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Compton vs South Gate

4 miles apart. The biggest differences: trails (2.9× in South Gate) and homeowners (+11.1 pts renters in South Gate).

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Compton, CAAn outdoors townCalifornia · 92,698 people
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South Gate, CAOne of the healthiest townsCalifornia · 91,483 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 →
South GateOne of the healthiest towns
Health69% of U.S. towns are healthieron CDC estimates Outdoors#197 most walkable in CA2.9 miles of trails across 11 parks and preserves SafetySafer than 8%of U.S. towns we grade All about South Gate →
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.

Trails2.9×
South Gate has more miles of trail
South Gate 2.9 miCompton 1.0 mi
Homeowners+11.1 pts renters
South Gate has more renters
Compton 56.4%South Gate 45.3%
Kids under 18+4.7 pts
Compton has more kids
Compton 27.3%South Gate 22.6%
★ What stands out · Monthly cost

A typical home costs $240 more a month in South Gate

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 →
South Gate$3,990/mo
Typical home $693K (Zillow) · tax rate 0.62% · or rent about $1,531/mo · Housing →

The difference: $240 a month, about $2,900 a year, between South Gate and Compton.

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.

Report cards

South Gate 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 DSouth GateSafer than 8% of U.S. towns
Schools
B−ComptonBetter than 54% of districts in the state B−South GateBetter than 49% of districts in the state
Health
C−ComptonHealthier than 20% of U.S. towns CSouth GateHealthier than 31% of U.S. towns
8Compton
13South Gate

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

Fewest smokersHealth · 844 towns #679#424 Most new homesHousing · 438 towns #295#174 Most conserved landOutdoors · 777 towns #623#445 Rent easiest to affordCost of living · 422 towns #251#174 Highest graduation rateSchools · 720 towns #512#641 Lowest obesityHealth · 844 towns #633#502 Most trailsOutdoors · 677 towns #673#578 Most walkableOutdoors · 841 towns #90#197

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

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
ComptonSouth Gate
Snow a year0″0″
Hazard risk (U.S. pctl)91st84th
Outdoors & history
ComptonSouth Gate
Trails1 mi3 mi
Conserved land1.3%3.4%
Settled—1923
National Register places1—
Archive photos511
Famous people born here5934
Community
ComptonSouth Gate
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.

Where they are

4 miles apart

Straight-line miles between town centers.

ComptonSouth GateComptonSouth Gate
Compton ↔ South Gate4.0 miles apart
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.

ComptonSouth Gate
People
Population 92,698Highest 91,483Lowest
Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census -0.7%Highest CA: +6.1% -1.8%Lowest CA: +6.1%
Median age 33.3±1.1Lowest 12% below CA 36.3±1Highest 4% below CA
Kids under 18 27.3%±1.5Highest CA: 22% 22.6%±1.2Lowest CA: 22%
Age 65+ 10.7%±0.8Lowest CA: 15.7% 12.4%±0.8Highest CA: 15.7%
Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ 10.6%Lowest CA: 37.1% 11.3%Highest CA: 37.1%
Enrolled in collegeshare of residents 6%±0.6Lowest CA: 7.6% 7.5%±0.8Highest CA: 7.6%
Cost of living
Household incomemedian $78,465±$4kHighest 21% below CA $74,571±$3kLowest 25% below CA
Compton and South Gate are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Home valuemedian, owner-occupied $580,200±$10kLowest 21% below CA $636,300±$9kHighest 13% below CA
Rentmedian gross, monthly $1,664±$62Highest 18% below CA $1,531±$47Lowest 25% below CA
Property taxmedian, yearly $4,358Highest 15% below CA $3,932Lowest 23% below CA
Renters paying 30%+of income on rent 57.5%±4.1Highest CA: 55.3% 54.4%±4.1Lowest CA: 55.3%
Compton and South Gate 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% 12.7%Lowest CA: 12%
Housing
Homeownersof occupied homes 56.4%Highest CA: 55.9% 45.3%Lowest CA: 55.9%
Typical home builtmedian year 1957Highest 19 yrs older than CA 1952Lowest 24 yrs older than CA
Getting to work
Average commuteone way 31 minLowest 6% above CA 33 minHighest 13% above CA
Work from home 5%±1Lowest CA: 17.2% 7%±1.2Highest CA: 17.2%
South Gate and Compton are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Work in townworking residents 5.8%Highest 4.8%Lowest
Typical commute distancemedian, straight-line 9.8 miHighest 9.3 miLowest
Jobs per working residentover 1.5 = a job hub 0.76Highest 0.55Lowest
Top workplaceoutside town Los Angeles (24%)Los Angeles (26%)
Between these townsresidents who work in the others Few work in South GateFew work in Compton
Outdoors
Conserved landshare of the town 1.3%Lowest 3.4%Highest
Trailsmapped miles 1.0 miLowest 2.9 miHighest
Trail densitymiles per sq mi 0.1 miLowest 0.4 miHighest
Parks & preservesnamed on the map 13Highest 11Lowest
Street connectivityintersections per sq mi, a walkability measure 133Highest 108Lowest
Schools
Public school scoresrank in state, math + reading —#256 of 574 in CA
School district Compton Unified ROP · KIPP Compton Community DistrictWestbrook Academy District · KIPP Corazon Academy District
High school in town Manuel Dominguez HighSouth East High
Students per teacherat that high school 21.9Highest 21.3Lowest
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.

South Gate neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to South Gate’s Town Square.

Add a town

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Bordering Compton

+ Compare
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
+ Compare
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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