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Compton vs Paramount

Next-door neighbors. The biggest differences: trails (3.6× in Paramount) and homeowners (+13.4 pts renters in Paramount).

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Compton, CAAn outdoors townCalifornia · 92,698 people
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Paramount, CAAn outdoors townCalifornia · 52,050 people
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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.

ComptonAn outdoors town
Outdoors#90 most walkable in CA1.0 miles of trails across 13 parks and preserves Famous people59 notable peopleborn in Compton Health80% of U.S. towns are healthieron CDC estimates All about Compton →
ParamountAn outdoors town
Outdoors#183 most walkable in CA3.6 miles of trails across 10 parks and preserves Health71% of U.S. towns are healthieron CDC estimates SafetySafer than 9%of U.S. towns we grade All about Paramount →
The biggest differences

Where they differ most

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

Trails3.6×
Paramount has more miles of trail
Paramount 3.6 miCompton 1.0 mi
Homeowners+13.4 pts renters
Paramount has more renters
Compton 56.4%Paramount 43%
Property tax bill+18%
Tax bills are bigger in Compton
Compton $4,358Paramount $3,681
Typical home built14 yrs
Compton’s homes are older
Paramount 1971Compton 1957
Rent+13%
Rent runs higher in Paramount
Paramount $1,875Compton $1,664
★ What stands out · Report cards

Paramount places higher on 13 of 22 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.

Safety
D−ComptonSafer than 2% of U.S. towns DParamountSafer than 9% of U.S. towns
Schools
B−ComptonBetter than 54% of districts in the state C+ParamountBetter than 36% of districts in the state
Health
C−ComptonHealthier than 20% of U.S. towns CParamountHealthier than 29% of U.S. towns
7Compton
13Paramount

Lists won, of 22 where both are ranked. Ties go to nobody.

Highest graduation rateSchools · 720 towns #512#272 Most trailsOutdoors · 677 towns #673#454 Fewest smokersHealth · 844 towns #679#530 Lowest obesityHealth · 844 towns #633#502 Most new homesHousing · 438 towns #295#361 Most conserved landOutdoors · 777 towns #623#510 Shortest commuteGetting around · 843 towns #560#441 Cheapest rentCost of living · 830 towns #287#401

Left end = #1 in California. Showing the lists where the towns are furthest apart. All of Compton’s rankings →

Where they are

Compton and Paramount share a border

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

ComptonParamountComptonParamount
Compton ↔ Paramount3.5 miles apart · They share a border
Who commutes between them
340 Paramount residents work in Compton (1.6% of its workers)
Work & commute in Paramount →
Monthly cost

A typical home costs about the same each month

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.

Compton$3,750/mo
Typical home $638K (Zillow) · tax rate 0.75% · or rent about $1,664/mo · Housing →
Paramount$3,760/mo
Typical home $647K (Zillow) · tax rate 0.69% · or rent about $1,875/mo · Housing →

Within $50 a month of each other.

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.

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
ComptonParamount
Snow a year0″0″
Hazard risk (U.S. pctl)91st87th
Outdoors & history
ComptonParamount
Trails1 mi4 mi
Conserved land1.3%2.5%
Settled—1957
National Register places1—
Archive photos51
Famous people born here5911
Community
ComptonParamount
Library hours a week40 hrs40 hrs
Colleges in town1—
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.

ComptonParamount
People
Population 92,698Highest 52,050Lowest
Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census -0.7% CA: +6.1% -0.7% CA: +6.1%
Median age 33.3±1.1Lowest 12% below CA 33.4±1.2Highest 12% below CA
Paramount and Compton are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Kids under 18 27.3%±1.5Highest CA: 22% 25.1%±1.9Lowest CA: 22%
Compton and Paramount are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Age 65+ 10.7%±0.8Highest CA: 15.7% 10.1%±1Lowest CA: 15.7%
Compton and Paramount are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ 10.6%Lowest CA: 37.1% 14.9%Highest CA: 37.1%
Enrolled in collegeshare of residents 6%±0.6Lowest CA: 7.6% 8%±1Highest CA: 7.6%
Cost of living
Household incomemedian $78,465±$4kHighest 21% below CA $75,250±$6kLowest 24% below CA
Compton and Paramount are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Home valuemedian, owner-occupied $580,200±$10kHighest 21% below CA $533,700±$26kLowest 27% below CA
Rentmedian gross, monthly $1,664±$62Lowest 18% below CA $1,875±$55Highest 8% below CA
Property taxmedian, yearly $4,358Highest 15% below CA $3,681Lowest 28% below CA
Renters paying 30%+of income on rent 57.5%±4.1Lowest CA: 55.3% 58.7%±4.9Highest CA: 55.3%
Paramount and Compton are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Below poverty line 17.9%Highest CA: 12% 12.6%Lowest CA: 12%
Housing
Homeownersof occupied homes 56.4%Highest CA: 55.9% 43%Lowest CA: 55.9%
Typical home builtmedian year 1957Lowest 19 yrs older than CA 1971Highest 5 yrs older than CA
Getting to work
Average commuteone way 31 minHighest 6% above CA 28 minLowest about the CA average
Work from home 5%±1Lowest CA: 17.2% 7.3%±1.2Highest CA: 17.2%
Work in townworking residents 5.8%Lowest 7.5%Highest
Typical commute distancemedian, straight-line 9.8 miLowest 10.8 miHighest
Jobs per working residentover 1.5 = a job hub 0.76Lowest 0.77Highest
Top workplaceoutside town Los Angeles (24%)Los Angeles (17%)
Between these townsresidents who work in the others Few work in Paramount2% work in Compton
Outdoors
Conserved landshare of the town 1.3%Lowest 2.5%Highest
Trailsmapped miles 1.0 miLowest 3.6 miHighest
Trail densitymiles per sq mi 0.1 miLowest 0.8 miHighest
Parks & preservesnamed on the map 13Highest 10Lowest
Street connectivityintersections per sq mi, a walkability measure 133Highest 111Lowest
Schools
Public school scoresrank in state, math + reading —#369 of 574 in CA
School district Compton Unified ROP · KIPP Compton Community DistrictParamount Unified
High school in town Manuel Dominguez HighParamount High
Students per teacherat that high school 21.9Highest 19.3Lowest
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.

Compton neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Compton’s Town Square.

Paramount neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Paramount’s Town Square.

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Bordering Compton

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Willowbrook21,681 people · $559K homes
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Carson92,871 people · $704K homes
W
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West Rancho Dominguez23,300 people · $613K homes
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Lynwood64,578 people · $598K homes

Towns like Compton

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Victorville137,627 people · $386K homes
R
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Rialto104,143 people · $488K homes
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Madera67,831 people · $360K homes
B
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Baldwin Park70,138 people · $607K homes

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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