The Town FilesAltadena, California
Community in Los Angeles County · population 42,846 (2020 Census)
- Median home
- $1,120,000
- Household income
- $128,720
- Jan low / Jul high
- 46° / 89°
- Snow a year
- 0 in
- Tornadoes ≤10 mi since 1950
- 4
- Median age
- 46.4
Altadena is a community of 42,846 people in Los Angeles County, California. The median home is worth $1,120,000, above the typical California town ($596,900). It ranks more walkable than 96% of California towns, hipper than 95% of California towns, more upscale than 85% of California towns.
How Altadena ranks
Percentile among California towns with at least 500 people on The Town Files lifestyle rankings. 50 is typical for the state; 90 means better than 90% of California towns.
Homes and cost of living
The median home in Altadena is worth $1,120,000, above the typical California town ($596,900). Homes cost about 8.7 times the median household income of $128,720, which is more affordable than 19% of California towns. Median rent is $2,355 a month. 76.9% of households own their home.
| Housing | Altadena | Typical California town |
|---|---|---|
| Median home value | $1,120,000 | $596,900 |
| Median rent | $2,355 | $1,827 |
| Median household income | $128,720 | $91,557 |
| Home value ÷ income | 8.7× | 6.4× |
| Homeownership | 76.9% | 67.4% |
| Median year built | 1946 | 1977 |
| Seasonal / vacation homes | 1.0% | — |
Who lives in Altadena
| People | Altadena | Typical California town |
|---|---|---|
| Median age | 46.4 | 40.2 |
| Age 65 and over | 22.0% | 17.7% |
| Under 18 | 19.1% | — |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 53.3% | 27.7% |
| Below the poverty line | 7.9% | 10.3% |
| Veterans | 3.6% | — |
| Born outside the U.S. | 22.7% | — |
| Work from home | 25.4% | 13.4% |
| Average commute | 27.5 min | 27.5 min |
| Homes with broadband | 94.0% | 93.3% |
Weather in Altadena
July highs average 89.1°F and January lows 45.5°F. About 20.1 inches of rain and melted snow fall a year, with 0.0 inches of snow (typical California town: 0.0 in). Expect about 74 days a year at 90°F or hotter and 0 nights at or below freezing.
Tornadoes, storms and disasters
4 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of Altadena since 1950, compared with 2 for the typical California town. The strongest, an F1, struck on March 20, 1992 about 6.9 miles from the town center. The most recent was on March 20, 1992.
Hail of 1 inch or larger has been reported within 10 miles 1 times; the largest was 1.25 inches on October 17, 2005.
Severe weather in Los Angeles County since 1996
Los Angeles County has been included in 88 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1953, most often for fire, flood, freezing.
| Declared | Incident | Declaration |
|---|---|---|
| August 8, 2025 | Fire | FM-5605: Canyon Fire |
| January 8, 2025 | Fire | DR-4856: Wildfires And Straight-Line Winds |
| January 8, 2025 | Fire | FM-5550: Eaton Fire |
| January 8, 2025 | Fire | FM-5551: Hurst Fire |
| January 7, 2025 | Fire | FM-5549: Palisades Fire |
Jobs and pay in Los Angeles County
Los Angeles County had 4,525,711 jobs in 2024, paying an average of $83,554 a year. Unemployment was 5% in 2023; in Altadena itself the ACS puts it at 6.4%.
Public schools in Altadena
8 public schools with 3,038 students, about 20.5 students per teacher.
| School | Grades | Students | Per teacher |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mary W. Jackson STEAM Multilingual Magnet Elementary | K-5 | 634 | 25.4 |
| Altadena Elementary | K-5 | 488 | 27.1 |
| Odyssey Charter (charter) | K-8 | 466 | 25.9 |
| Charles W. Eliot Middle | 6-8 | 395 | 16.5 |
| OCS - South (charter) | K-8 | 370 | 20.6 |
| Aveson School of Leaders (charter) | K-5 | 334 | 19.6 |
| Aveson Global Leadership Academy (charter) | 6-12 | 207 | 11.5 |
| Pasadena Rosebud Academy (charter) | K-8 | 144 | 14.4 |
Towns near Altadena
- Pasadena, CA2.2 mi · 138,699 people · home $1,093,300
- La Cañada Flintridge, CA3.9 mi · 20,573 people · home $2,000,001
- San Marino, CA5.0 mi · 12,513 people · home $2,000,001
- East Pasadena, CA5.1 mi · 6,021 people · home $1,069,200
- Sierra Madre, CA5.1 mi · 11,268 people · home $1,226,800
- South Pasadena, CA5.9 mi · 26,943 people · home $1,640,000
- East San Gabriel, CA6.1 mi · 22,769 people · home $962,200
- Glendale, CA6.3 mi · 196,543 people · home $1,102,300
Altadena questions
Is Altadena, California a good place to retire?
On The Town Files lifestyle rankings, Altadena scores better for retirees than 58% of California towns and quieter than 39%. 22.0% of residents are 65 or older (median age 46.4).
How much does a house cost in Altadena?
The median owner-occupied home in Altadena is valued at $1,120,000 (Census ACS 2020–2024), against a median household income of $128,720, so homes cost about 8.7 times income. Median rent is $2,355 a month.
What is the weather like in Altadena?
July highs average 89.1°F and January lows 45.5°F (NOAA 1991–2020 normals). It gets about 20.1 inches of precipitation a year and 0.0 inches of snow.
Does Altadena get tornadoes?
4 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of Altadena since 1950 (NOAA Storm Events); the strongest was a F1 on March 20, 1992. The typical California town has had 2.
- U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-year estimates (2020–2024)
- U.S. Census Bureau, 2020 Census and 2025 Gazetteer (2020 / 2025)
- NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals (1991–2020)
- NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database (1950–2026)
- FEMA OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations (this product uses the FEMA OpenFEMA API but is not endorsed by FEMA) (1953–2026)
- NCES Common Core of Data (2023–24)
- BLS Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages; USDA ERS county unemployment (BLS LAUS) (2000–2024)
- The Town Files lifestyle rankings, built from federal demographic, school, crime and housing data (2025)