A city of 110,939, settled in 1873. Home to 64 notable people.
The 3 things Downey does most differently from other towns.
"Weird Al" YankovicBe the first to start the conversation.
Nothing on the calendar.
Ordered by what stands out in Downey. Another town gets a different order.
Downey beats the California average on 6 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 8.
| What stands out | Downey | CA |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer adults who have had cancer | 5% | 6.4% |
| Fewer adults with COPD | 4% | 5.1% |
| More uninsured adults | 14.8% | 10.6% |
13 miles of trails across 13 parks and preserves.
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Furman Park | 1.1 mi | 15 |
| 2. Apollo Park | 0.7 mi | 12 |
| 3. Independence Park | 0.6 mi | 11 |
Expected storm and flood damage is higher than in 83% of U.S. communities.
The public schools Downey’s kids attend, from kindergarten through graduation, outperform 76% of California’s districts on state tests and graduation. Among towns with similar incomes, they rank near the top.
| School | Grades | Students | Grade |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rio Hondo Elementary | K–5 | 838 | Not graded |
| Lewis (Ed C.) Elementary | K–5 | 810 | Not graded |
| Carpenter (C. C.) Elementary | K–5 | 796 | Not graded |
| Gallatin Elementary | K–5 | 788 | Not graded |
| Price (Maude) Elementary | K–5 | 757 | Not graded |
| Rio San Gabriel Elementary | K–5 | 747 | Not graded |
Downey has warm winters and warm summers, with very little rain. A typical July afternoon reaches 84°, a January night drops to 47°, and snow is almost unheard of.
Most working residents leave Downey for work: only 9% work in town. The top destinations are Los Angeles (22%), Long Beach (4%) and Santa Fe Springs (3%). Half commute less than 11 miles.
The typical Downey home is worth about $879,000, up 2.3% in a year, 15% above the California typical home.
Downey's reported crime rate is close to California's. Most reported incidents are property crimes, mainly thefts. 324 violent crimes were reported in 2025.
24 postcards, papers and photographs from public archives, and 2 places on the National Register.
2 places in Downey on the National Register of Historic Places.
64 notable people were born in Downey.
City in California, United States
Downey is a city in southeastern Los Angeles County, California, United States, 13 mi (21 km) southeast of Downtown Los Angeles. It is considered part of the Gateway Cities. The city is the birthplace of the Apollo space program and Taco Bell. It is also the home of the oldest operating McDonald's restaurant in the world. As of the 2020 census, the city had a total population of 114,355.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
8 towns share a border with Downey.
