Hawthorne and Lawndale 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
Hawthorne
Lawndale
Opportunity
34 · Bottom 10%
vs39 · Bottom 16%
Growth
44 · Bottom 38%
vs37 · Bottom 27%
Climate
100 · Top 4%
vs100 · Top 4%
Physical resilience
11 · Bottom 4%
vs11 · Bottom 4%
Housing affordability
32 · Bottom 2%
vs34 · Bottom 2%
Access
99 · Top 8%
vs99 · Top 8%
Economic stability
60 · Bottom 49%
vs64 · Top 42%
Measured values
| Metric | Hawthorne | Lawndale | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 85,191 | 30,781 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median household income | $75,848 | $85,441 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Per capita income | $34,635 | $33,119 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Population density | 13,996/sq mi | 15,609/sq mi | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median home value | $863,400 | $781,900 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median gross rent | $1,782 | $1,938 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Homeownership rate | 27.2% | 37.0% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Unemployment rate | 5.3% | 4.8% | June 2026 |
| Employment change (year over year) | -1.6% | -1.6% | June 2026 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 26.0% | 20.6% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Poverty rate | 15.5% | 13.0% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Housing units permitted (12 months) | 82 | 28 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permits per 1,000 residents | 1.0 | 0.9 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permit change (year over year) | 331.6% | 600.0% | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Average July high | 77°F | 77°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Average January low | 49°F | 49°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Annual precipitation | 11.8" | 11.8" | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Distance to major airport | 4 mi | 5 mi | NASR current cycle |
| Average commute | 30.8 min | 27.0 min | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median age | 33.9 | 36.9 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Public schools | 21 | 12 | 2024-25 school year |
| Students per teacher | 25.81 | 21.09 | 2024-25 school year |
| Free or reduced-price lunch eligibility | 69.6% | 82.0% | 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
Hawthorne
Elevated or high exposure: inland flooding, earthquake.
Lawndale
Elevated or high exposure: inland flooding, earthquake.
Full profiles: Hawthorne, CA · Lawndale, CA · How this is calculated: methodology