Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
South Pasadena’s strongest is health (A+). At B overall, South Pasadena is better than 65% of U.S. towns and ranks 120th of 841 in California. The trade-off is cost of living: the typical home is worth about $1.7 million, 17.5 years of the Los Angeles metro’s $96K median household income. It also trails on safety — its crime rate is higher than just over three quarters of U.S. towns, with 73 violent crimes reported to the FBI in 2025. Hazard risk is weaker too: FEMA rates its natural-hazard risk higher than 89% of U.S. communities, with earthquakes at the top. Only 31 of California’s 1,063 towns score higher on history. This California town is more walkable than 95% of U.S. towns. The median household earns $127K.
Figures: health, CDC PLACES · home values, Zillow · incomes, Census ACS, 2020–24 · FBI crime data, 2025 · FEMA National Risk Index · National Register of Historic Places.
Where South Pasadena beats most towns, and one thing worth knowing.
| Widest gap | South Pasadena | CA |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer uninsured adults | 4.1% | 10.6% |
Census counts: 623 in 1890, 26,943 in 2020. The archive holds 12 old photos and papers going back to 1890 and 7 maps from 1896 on.
9 places on the National Register of Historic Places.
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within California), ordered by how far South Pasadena is from typical.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around South Pasadena. Close and well known come first.
Big draw11 mi LandmarkHollywood Walk of Fame10.0M visitors a year
Big draw15 mi Stadium & arenaSoFi Stadium
Big draw10 mi MuseumLucas Museum of Narrative Art
Big draw5 mi Stadium & arenaDodger Stadium
Big draw10 mi Stadium & arenaLos Angeles Memorial Coliseum
Big draw8 mi Stadium & arenaCrypto.com ArenaHollywood Walk of Fame: BenSherman, Public domain · SoFi Stadium: Thank You (21 Millions+) views, CC BY 2.0 · Lucas Museum of Narrative Art: Kriddl, CC0 · Dodger Stadium: Frederick Dennstedt from los angeles, usa, CC BY-SA 2.0 · Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum: CanonStarGal, CC BY-SA 4.0 · Crypto.com Arena: Troutfarm27, CC BY-SA 4.0
Who provides power, water and the rest in South Pasadena, and how to reach them.
EPA SDWIS (Oct 9, 2026) · HIFLD + EIA-861 2025 · Census 2020 ZCTAs · NCES 2024–25 · registration: vote.gov, updated Nov 18, 2024.
Ordered by what stands out in South Pasadena.
South Pasadena has schools in the top 5% of California, fares better on crime within California than nationally and has less no health insurance than most of California.
At 17.5 years of the Los Angeles metro’s $96K median household income, the typical home (about $1.68M) costs more against local pay than in 94% of California towns; that ratio is one input to that grade. The median property tax bill is $9,937, against $5,124 across California, another input to its cost-of-living grade.
Homes in South Pasadena are typically worth about $1,676,000, up 4.6% in a year, more than twice the California typical home. The going rate for rent for South Pasadena comes to $2,284 a month, against $1,895 a month in California’s towns and $1,185 a month across U.S. towns. 44% of households live in a home they own here.
| South Pasadena | California towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Households that own their home | 44% | 64% | 73% |
| Median rent | $2,284 a month | $1,895 a month | $1,185 a month |
| Renters paying 30%+ of income on rent | 46% | 55% | 48% |
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Its A+ ranks #33 of the 847 California towns we grade for schools. Its A+ for schools comes with a D− for cost of living: the typical home is worth about $1.68M.
Two of its 8 schools are below, each with the reason it’s listed. The largest public high school is South Pasadena Senior High, with 1,536 students. The South Pasadena Unified school district runs its public schools.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| South Pasadena MiddleLargest public middle schoolGrades 6–8 | Grades 6–8 | 1,096 | – |
| South Pasadena Senior HighLargest public high schoolGrades 9–12 | Grades 9–12 | 1,536 | – |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within CA on state tests and graduation
Its widest gap with California is no health insurance: 4.1% of those 18–64 have no health insurance, against 10.6% statewide.
The share of adults 18 to 64 in South Pasadena who have no health insurance: 4.1%. In South Pasadena, nearly a fifth of adults have obesity, below both California’s towns (29%) and U.S. towns (35%). Among adults here, 12% report frequent mental distress and 9.4% report frequent physical distress.
| South Pasadena | California towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Obesity (CDC PLACES) | 19% | 29% | 35% |
| Frequent mental distress (CDC PLACES) | 12% | 17% | 17% |
| Frequent physical distress (CDC PLACES) | 9.4% | 14% | 14% |
| Smoke cigarettes (CDC PLACES) | 6.2% | 11% | 14% |
| What stands out | South Pasadena | CA |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer uninsured adults | 4.1% | 10.6% |
| Fewer older adults who have lost all their teeth | 4.3% | 10.6% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
8 flood insurance claims have been paid in South Pasadena since 1998. FEMA puts 64% of the town’s expected hazard losses down to earthquakes, and 35% to inland flooding. Federal disaster aid has reached households in South Pasadena after 3 declared disasters, most recently in 2025.
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA disaster declarations and aid · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
At 32.7 crimes per 1,000 residents a year, it reports more crime than 59% of California’s graded towns.
South Pasadena’s rate of thefts and burglaries is 19.2 per 1,000 residents. Its violent offense rate is 2.9 per 1,000 residents.
| South Pasadena | California towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Property crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 19.2 per 1,000 residents | 13.3 | 9.9 |
| Violent crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 2.9 per 1,000 residents | 2.9 | 1.6 |
FBI crime data, 2025 · crimes reported to police
29.9% of workers work from home, against 17.2% across California.
Most people who work leave South Pasadena to do it: just 5% work in town. Employers in South Pasadena added 1,795 jobs between 2013 and 2023, to 8,212. 30% of South Pasadena workers do their job from home. For half of commuters, work is under 9 miles away.
| South Pasadena | California towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Work from home | 30% | 14% | 11% |
| Median household income | $127,000 | $95,000 | $80,000 |
| Below the poverty line | 4.9% | 10% | 9.6% |
| Average trip to work | 30 minutes | 28 minutes | 25 minutes |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
There are 2.2 miles of trail across 8 parks and preserves. The density of trails in South Pasadena is 0.7 miles per square mile.
| South Pasadena | California towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Miles of trail per square mile | 0.7 miles per square mile | 1.0 | 0.4 |
| Conserved land | 5.4% | 4.2% | 4.3% |
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. South Pasadena Library Park | 0.3 mi | 3 |
| 2. Arroyo Park | 0.1 mi | 11 |
| 3. Garfield Park | — | 8 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
January nights average 47°, milder than in 97% of U.S. towns; July afternoons average 87.1°.
For South Pasadena, the January low is 47°F. It almost never snows.
| South Pasadena | California towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| January low | 47°F | 40°F | 22°F |
| July high | 87°F | 89°F | 85°F |
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
53 within 15 miles of the center of South Pasadena
About 6 of every 100 South Pasadena residents are enrolled in college, against 8 across California.
Where South Pasadena’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
Census LEHD 2023
9 places in South Pasadena on the National Register of Historic Places.
14 notable people were born in South Pasadena.
City in California, United States
South Pasadena is a city in the San Gabriel Valley of Los Angeles County, California, United States. As of the 2020 census, it had a population of 26,943, up from 25,619 at the 2010 census.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
4 towns share a border with South Pasadena.
| Town | CA rank | Overall | Cost | Safety | Schools | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| South Pasadena | #120 | B | D− | C− | A+ | A+ |
| Los Angeles | #613 | D | D− | D | B− | B− |
| Pasadena | #421 | C | D− | D | B | A− |
| San Marino | #46 | A− | D− | B | A+ | A+ |
| Alhambra | #299 | C+ | D− | C | A− | B+ |
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
For most people who can afford it, yes. South Pasadena grades B overall, better than 65% of U.S. towns and #120 of 841 in California. It grades A+ for health, C− for safety and A+ for schools. Cost of living is its weak spot, with a D−.
14 notable people were born here, including Meredith Baxter and Kristinia DeBarge.
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