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Compare towns

South Gate vs Compton

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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South Gate, CAOne of the healthiest townsCalifornia · 91,483 people
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Compton, CAAn outdoors townCalifornia · 92,698 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.

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 →
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 →
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.

South Gate$3,990/mo
Typical home $693K (Zillow) · tax rate 0.62% · or rent about $1,531/mo · Housing →
Compton$3,750/mo
Typical home $638K (Zillow) · tax rate 0.75% · or rent about $1,664/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
DSouth GateSafer than 8% of U.S. towns D−ComptonSafer than 2% of U.S. towns
Schools
B−South GateBetter than 49% of districts in the state B−ComptonBetter than 54% of districts in the state
Health
CSouth GateHealthier than 31% of U.S. towns C−ComptonHealthier than 20% of U.S. towns
13South Gate
8Compton

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

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

Left end = #1 in California. Showing the lists where the towns are furthest apart. All of South Gate’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
South GateCompton
Snow a year0″0″
Hazard risk (U.S. pctl)84th91st
Outdoors & history
South GateCompton
Trails3 mi1 mi
Conserved land3.4%1.3%
Settled1923—
National Register places—1
Archive photos115
Famous people born here3459
Community
South GateCompton
Library hours a week40 hrs40 hrs
Colleges in town—1
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.

South GateComptonSouth GateCompton
South Gate ↔ Compton4.0 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.

South GateCompton
People
Population 91,483Lowest 92,698Highest
Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census -1.8%Lowest CA: +6.1% -0.7%Highest CA: +6.1%
Median age 36.3±1Highest 4% below CA 33.3±1.1Lowest 12% below CA
Kids under 18 22.6%±1.2Lowest CA: 22% 27.3%±1.5Highest CA: 22%
Age 65+ 12.4%±0.8Highest CA: 15.7% 10.7%±0.8Lowest CA: 15.7%
Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ 11.3%Highest CA: 37.1% 10.6%Lowest CA: 37.1%
Enrolled in collegeshare of residents 7.5%±0.8Highest CA: 7.6% 6%±0.6Lowest CA: 7.6%
Cost of living
Household incomemedian $74,571±$3kLowest 25% below CA $78,465±$4kHighest 21% 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 $636,300±$9kHighest 13% below CA $580,200±$10kLowest 21% below CA
Rentmedian gross, monthly $1,531±$47Lowest 25% below CA $1,664±$62Highest 18% below CA
Property taxmedian, yearly $3,932Lowest 23% below CA $4,358Highest 15% below CA
Renters paying 30%+of income on rent 54.4%±4.1Lowest CA: 55.3% 57.5%±4.1Highest 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 12.7%Lowest CA: 12% 17.9%Highest CA: 12%
Housing
Homeownersof occupied homes 45.3%Lowest CA: 55.9% 56.4%Highest CA: 55.9%
Typical home builtmedian year 1952Lowest 24 yrs older than CA 1957Highest 19 yrs older than CA
Getting to work
Average commuteone way 33 minHighest 13% above CA 31 minLowest 6% above CA
Work from home 7%±1.2Highest CA: 17.2% 5%±1Lowest 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 4.8%Lowest 5.8%Highest
Typical commute distancemedian, straight-line 9.3 miLowest 9.8 miHighest
Jobs per working residentover 1.5 = a job hub 0.55Lowest 0.76Highest
Top workplaceoutside town Los Angeles (26%)Los Angeles (24%)
Between these townsresidents who work in the others Few work in ComptonFew work in South Gate
Outdoors
Conserved landshare of the town 3.4%Highest 1.3%Lowest
Trailsmapped miles 2.9 miHighest 1.0 miLowest
Trail densitymiles per sq mi 0.4 miHighest 0.1 miLowest
Parks & preservesnamed on the map 11Lowest 13Highest
Street connectivityintersections per sq mi, a walkability measure 108Lowest 133Highest
Schools
Public school scoresrank in state, math + reading #256 of 574 in CA—
School district Westbrook Academy District · KIPP Corazon Academy DistrictCompton Unified ROP · KIPP Compton Community District
High school in town South East HighManuel Dominguez High
Students per teacherat that high school 21.3Lowest 21.9Highest
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.

South Gate neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to South Gate’s Town Square.

Compton neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Compton’s Town Square.

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Bordering South Gate

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Lynwood64,578 people · $598K homes
P
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Paramount52,050 people · $534K homes
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Downey110,939 people · $797K homes
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Walnut Park14,958 people · $589K homes

Towns like South Gate

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El Monte106,109 people · $644K homes
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Watsonville51,712 people · $686K homes
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Bellflower76,819 people · $706K homes
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El Cajon104,449 people · $682K 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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