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Carson vs Los Angeles

Next-door neighbors. The biggest differences: trails (233.9× in Los Angeles) and size (41.5× in Los Angeles).

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Carson, CAOne of the healthiest townsCalifornia · 92,871 people
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Los Angeles, CAA colonial town, settled 1781California · 3,857,263 people
Where each one shines

Two towns, two different strengths

What each town does better than most of its state (not better than each other). Tap one to see the page behind it.

The biggest differences

Where they part ways

The rows below where the towns are furthest apart, beyond the Census margin of error. The full table is further down.

★ What stands out · Monthly cost

A typical home costs $860 more a month in Los Angeles

A typical home in each town, bought with 20% down at 6.3% for 30 years, plus property tax at the town’s own rate and insurance. Change the numbers to fit you.

Carson$4,530/mo
Typical home $786K (Zillow) · tax rate 0.62% · or rent about $1,956/mo · Housing →
Los Angeles$5,380/mo
Typical home $930K (Zillow) · tax rate 0.66% · or rent about $1,933/mo · Housing →

The difference: $860 a month, about $10,300 a year, between Los Angeles and Carson.

Estimates, not a quote: your price, rate, tax bill and insurance will differ. Tax rate = the Census median tax bill over the median home value.

Where they are

Carson and Los Angeles share a border

And the people who already live in one and work in the other.

CarsonLos AngelesCarsonLos Angeles
Carson ↔ Los Angeles15 miles apart · They share a border
Who commutes between them
10,211 Carson residents work in Los Angeles (24.9% of its workers)
Work & commute in Carson →
Report cards

Carson places higher on 14 of 23 CA lists

Our letter grades for safety, schools and health, then every California ranking list both towns are on. A grade is one measure; read the page behind it.

Life in each

What daily life feels like in each

The weather, the land, the history and the people, row by row. None of it is a grade: more snow is a plus to a skier.

Seasons
CarsonLos Angeles
Snow a year0″0″
January low—48°F
July high—78°F
Growing season (days)—365d
Hazard risk (U.S. pctl)87th94th
Outdoors & history
CarsonLos Angeles
Conserved land2.6%14.1%
Settled19681781
National Register places—285
Archive photos1118
Famous people born here4115
Community
CarsonLos Angeles
Library hours a week40 hrs57 hrs
Colleges in town141
Posts this month00
Neighbors joined00

A dot marks the most on each row. Climate: NOAA 1991–2020 normals at the nearest station. Hazard risk: FEMA National Risk Index, expected yearly damage vs U.S. towns.

Everything, side by side

What matters to you?

Pick a few. Those rows jump to the top and the best fit on each is marked. There’s no overall score: what matters is up to you.

CarsonLos Angeles
People
Population 92,871Lowest 3,857,263Highest
Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census +4.2%Highest CA: +6.1% +2.8%Lowest CA: +6.1%
Median age 41.7±1Highest 10% above CA 37.2±0.2Lowest about the CA average
Kids under 18 20.1%±1.3Highest CA: 22% 19.2%±0.2Lowest CA: 22%
Carson and Los Angeles are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Age 65+ 18.5%±1.1Highest CA: 15.7% 14.2%±0.1Lowest CA: 15.7%
Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ 29.3%Lowest CA: 37.1% 38.5%Highest CA: 37.1%
Enrolled in collegeshare of residents 6.4%±0.8Lowest CA: 7.6% 8.1%±0.1Highest CA: 7.6%
Cost of living
Household incomemedian $108,703±$4kHighest 10% above CA $81,939±$742Lowest 17% below CA
Home valuemedian, owner-occupied $704,400±$14kLowest 4% below CA $921,200±$5kHighest 25% above CA
Rentmedian gross, monthly $1,956±$109Highest 4% below CA $1,933±$9Lowest 5% below CA
Carson and Los Angeles are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Property taxmedian, yearly $4,361Lowest 15% below CA $6,050Highest 18% above CA
Renters paying 30%+of income on rent 52.9%±5.1Lowest CA: 55.3% 59.3%±0.6Highest CA: 55.3%
Below poverty line 8.7%Lowest CA: 12% 16.5%Highest CA: 12%
Housing
Homeownersof occupied homes 74%Highest CA: 55.9% 36%Lowest CA: 55.9%
Typical home builtmedian year 1966Highest 10 yrs older than CA 1965Lowest 11 yrs older than CA
Getting to work
Average commuteone way 28 minLowest 4% below CA 31 minHighest 7% above CA
Work from home 8.7%±0.9Lowest CA: 17.2% 19.5%±0.2Highest CA: 17.2%
Work in townworking residents 6.9%Lowest 51%Highest
Typical commute distancemedian, straight-line 11.3 miHighest 8.8 miLowest
Jobs per working residentover 1.5 = a job hub 1.29Highest 1.14Lowest
Top workplaceoutside town Los Angeles (25%)Burbank (6%)
Between these townsresidents who work in the others 25% work in Los AngelesFew work in Carson
Outdoors
Conserved landshare of the town 2.6%Lowest 14.1%Highest
Trailsmapped miles 3.0 miLowest 701.7 miHighest
Trail densitymiles per sq mi 0.2 miLowest 1.4 miHighest
Parks & preservesnamed on the map 15Lowest 373Highest
Street connectivityintersections per sq mi, a walkability measure 88.0Highest 85.4Lowest
Schools
Public school scoresrank in state, math + reading #124 of 574 in CA#215 of 574 in CA
School district Magnolia Science Academy 3 District · Compton UnifiedLos Angeles Unified ROCP · Girls Athletic Leadership School Los Angeles District
High school in town Carson Senior HighGrover Cleveland Charter High
Students per teacherat that high school 18.5Lowest 22.6Highest
California average“±” Census margin of errorACS 2020–2024
Deciding?

Ask the people who live there

The numbers stop at the town line. Neighbors can tell you about the commute at 7am, the schools, the winters and the feel of the place.

Carson neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Carson’s Town Square.

Los Angeles neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Los Angeles’s Town Square.

Add a town

Set another town beside Carson and Los Angeles

One tap adds it. Up to 4 towns at once.

Bordering Carson

Towns like Carson

Sources: U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey 5-year estimates, 2010 & 2020 censuses, LEHD commute flows; Zillow Home Value Index; NCES Common Core of Data; FBI crime reporting; CDC PLACES; FEMA National Risk Index; NOAA U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020; USGS PAD-US and OpenStreetMap. “±” is the Census margin of error; differences inside it are never called. Property tax is top-coded by the Census at $10,000+. There is no overall score: which town is better depends on what matters to you.

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