90602 receives the higher standardized Area Score. That reflects AreaProfile's weighting, not a judgment about which place is better to live in.
Signals
90301
90602
Opportunity
26 · Bottom 6%
vs29 · Bottom 8%
Growth
32 · Bottom 20%
vs38 · Bottom 30%
Climate
100 · Top 4%
vs100 · Top 4%
Physical resilience
10 · Bottom 4%
vs10 · Bottom 4%
Housing affordability
25 · Bottom 1%
vs25 · Bottom 1%
Access
99 · Top 8%
vs98 · Top 23%
Economic stability
52 · Bottom 37%
vs53 · Bottom 38%
Measured values
| Metric | 90301 | 90602 | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 36,060 | 25,905 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median household income | $65,806 | $68,505 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Per capita income | $31,454 | $32,266 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Population density | 14,534/sq mi | 6,904/sq mi | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median home value | $755,900 | $766,300 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median gross rent | $1,732 | $1,787 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Homeownership rate | 28.0% | 38.9% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Unemployment rate | 5.7% | 5.4% | June 2026 |
| Employment change (year over year) | -1.6% | -1.6% | June 2026 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 21.7% | 21.7% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Poverty rate | 16.9% | 13.1% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Housing units permitted (12 months) | 274 | 86 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permits per 1,000 residents | 2.6 | 1.0 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permit change (year over year) | -26.9% | 68.6% | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Average July high | 75°F | 84°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Average January low | 49°F | 46°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Annual precipitation | 12.2" | 11.9" | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Distance to major airport | 3 mi | 13 mi | NASR current cycle |
| Average commute | 30.4 min | 35.1 min | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median age | 39.3 | 34.3 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Public schools | 13 | 2 | 2024-25 school year |
| Students per teacher | 22.93 | 24.33 | 2024-25 school year |
| Free or reduced-price lunch eligibility | 83.8% | 88.9% | 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
90301
Elevated or high exposure: inland flooding, earthquake.
90602
Elevated or high exposure: inland flooding, earthquake.
Full profiles: 90301 — Inglewood, CA · 90602 — Whittier, CA · How this is calculated: methodology