90242 and 91801 receive effectively the same standardized Area Score. Which fits you better depends on which dimensions you weight — the differences below are where they actually diverge.
Signals
90242
91801
Opportunity
41 · Bottom 23%
vs44 · Bottom 27%
Growth
23 · Bottom 10%
vs26 · Bottom 12%
Climate
100 · Top 4%
vs100 · Top 4%
Physical resilience
10 · Bottom 4%
vs10 · Bottom 4%
Housing affordability
40 · Bottom 5%
vs35 · Bottom 4%
Access
100 · Top 4%
vs94 · Top 46%
Economic stability
66 · Top 37%
vs56 · Bottom 43%
Measured values
| Metric | 90242 | 91801 | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 40,767 | 53,381 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median household income | $89,075 | $89,156 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Per capita income | $34,568 | $43,895 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Population density | 9,027/sq mi | 12,345/sq mi | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median home value | $761,000 | $834,000 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median gross rent | $1,918 | $1,981 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Homeownership rate | 53.4% | 37.4% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Unemployment rate | 4.8% | 5.0% | June 2026 |
| Employment change (year over year) | -1.6% | -1.6% | June 2026 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 25.4% | 42.0% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Poverty rate | 9.7% | 12.3% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Housing units permitted (12 months) | 136 | 112 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permits per 1,000 residents | 1.2 | 1.4 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permit change (year over year) | -28.0% | -12.5% | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Average July high | 81°F | 82°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Average January low | 47°F | 49°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Annual precipitation | 12.0" | 14.3" | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Distance to major airport | 7 mi | 19 mi | NASR current cycle |
| Average commute | 32.1 min | 32.9 min | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median age | 37.7 | 41.5 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Public schools | 10 | 7 | 2024-25 school year |
| Students per teacher | 23.61 | 23.08 | 2024-25 school year |
| Free or reduced-price lunch eligibility | 79.5% | 45.4% | 2024-25 school year |
A bolded value is the more favorable of the two where the metric has a clear direction. Metrics like population and density have no inherent better or worse and are shown unweighted.
Physical risk tradeoff
90242
Elevated or high exposure: inland flooding, earthquake.
91801
Elevated or high exposure: inland flooding, earthquake.
Full profiles: 90242 — Downey, CA · 91801 — Alhambra, CA · How this is calculated: methodology