Los Angeles has 3.9 million people, so its D is an average across neighborhoods that differ more from each other than most towns do. Within California, that puts it 613th of 841. It is more walkable than 98% of U.S. towns. What weighs on its grade: homes are expensive, about $928K for a typical one and 9.7 times the Los Angeles metro’s $96K median household income, and FEMA rates its natural-hazard risk higher than 94% of U.S. communities, with earthquakes at the top. History is its standout character grade: an A, better than 92% of U.S. towns, with 285 places on the National Register. 51% of working residents work locally in Los Angeles, against 6.6% in California’s towns and 8% across U.S. towns. Its National Register listings include Bradbury Building and Watts Towers of Simon Rodia. Los Angeles's civic life (library use, community groups, volunteering) trails 89% of U.S. towns.

StrongestA⁺Walkability AHistory A⁻OutdoorsWeakestD⁻Cost of living D⁻Hazard risk DSafety

What makes Los Angeles stand out

Where Los Angeles beats most towns, and one thing worth knowing.

Neutra, Richard and Dion, VDL Research Houses and Studio

HistoryA

Settled in 1781

A history going back 245 years.

Biggest of 41

College	Students
University of California-Los Angeles	46,029
University of Southern California	41,282
California State University-Northridge	34,847

Colleges in town

41 colleges

214,912 students on campus

Worth knowing · Natural hazardsD⁻

Earthquakes and inland flooding at the top

FEMA National Risk Index.

Neutra, Richard and Dion, VDL Research Houses and Studio · National Register of Historic Places

Los Angeles’s story

245 years in pictures

Neutra, Richard and Dion, VDL Research Houses and Studio is one of 12 National Historic Landmarks here, the National Register’s top tier. Its founding year, 1781, comes before those of 99% of the California towns we grade with a known year.

Census counts: 1,610 in 1850, 3,898,747 in 2020. The archive holds 18 old photos and papers going back to 1850 and 6 maps from 1894 on.

285 places on the National Register of Historic Places.

1781Los Angeles is settled

Explore the history →

How Los Angeles grades

Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within California), ordered by how far Los Angeles is from typical.

How grading works

Its grades run from A+ for walkability (better than 98% of comparable towns) to D− for cost of living (better than 1%), so the D overall blends very different results.

Cost of livingD⁻Open →WalkabilityEPA walkability 14.5 of 20; 11.9% of households have no car; 9.9% of workers walk, bike or ride transitA⁺Open →Hazard riskearthquakes tops the listD⁻Open →SafetyDOpen →HealthCedar-Sinai Marina Del Rey Hospital 3.1 miles awayB⁻Open →Jobs & income$82K median household incomeB⁻Open →SchoolsB⁻Open →

Character Graded, but not part of the overall grade.

Outdoors14% conserved landA⁻Open →History21 notable people born hereAOpen →Civic life1.5 library visits per resident; 2.9 community nonprofits per 1,000 residentsDOpen →

Described, not graded Taste, not quality: snow or an older crowd is neither good nor bad.

ClimateMild winters, 80° summer afternoons–Open →Housing market50 days on market–Open →Who lives hereMedian age 37.2; 38% of adults have a four-year degree–Open →

How TownRatings grades towns →

Nearby attractions

Hollywood Walk of Fame and 225 more within 40 miles

Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Los Angeles. Close and well known come first.

All 268 attractions →

Big drawin town LandmarkHollywood Walk of Fame10.0M visitors a year

Big drawin town MuseumLucas Museum of Narrative Art

Big draw6 mi Stadium & arenaSoFi Stadium

Big drawin town Stadium & arenaLos Angeles Memorial Coliseum

Big drawin town MuseumUSS Iowa

Big drawin town Stadium & arenaCrypto.com Arena

Sources: National Park Service · ski areas © OpenSkiMap / OpenStreetMap contributors · Wikidata · Wikipedia readership · photos via Wikimedia Commons

Photo credits

Hollywood Walk of Fame: BenSherman, Public domain · Lucas Museum of Narrative Art: Kriddl, CC0 · SoFi Stadium: Thank You (21 Millions+) views, CC BY 2.0 · Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum: CanonStarGal, CC BY-SA 4.0 · USS Iowa: PH1 Jeff Hilton, Public domain · Crypto.com Arena: Troutfarm27, CC BY-SA 4.0

Getting set up

Moving to Los Angeles: who provides what

Who provides power, water and the rest in Los Angeles, and how to reach them.

The full setup list →

PowerLos Angeles Department of Water & Power26.5¢/kWh · EIA 2025HIFLD · EIA

WaterLos Angeles-City, Dept. of Water & PowerNo health-based violations in 5 years · EPAEPA

Internet7 providers97% of addresses get 100/20 MbpsFCC

Trash & dumpCentral LA Recycling & Transfer StationMon–Fri 5 am–5 pmOpenStreetMap

SchoolsLos Angeles Unified School DistrictWhich school depends on your addressNCES

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.gov

Who runs elections hereLos Angeles Registrar-Recorder County ClerkLos Angeles County; contacts on the Handbook page.FVAP, Sep 2025

ZIP codes90011, 91331, 91342, 9133590011 3% · 91331 3% · 91342 2% · 91335 2%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 Los Angeles.

Los Angeles has milder winter nights than nearly all U.S. towns, but it has homes that cost more against local pay than most of California and has a long record of flood insurance claims.

SafetyD

Los Angeles sees more crime per resident than 91% of U.S. towns

Reported crimes fell from 138,824 to 112,483 over the last three FBI years, a drop beyond ordinary year-to-year swings.

The violent crime rate in Los Angeles is 6.7 per 1,000 residents.

9%of U.S. towns report more crimeDSafety Grade

	Los Angeles	California towns	U.S. towns
Violent crimes per 1,000 (2025)	6.7 per 1,000 residents	2.9	1.6
Property crimes per 1,000 (2025)	22.4 per 1,000 residents	13.3	9.9

Violent crime per 1,000 residents

Los Angeles6.7

California4.4

U.S.3.3

Property crime per 1,000 residents

Los Angeles22.4

California18.2

U.S.15.5

9th

percentile among U.S. towns we grade

12th

percentile among CA towns

25,870

violent crimes reported in 2025

86,613

property crimes reported in 2025

Full pageLos Angeles’ safety reportOpen the page

Violent crime by type6.7 violent crimes per 1,000 Crime over the yearsDown since 2023 Vs. the neighborsAhead of 2 of its 7 graded neighbors Questions“Is Los Angeles, CA safe?”

FBI crime data, 2025 · crimes reported to police

SchoolsB⁻

On state tests, Los Angeles’ schools beat 50% of California districts

Its public schools are run by the Los Angeles Unified school district. Three of its 1,086 schools are below, each with why it’s listed.

50%of CA districts it outscoresB⁻School Grade

School	Level	Students	Letter
Alfred B. Nobel Charter MiddleLargest public middle schoolGrades 6–8	Grades 6–8	1,784	–
Granada Hills CharterLargest public high schoolGrades K–12	Grades K–12	5,927	–
Science Academy STEM MagnetTop results in townGrades 6–12	Grades 6–12	536	A⁺

Full pageLos Angeles’ schools pageOpen the page

The districtsLos Angeles Unified Vs. the neighborsAhead of 1 of its 9 graded neighbors Every school1,086 schools · Porter Ranch Community Questions“Are Los Angeles’s schools good?”

NCES · EDFacts · graded within CA on state tests and graduation

Natural hazardsHazard risk grade D⁻

Los Angeles faces a very high natural-hazard risk, led by earthquakes

1,980 flood insurance claims have been filed here, and 135 properties have flooded more than once.

Since 1978, 1,980 flood insurance claims have been paid out in Los Angeles.

94risk score of 100

FEMA risk score

EarthquakesInland flooding

1,980

paid flood claims since 1978

federal disasters paid out here

Full pageLos Angeles’ hazards pageOpen the page

What it facesVery high risk Flood claims1,980 paid flood claims · Since 1978 Past disasters14 federal disasters · Paid out in Los Angeles Get readyReady for earthquakes

FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA

OutdoorsA⁻

Los Angeles has set aside 14.1% of its land for conservation

701 miles of trail in 373 parks and preserves. Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area, at 19,788 acres with 18.8 miles of trail, is the biggest park or preserve. Los Angeles’ trail density is 1.4 miles per square mile.

#262for trails in CA

14.1%

conserved · 45,295 of 320,205 acres

701 mi

of trails · 1.4 per sq mi

Biggest places to walk	Trails	Acres
1. Griffith Park	77.1 mi	4,388
2. Topanga State Park	59.5 mi	8,963
3. Hansen Dam Recreation Area	38.7 mi	1,150

Full pageLos Angeles’ outdoors pageOpen the page

Trail map701 miles of trail, mapped Pick a walk77.1 miles of trail · Griffith Park Conserved land14.1% conserved · 45,295 acres protected Questions“Where can I hike in Los Angeles?”

Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US

HousingCost of living grade D⁻

Los Angeles’ grade for cost of living is a D−

At 9.7 years of the Los Angeles metro’s $96K median household income, the typical home (about $928K) costs more against local pay than in 76% of California towns; that ratio is one input to its D− for cost of living.

36% of Los Angeles households own their home. The typical Los Angeles home is worth about $928,000, down 0.5% in a year, 22% above the California typical home. 59% of Los Angeles renter households spend 30% or more of their income on rent.

$928KZillow home value

	Los Angeles	California towns	U.S. towns
Households that own their home	36%	64%	73%
Median rent	$1,933 a month	$1,895 a month	$1,185 a month
Renters paying 30%+ of income on rent	59%	55%	48%

Typical home value

Los Angeles$928K

California$762K

Market temperature

days on market

99.5%

sale-to-list price

−0.5%

value change, 1 year

1,601

homes sold in May

Full pageLos Angeles’ housing & cost-of-living pageOpen the page

Prices over the yearsDown 0.5% in a year Years of income to buyA typical home costs 11.3 years of income Rents$1,933 a month · Median rent Vs. the neighborsAhead of 5 of its 9 graded neighbors

Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center

Climate

A typical January night in Los Angeles is milder than in most of California or the rest of the country

January nights average 48.5°, milder than in 98% of U.S. towns; July afternoons average 77.8°.

Los Angeles has warm winters and pleasant summers, with very little rain. Snow is almost unheard of.

80°summer high

	Los Angeles	California towns	U.S. towns
July high	78°F	89°F	85°F
January low	49°F	40°F	22°F

Typical low → high °F

Winter49–67°

Spring53–70°

Summer62–77°

Fall57–76°

+2.4°

vs. the 20th-century average

80°

typical summer high

Full pageLos Angeles’ climate pageOpen the page

A year of weatherJuly highs 78°, January lows 49°Rain & snow14″ of rain a year · Snow is almost unheard of Heating & coolingBoth heating and cooling Then and now+2.4° vs. the 20th century · Warmer than the 20th-century average

NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020

Work & commuteJobs & income grade B⁻

With 1.1 jobs for every working resident, Los Angeles draws in 949,033 commuters

17% of residents live below the poverty line in Los Angeles. Since 2013, Los Angeles has added 230,302 jobs, to 1,722,874 in 2023. 20% of workers work from home in Los Angeles.

51%work in town

	Los Angeles	California towns	U.S. towns
Work from home	20%	14%	11%
Below the poverty line	17%	10%	9.6%
Average trip to work	31 minutes	28 minutes	25 minutes
Median household income	$82,000	$95,000	$80,000

Where working residents work

In Los Angeles51%

Burbank6%

Santa Monica2%

Glendale2%

Culver City2%

9 mi

median commute distance

1,722,874

jobs based in Los Angeles

Balanced

jobs vs. working residents

A+

Walkability grade: more walkable than 98% of U.S. towns

Full pageLos Angeles’ work & commute pageOpen the page

The jobs here1,722,874 jobs based here · Balanced Where people work51% work in Los Angeles Commute times31 minutes · The average commute How far they goHalf commute less than 9 miles

Census LEHD 2023 · ACS

Who lives here

An age mix much like California’s

No broad age group is more than 4 points off the California average. 39% of adults 25 and older have a bachelor’s degree or more, vs 37% across California.

37.2median age · CA 37.9

	Los Angeles	California towns	U.S. towns
Bachelor’s degree or more, 25+	39%	29%	29%
Under 18	19%	22%	22%
Aged 65 or older	14%	16%	18%
Median age	37.2 years	39.1 years	40.5 years

Los AngelesCaliforniaUnited States

CAU.S.

Ages · share of residents

18%

Education · adults 25 and older

No diploma20%

High school19%

Some college16%

Associate’s6%

Bachelor’s25%

Graduate14%

Women and men · all residents

50.2% women, 49.8% men

About 99 men for every 100 women. Across California, 50.1% of residents are women. Median age: women 37.8, men 36.6.

Ages and education in Los Angeles
	Los Angeles	CA	U.S.
Under 10	10.2%	11.4%	11.6%
10 to 17	9%	10.5%	10.3%
18 to 24	9.5%	9.1%	9.1%
25 to 34	17.8%	14.8%	13.7%
35 to 44	14.9%	13.9%	13.2%
45 to 54	12.8%	12.5%	12.2%
55 to 64	11.6%	12.1%	12.7%
65 to 74	8.4%	9.2%	10.2%
75 and older	5.9%	6.5%	7%
No diploma	20.4%	15.3%	10.4%
High school	18.5%	20.5%	26%
Some college	16.4%	19.3%	19.1%
Associate’s	6.3%	7.9%	8.8%
Bachelor’s	24.9%	22.7%	21.6%
Graduate	13.6%	14.4%	14.1%

Full pageLos Angeles by the numbersOpen the page

Ages37.2 median age · 14% are 65 or older Schooling39% have a four-year degree Homes36% own their home · Homeowners Income$82K a year · Median household income

U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates

HealthB⁻

Los Angeles ranks healthier than 54% of the country’s towns

Los Angeles beats the California average on 3 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 11.

54%healthier than U.S. townsB⁻Health Grade

	Los Angeles	California towns	U.S. towns
Feel lonely (CDC PLACES)	41%	36%	33%
Yearly checkup (CDC PLACES)	71%	72%	79%
Food insecurity (CDC PLACES)	24%	16%	14%
Fair or poor health (CDC PLACES)	25%	22%	19%

32 measures vs. California

3 better18 too close to call11 worse

What stands out	Los Angeles	CA
Fewer adults who have had cancer	5.4%	6.4%
Fewer adults with heart disease	5%	5.6%
More adults facing food insecurity	23.6%	17.9%

Cedar-Sinai Marina Del Rey Hospital

3.1 mi away · emergency room

3 of 3

care shortages: primary care, dental, mental health

42nd

percentile among CA towns

Full pageLos Angeles’ health reportOpen the page

Everyday habitsMore smokers Hospitals & doctors nearby3.1 miles to an ER · Cedar-Sinai Marina Del Rey Hospital How adults are doingMore adults in fair or poor health Every CDC estimateBetter than CA on 3 of 32

CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA

Keep exploring

Everything we know about Los Angeles

20pages on Los Angeles

The big questions

SchoolsB⁻Beat 50% of CA districts · 1086 schools SafetyD6.7 violent crimes per 1,000 residents (2025)HealthB⁻Better than CA on 3 of 32 CDC measures Cost of livingD⁻$928K typical home · down 0.5% in a year Work & commuteB⁻$82K median household income · 1,722,874 jobs here Natural hazardsD⁻FEMA risk higher than 94% of U.S. communities · earthquakes

Out and about

OutdoorsA⁻701 mi of trails · 14% conserved land PlacesAttractions268 nearby · Hollywood Walk of Fame under 1 mi LibraryD1.5 library visits per resident CollegesOtis College of Art and Design, in town

The story

HistoryASettled 1781 · 285 on the National Register Famous people21 born in Los Angeles Town Hall & politicsOne full-time town employee per 77 residents Climate80° summer highs

Day to day

News14 recent stories about Los Angeles WeatherHandbookZIP code 90001, 90002, 90003 Town SquareNeighbors

After high school

Colleges nearby

56 within 15 miles of the center of Los Angeles

Los Angeles Trade Technical CollegeCommunity college · Public · Los AngelesIn town$1,238 in-state tuition California State University-Los AngelesUniversity or college · Public · Los AngelesIn town$7,160 in-state tuition Otis College of Art and DesignUniversity or college · Private nonprofit · Los AngelesIn town$56,488 tuition

About 8 of every 100 Los Angeles residents are enrolled in college, about the same as California.

Prices by family income, graduation and earnings →

College town

University of California-Los Angeles calls Los Angeles home

41 colleges in town.

University of California-Los Angeles46,029 students on campus

Admission: 9%
Net price: $12,548
Graduate: 93%

University of Southern California41,282 students on campus

Admission: 10%
Net price: $32,740
Graduate: 92%

California State University-Northridge34,847 students on campus

Admission: 93%
Net price: $7,021
Graduate: 57%

College Scorecard · IPEDS

Landmarks

285 places in Los Angeles on the National Register of Historic Places.

All landmarks →

Neutra, Richard and Dion, VDL Research Houses and StudioBuilt 1932 · National Historic Landmark

Barnsdall, Aline, ComplexBuilt 1921 · National Historic Landmark

Bradbury BuildingBuilt 1893 · National Historic Landmark

Watts Towers of Simon RodiaNational Historic Landmark

Famous people from Los Angeles

21 notable people were born in Los Angeles.

See all 21 →

Marilyn MonroeAmerican actress and model · 1926–1962

Leonardo DiCaprioAmerican actor and producer · born 1974

Gwyneth PaltrowAmerican actress, entrepreneur, writer and singer · born 1972

Chris PineAmerican actor · born 1980

Jodie FosterAmerican actress and filmmaker · born 1962

Kim KardashianAmerican media personality, businesswoman, model and actress · born 1980

About Los Angeles

Most populous city in California, US

Los Angeles (often shortened as LA or L.A.) is the most populous city in the U.S. state of California, and the commercial, financial, and cultural center of Southern California. With an estimated 3.87 million residents within the city limits as of 2025, it is the second-most populous city in the United States, behind New York City, and the largest city in the Western United States. The city has an ethnically and culturally diverse population, and is the principal city of a metropolitan area of 12.9 million people (2024). Greater Los Angeles, a combined statistical area that includes the Los Angeles and Riverside–San Bernardino metropolitan areas, is a sprawling metropolis of over 18 million…

From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)

Established: 1781
Area: 503 sq mi
Elevation: 348 ft
ZIP code: 90001, 90002, 90003
Area code: 213, 310, 424

Los Angeles’s neighbors

10 towns share a border with Los Angeles.

Explore the map →

How the neighbors grade

Town	CA rank	Overall	Cost	Safety	Schools	Health
Los Angeles	#613	D	D⁻	D	B⁻	B⁻
Santa Monica	#266	C⁺	D⁻	D⁻	A	A
Glendale	#316	C⁺	D⁻	C	A⁻	B⁺
Pasadena	#421	C	D⁻	D	B	A⁻
Rancho Palos Verdes	#28	A⁻	D⁻	B⁺	A⁺	A⁺
Burbank	#346	C	D⁻	D	A⁻	A⁻
Inglewood	#758	D⁻	D⁻	D	C	C
Carson	#530	C⁻	D	D	B⁻	B

Compare Los Angeles with a neighbor →

Questions about Los Angeles

Short answers, built from the data on this page.

Is Los Angeles, CA a good place to live?

Los Angeles grades D overall, better than 10% of U.S. towns and #613 of 841 in California. It grades B− for health, D for safety and B− for schools. Cost of living is its weak spot, with a D−.

What is Los Angeles, CA known for?

21 notable people were born here, including Marilyn Monroe and Leonardo DiCaprio.

Post to Los Angeles

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What is it like to live in Los Angeles?