90804 and 90602 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
90804
90602
Opportunity
35 · Bottom 13%
vs29 · Bottom 8%
Growth
30 · Bottom 17%
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
100 · Top 4%
vs98 · Top 23%
Economic stability
59 · Top 50%
vs53 · Bottom 38%
Measured values
| Metric | 90804 | 90602 | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 38,076 | 25,905 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median household income | $71,614 | $68,505 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Per capita income | $37,697 | $32,266 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Population density | 17,636/sq mi | 6,904/sq mi | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median home value | $736,000 | $766,300 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median gross rent | $1,860 | $1,787 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Homeownership rate | 21.9% | 38.9% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Unemployment rate | 5.2% | 5.4% | June 2026 |
| Employment change (year over year) | -1.6% | -1.6% | June 2026 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 30.4% | 21.7% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Poverty rate | 18.2% | 13.1% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Housing units permitted (12 months) | 567 | 86 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permits per 1,000 residents | 1.2 | 1.0 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permit change (year over year) | 15.0% | 68.6% | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Average July high | 81°F | 84°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Average January low | 47°F | 46°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Annual precipitation | 12.0" | 11.9" | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Distance to major airport | 3 mi | 13 mi | NASR current cycle |
| Average commute | 32.5 min | 35.1 min | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median age | 34.7 | 34.3 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Public schools | 6 | 2 | 2024-25 school year |
| Students per teacher | 23.60 | 24.33 | 2024-25 school year |
| Free or reduced-price lunch eligibility | 66.3% | 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
90804
Elevated or high exposure: inland flooding, earthquake.
90602
Elevated or high exposure: inland flooding, earthquake.
Full profiles: 90804 — Long Beach, CA · 90602 — Whittier, CA · How this is calculated: methodology