Signals
West Carson
Garden Grove
Opportunity
40 · Bottom 18%
vs55 · Bottom 47%
Climate
100 · Top 4%
vs100 · Top 4%
Physical resilience
11 · Bottom 4%
vs12 · Bottom 7%
Housing affordability
49 · Bottom 10%
vs37 · Bottom 3%
Access
99 · Top 8%
vs99 · Top 14%
Economic stability
60 · Top 50%
vs59 · Bottom 46%
Measured values
| Metric | West Carson | Garden Grove | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 22,143 | 170,964 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median household income | $92,775 | $92,174 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Per capita income | $43,917 | $33,568 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Population density | 9,772/sq mi | 9,523/sq mi | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median home value | $689,700 | $814,100 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median gross rent | $1,891 | $2,012 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Homeownership rate | 70.7% | 53.1% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Unemployment rate | 5.2% | 4.1% | July 2026 |
| Employment change (year over year) | -1.8% | -1.8% | July 2026 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 36.9% | 25.3% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Poverty rate | 8.7% | 12.3% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Average July high | 77°F | 84°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Average January low | 47°F | 46°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Annual precipitation | 13.6" | 11.9" | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Distance to major airport | 8 mi | 11 mi | NASR current cycle |
| Average commute | 29.3 min | 30.7 min | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median age | 45.2 | 40.2 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Public schools | 2 | 52 | 2024-25 school year |
| Students per teacher | 20.07 | 23.00 | 2024-25 school year |
| Free or reduced-price lunch eligibility | 90.2% | 77.8% | 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
West Carson
Elevated or high exposure: inland flooding, earthquake.
Garden Grove
Elevated or high exposure: earthquake, inland flooding.
Your best match
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West Carson
60
Your Score
—
Area Score
Garden Grove
60
Your Score
54
Area Score
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Full profiles: West Carson, CA · Garden Grove, CA · How this is calculated: methodology