Gardena and La Puente 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
Gardena
La Puente
Opportunity
41 · Bottom 20%
vs35 · Bottom 11%
Growth
13 · Bottom 3%
vs11 · Bottom 3%
Climate
100 · Top 4%
vs100 · Top 4%
Physical resilience
11 · Bottom 4%
vs11 · Bottom 4%
Housing affordability
42 · Bottom 5%
vs48 · Bottom 9%
Access
99 · Top 8%
vs94 · Top 42%
Economic stability
61 · Top 48%
vs61 · Top 50%
Measured values
| Metric | Gardena | La Puente | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 59,422 | 37,142 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median household income | $84,803 | $86,602 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Per capita income | $37,529 | $27,983 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Population density | 10,194/sq mi | 10,679/sq mi | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median home value | $700,600 | $617,700 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median gross rent | $1,809 | $1,849 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Homeownership rate | 48.8% | 60.4% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Unemployment rate | 4.9% | 4.9% | June 2026 |
| Employment change (year over year) | -1.6% | -1.6% | June 2026 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 28.9% | 13.2% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Poverty rate | 11.8% | 11.3% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Housing units permitted (12 months) | 21 | 8 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permits per 1,000 residents | 0.4 | 0.2 | 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 | 7 mi | 19 mi | NASR current cycle |
| Average commute | 31.6 min | 33.3 min | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median age | 39.6 | 37.9 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Public schools | 11 | 22 | 2024-25 school year |
| Students per teacher | 19.43 | 21.47 | 2024-25 school year |
| Free or reduced-price lunch eligibility | 85.7% | 84.5% | 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
Gardena
Elevated or high exposure: inland flooding, earthquake.
La Puente
Elevated or high exposure: inland flooding, earthquake.
Full profiles: Gardena, CA · La Puente, CA · How this is calculated: methodology