West CarsonCA
A town of 22,143.
What should you know before moving to West Carson?
FEMA rates its natural-hazard risk higher than 92% of U.S. communities, with earthquakes at the top. Overall it grades C+, 292nd among California's 841 graded towns. It is easier to get around on foot or by transit than 84% of U.S. towns. Its weakest subject is cost of living: homes are expensive, about $690K for a typical one and 7.2 times the Los Angeles metro’s $96K median household income. West Carson’s peak summer temperature is 78°F, where California’s towns sit at 89°F and U.S. towns at 85°F.
What makes West Carson stand out
Where West Carson beats most towns, and one thing worth knowing.
| Widest gap | West Carson | CA |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer adults facing a utility shut-off | 5.3% | 7.3% |
97% of working residents leave West Carson for work
Where West Carson’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
Census LEHD 2023
How West Carson grades
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within California), ordered by how far West Carson is from typical.
How TownRatings grades towns →
SoFi Stadium and 234 more within 40 miles
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around West Carson. Close and well known come first.
Big draw9 mi Stadium & arenaSoFi Stadium
Big draw6 mi MuseumUSS Iowa
Big draw19 mi LandmarkHollywood Walk of Fame10.0M visitors a year
Big draw22 mi Theme parkDisneyland17.3M visitors a year
Big draw13 mi MuseumLucas Museum of Narrative Art
Big draw13 mi Stadium & arenaLos Angeles Memorial ColiseumPhoto credits
SoFi Stadium: Thank You (21 Millions+) views, CC BY 2.0 · USS Iowa: PH1 Jeff Hilton, Public domain · Hollywood Walk of Fame: BenSherman, Public domain · Disneyland: HarshLight from San Jose, CA, USA, CC BY 2.0 · Lucas Museum of Narrative Art: Kriddl, CC0 · Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum: CanonStarGal, CC BY-SA 4.0
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Moving to West Carson: who provides what
West Carson is unincorporated, so Los Angeles County and regional agencies provide most services.
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 West Carson.
Very high risk in West Carson, with earthquakes at the top
FEMA puts 52% of West Carson’s expected hazard losses down to earthquakes, and 47% to inland flooding.
FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
On state tests, West Carson’s schools beat 50% of California districts
Its public schools are run by the Los Angeles Unified school district. One of its 2 schools is below, with the reason it’s listed. 2 public schools serve West Carson, with 923 students in all.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Meyler Street ElementaryLargest public elementary schoolGrades K–5 | Grades K–5 | 603 | – |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within CA on state tests and graduation
Most of West Carson’s workers commute out: the town has 0.5 jobs for each of them
The median commute is under 12 miles. Since 2013, West Carson has added 335 jobs, to 5,144 in 2023. Most working residents leave West Carson for work: only 3% work in town. The top destinations are Los Angeles (25%), Torrance (13%) and Long Beach (5%).
| West Carson | California towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Working residents who work in town | 2.8% | 6.6% | 8% |
| Average trip to work | 27 minutes | 28 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Median household income | $93,000 | $95,000 | $80,000 |
| Below the poverty line | 8.7% | 10% | 9.6% |
Where working residents work
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Fewer of West Carson’s adults have been diagnosed with depression than in the typical California or U.S. town
14% of adults report frequent mental distress in West Carson. Against the California average, West Carson comes out ahead on 16 CDC measures out of 32, and behind on 3. In West Carson, 22% of adults have obesity, and 40% feel lonely.
| West Carson | California towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Depression (CDC PLACES) | 16% | 22% | 23% |
| Obesity (CDC PLACES) | 22% | 29% | 35% |
| Feel lonely (CDC PLACES) | 40% | 36% | 33% |
| Binge drink (CDC PLACES) | 13% | 16% | 16% |
| What stands out | West Carson | CA |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer adults facing a utility shut-off | 5.3% | 7.3% |
| Fewer uninsured adults | 8.3% | 10.6% |
| More adults with diabetes | 13.3% | 11.7% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
West Carson skews older than California
The midpoint age in West Carson is 45.2 years. People 65 and older are 25% of residents (16% statewide); children under 18 are 16% of residents (22% statewide). 17% of West Carson residents are under 18.
| West Carson | California towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 18 | 17% | 22% | 22% |
| Aged 65 or older | 25% | 16% | 18% |
| Median age | 45.2 years | 39 years | 40.5 years |
| Bachelor’s degree or more, 25+ | 37% | 29% | 29% |
Ages · share of residents
Education · adults 25 and older
Women and men · all residents
52% women, 48% men
That’s an even split within the survey’s margin of ±3.5 points. Across California, 50.1% of residents are women.
| West Carson | CA | U.S. | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 10 | 8.6% | 11.4% | 11.6% |
| 10 to 17 | 7.8% | 10.5% | 10.3% |
| 18 to 24 | 6.2% | 9.1% | 9.1% |
| 25 to 34 | 15.1% | 14.8% | 13.7% |
| 35 to 44 | 12.1% | 13.9% | 13.2% |
| 45 to 54 | 12.9% | 12.5% | 12.2% |
| 55 to 64 | 12.7% | 12.1% | 12.7% |
| 65 to 74 | 14.1% | 9.2% | 10.2% |
| 75 and older | 10.4% | 6.5% | 7% |
| No diploma | 13.5% | 15.3% | 10.4% |
| High school | 22.6% | 20.5% | 26% |
| Some college | 17.9% | 19.3% | 19.1% |
| Associate’s | 9% | 7.9% | 8.8% |
| Bachelor’s | 26.7% | 22.7% | 21.6% |
| Graduate | 10.2% | 14.4% | 14.1% |
U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates
West Carson: mild winters and pleasant summers
January nights average 48.1°, milder than in 98% of U.S. towns; July afternoons average 77.6°.
Snow almost never falls. For West Carson, the January low is 48°F.
Typical low → high °F
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
West Carson keeps 1% of its land conserved
Trails run 0.7 miles in 1 park or preserve. West Carson’s trail network density is 0.3 miles per square mile. It has one park or preserve, 8 acres in all.
| West Carson | California towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Miles of trail per square mile | 0.3 miles per square mile | 1.0 | 0.4 |
| Conserved land | 1% | 4.3% | 4.3% |
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Wishing Tree Park | 0.6 mi | 8 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Homes in West Carson sell for about $655K
The typical rent for West Carson comes to $1,891 a month. Bidding over the asking price: a quarter of homes sold here. On the market locally: a median 49 days to sell.
| West Carson | California towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $1,891 a month | $1,898 a month | $1,185 a month |
| Households that own their home | 71% | 64% | 73% |
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Everything we know about West Carson
Colleges nearby
24 within 15 miles of the center of West Carson
About 6 of every 100 West Carson residents are enrolled in college, against 8 across California.
About West Carson
Unincorporated community in California, United States
West Carson is an unincorporated community in the South Bay region of Los Angeles County, California, United States. The population was 22,870 at the 2020 census. For statistical purposes, the United States Census Bureau has defined West Carson as a census-designated place (CDP).
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Area
- 2.3 sq mi
- Elevation
- 43 ft
- Area code
- 323
West Carson’s neighbors
2 towns share a border with West Carson.
| Town | CA rank | Overall | Cost | Safety | Schools | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| West Carson | #292 | C+ | D | — | B− | B+ |
| Los Angeles | #613 | D | D− | D | B− | B− |
| Carson | #530 | C− | D | D | B− | B |
West Carson reports no FBI crime data of its own. Compare West Carson with a neighbor →
Questions about West Carson
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is West Carson, CA a good place to live?
West Carson grades C+ overall, better than 38% of U.S. towns and #292 of 841 in California. It grades B+ for health and B− for schools. Hazard risk is its weak spot, with a D−.
Is West Carson, CA expensive?
Yes. The typical home is worth about $690,000, 9% 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.