% |
| More adults facing food insecurity | 27.6% | 17.9% |
Memorial Hospital of Gardena
3.3 mi away · emergency room
None
primary care, dental or mental-health shortage
28th
percentile among CA towns
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
HousingCost of living grade D−
Homes in Lawndale are worth about $772K, by Zillow’s estimate
$772KZillow home value
Typical home value
Lawndale$772K
California$762K
Market temperature
28
days on market
100%
sale-to-list price
+0.3%
value change, 1 year
8
homes sold in May
Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Lawndale
20pages on Lawndale
The big questions
SchoolsBBeat 56% of CA districts · 11 schoolsSafetyD5.9 violent crimes per 1,000 residents (2025)HealthC+Better than CA on 3 of 32 CDC measuresCost of livingD−$772K typical home · up 0.3% in a yearWork & commuteB−$85K median household income · 5,547 jobs hereNatural hazardsD−FEMA risk higher than 97% of U.S. communities · inland flooding
Out and about
The story
After high school
Colleges nearby
46 within 15 miles of the center of Lawndale
El Camino Community College DistrictCommunity college · Public · Torrance1.4 mi$1,144 in-state tuitionAmerica Evangelical UniversityUniversity or college · Private nonprofit · Gardena3.3 mi$6,200 tuitionCalifornia State University-Dominguez HillsUniversity or college · Public · Carson5.8 mi$7,449 in-state tuition
About 8 of every 100 Lawndale residents are enrolled in college, about the same as California.
About Lawndale
City in California, United States
Lawndale is a city in Los Angeles County, California, United States. The population was 31,807 at the 2020 census, down from 32,769 at the 2010 census. The city is in the South Bay region of the Greater Los Angeles Area.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Established
- 1959
- Area
- 2.0 sq mi
- Elevation
- 59 ft
- ZIP code
- 90260
Lawndale’s neighbors
4 towns share a border with Lawndale.
HawthorneTorranceRedondo BeachAlondra ParkLawndale
How the neighbors grade
| Town | CA rank | Overall | Cost | Safety | Schools | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lawndale | #610 | D | D− | D | B | C+ |
| Hawthorne | #634 | D | D− | D | B | C+ |
| Torrance | #220 | B− | D− | C− | A | A |
| Redondo Beach | #151 | B | D− | C− | A | A+ |
| Alondra Park | #395 | C | D− | — | B | B− |
Alondra Park reports no FBI crime data of its own. Compare Lawndale with a neighbor →
Questions about Lawndale
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is Lawndale, CA a good place to live?
Lawndale grades D overall, better than 10% of U.S. towns and #610 of 841 in California. It grades C+ for health, D for safety and B for schools. Hazard risk is its weak spot, with a D−.
Is Lawndale, CA expensive?
Yes. That is 8 years of the area's median household income ($95,958 across the Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA metro area). Cost of living, which also weighs rents, property taxes and how many households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, grades D−.