90620 receives the higher standardized Area Score. That reflects AreaProfile's weighting, not a judgment about which place is better to live in.
Signals
90278
90620
Opportunity
52 · Bottom 45%
vs57 · Top 45%
Growth
22 · Bottom 9%
vs28 · Bottom 14%
Climate
100 · Top 4%
vs100 · Top 4%
Physical resilience
10 · Bottom 4%
vs11 · Bottom 7%
Housing affordability
59 · Bottom 22%
vs58 · Bottom 20%
Access
99 · Top 8%
vs100 · Top 4%
Economic stability
83 · Top 6%
vs74 · Top 22%
Measured values
| Metric | 90278 | 90620 | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 42,423 | 46,608 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median household income | $160,236 | $126,094 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Per capita income | $77,400 | $43,056 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Population density | 11,556/sq mi | 7,319/sq mi | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median home value | $1,242,700 | $840,300 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median gross rent | $2,552 | $2,351 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Homeownership rate | 58.6% | 72.3% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Unemployment rate | 4.8% | 4.2% | June 2026 |
| Employment change (year over year) | -1.6% | -1.8% | June 2026 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 64.5% | 33.3% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Poverty rate | 4.7% | 7.7% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Housing units permitted (12 months) | 107 | 73 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permits per 1,000 residents | 1.5 | 0.9 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permit change (year over year) | -15.7% | -22.3% | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Average July high | 77°F | 84°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Average January low | 49°F | 46°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Annual precipitation | 11.8" | 11.9" | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Distance to major airport | 5 mi | 8 mi | NASR current cycle |
| Average commute | 29.2 min | 30.9 min | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median age | 39.3 | 38.4 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Public schools | 6 | 8 | 2024-25 school year |
| Students per teacher | 24.72 | 21.54 | 2024-25 school year |
| Free or reduced-price lunch eligibility | 17.5% | 73.0% | 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
90278
Elevated or high exposure: inland flooding, earthquake.
90620
Elevated or high exposure: earthquake, inland flooding.
Full profiles: 90278 — Redondo Beach, CA · 90620 — Buena Park, CA · How this is calculated: methodology