90603 receives the higher standardized Area Score. That reflects AreaProfile's weighting, not a judgment about which place is better to live in.
Signals
90603
90755
Opportunity
43 · Bottom 26%
vs43 · Bottom 26%
Growth
38 · Bottom 30%
vs27 · Bottom 14%
Climate
100 · Top 4%
vs100 · Top 4%
Physical resilience
10 · Bottom 4%
vs10 · Bottom 4%
Housing affordability
64 · Bottom 28%
vs63 · Bottom 26%
Access
98 · Top 22%
vs100 · Top 4%
Economic stability
78 · Top 15%
vs76 · Top 18%
Measured values
| Metric | 90603 | 90755 | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 21,118 | 11,521 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median household income | $136,705 | $113,512 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Per capita income | $50,125 | $56,095 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Population density | 6,677/sq mi | 5,302/sq mi | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median home value | $859,000 | $787,300 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median gross rent | $2,344 | $1,851 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Homeownership rate | 78.5% | 50.5% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Unemployment rate | 5.4% | 5.2% | June 2026 |
| Employment change (year over year) | -1.6% | -1.8% | June 2026 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 34.2% | 37.4% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Poverty rate | 3.5% | 7.0% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Housing units permitted (12 months) | 86 | 8 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permits per 1,000 residents | 1.0 | 0.7 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permit change (year over year) | 68.6% | 14.3% | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Average July high | 84°F | 81°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Average January low | 46°F | 47°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Annual precipitation | 11.9" | 12.0" | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Distance to major airport | 13 mi | 1 mi | NASR current cycle |
| Average commute | 34.9 min | 32.7 min | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median age | 40.8 | 41.9 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Public schools | 3 | 3 | 2024-25 school year |
| Students per teacher | 25.98 | 26.39 | 2024-25 school year |
| Free or reduced-price lunch eligibility | 52.6% | 81.9% | 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
90603
Elevated or high exposure: inland flooding, earthquake.
90755
Elevated or high exposure: inland flooding, earthquake.
Full profiles: 90603 — Whittier, CA · 90755 — Signal Hill, CA · How this is calculated: methodology