The Town Files

East Los Angeles, California

Community in Los Angeles County · population 118,786 (2020 Census)

Aerial view of East Los Angeles, California
Aerial: USDA NAIP (public domain)
Median home
$643,100
Household income
$68,741
Jan low / Jul high
49° / 82°
Snow a year
0 in
Tornadoes ≤10 mi since 1950
13
Median age
34.7

East Los Angeles is a community of 118,786 people in Los Angeles County, California. The median home is worth $643,100, above the typical California town ($596,900). It ranks more walkable than 100% of California towns, more vibrant than 97% of California towns, better transit than 97% of California towns.

Map: where East Los Angeles is in CaliforniaEast Los Angeles
East Los Angeles in our rankings:

How East Los Angeles 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.

East Los Angeles lifestyle rankings vs other California townsRetirement2nd pctFamilies7th pctQuiet1st pctWalkability100th pctFirst-time buyers61st pctYoung professionals51st pctVibrancy97th pctHip & trendy78th pctCollege town92nd pctUpscale15th pctVacation homesbottomSeaside characterbottomCycling82nd pctTransit97th pctDriving25th pcttypical
The Town Files lifestyle rankings, built from federal demographic, school, crime and housing data (2025).

Homes and cost of living

The median home in East Los Angeles is worth $643,100, above the typical California town ($596,900). Homes cost about 9.4 times the median household income of $68,741, which is more affordable than 12% of California towns. Median rent is $1,494 a month. 33.5% of households own their home.

East Los Angeles vs Los Angeles County vs typical California townEast Los AngelesLos Angeles CountyTypical California townHome value$643,100$834,200$596,900Household income$68,741$90,112$91,557Monthly rent$1,494$1,954$1,827
Census ACS 5-year estimates, 2020–2024. "Typical town" = median of California towns with 500+ people.
HousingEast Los AngelesTypical California town
Median home value$643,100$596,900
Median rent$1,494$1,827
Median household income$68,741$91,557
Home value ÷ income9.4×6.4×
Homeownership33.5%67.4%
Median year built19501977
Seasonal / vacation homes0.4%—

Who lives in East Los Angeles

PeopleEast Los AngelesTypical California town
Median age34.740.2
Age 65 and over11.7%17.7%
Under 1824.1%—
Bachelor's degree or higher11.4%27.7%
Below the poverty line17.3%10.3%
Veterans1.2%—
Born outside the U.S.39.2%—
Work from home8.5%13.4%
Average commute30.2 min27.5 min
Homes with broadband88.4%93.3%

Weather in East Los Angeles

July highs average 82.0°F and January lows 48.9°F. About 14.2 inches of rain and melted snow fall a year, with 0.0 inches of snow (typical California town: 0.0 in). Expect about 26 days a year at 90°F or hotter and 0 nights at or below freezing.

East Los Angeles monthly temperatures and precipitation40°50°60°70°80°90°68°49°Jan68°50°Feb70°52°Mar72°55°Apr74°58°May77°61°Jun82°65°Jul84°65°Aug83°64°Sep79°60°Oct73°53°Nov67°48°DecPrecipitation (in)3.33.62.20.70.30.10.00.00.10.60.82.5
NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals: average daily high and low by month; precipitation and snowfall in inches. Temperatures from the Los Angeles Dwtn Usc Campus station (4.0 mi away); snow from San Gabriel Fire Dept (5.3 mi).

Tornadoes, storms and disasters

13 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of East Los Angeles since 1950, compared with 2 for the typical California town. 1 rated (E)F2 or stronger. The strongest, an F2, struck on November 7, 1966 about 9.1 miles from the town center. The most recent was on March 13, 2025.

Tornadoes within 10 miles of East Los Angeles by decade21950s11960s01970s31980s21990s22000s12010s22020s
NOAA Storm Events Database, tornado tracks (start to end point) passing within 10 miles of the town center, 1950–2026.

Hail of 1 inch or larger has been reported within 10 miles 2 times; the largest was 1.00 inches on March 15, 2024.

Severe weather in Los Angeles County since 1996

Storm events in Los Angeles County since 1996 by typeHail23Flood24Tornado18Wildfire34High Wind171Lightning10Heavy Rain9Debris Flow24
NOAA Storm Events Database, Los Angeles County, 1996–2026 (all event types recorded since 1996). 74 deaths recorded.

Los Angeles County has been included in 88 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1953, most often for fire, flood, freezing.

DeclaredIncidentDeclaration
August 8, 2025FireFM-5605: Canyon Fire
January 8, 2025FireDR-4856: Wildfires And Straight-Line Winds
January 8, 2025FireFM-5550: Eaton Fire
January 8, 2025FireFM-5551: Hurst Fire
January 7, 2025FireFM-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 East Los Angeles itself the ACS puts it at 6.8%.

Largest industries in Los Angeles CountyHealth care & social assistan…818,122 jobs · $57,296Hotels & restaurants436,540 jobs · $36,750Retail398,015 jobs · $50,556Manufacturing311,242 jobs · $95,918Professional & technical serv…305,604 jobs · $133,862Administrative & support271,747 jobs · $57,712
BLS Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024, private-sector jobs and average annual pay.
Unemployment rate in Los Angeles County, 2000–20230%4%8%12%2000200420082012201620202023Los Angeles 5%
Annual average unemployment rate (BLS Local Area Unemployment Statistics via USDA ERS).

Public schools in East Los Angeles

2 public schools with 556 students, about 20.6 students per teacher.

SchoolGradesStudentsPer teacher
Ednovate - Esperanza College Prep (charter)9-1250524.0
Kirby Dorothy Camp7-12518.5

Towns near East Los Angeles

East Los Angeles questions

Is East Los Angeles, California a good place to retire?

On The Town Files lifestyle rankings, East Los Angeles scores better for retirees than 2% of California towns and quieter than 1%. 11.7% of residents are 65 or older (median age 34.7).

How much does a house cost in East Los Angeles?

The median owner-occupied home in East Los Angeles is valued at $643,100 (Census ACS 2020–2024), against a median household income of $68,741, so homes cost about 9.4 times income. Median rent is $1,494 a month.

What is the weather like in East Los Angeles?

July highs average 82.0°F and January lows 48.9°F (NOAA 1991–2020 normals). It gets about 14.2 inches of precipitation a year and 0.0 inches of snow.

Does East Los Angeles get tornadoes?

13 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of East Los Angeles since 1950 (NOAA Storm Events); the strongest was a F2 on November 7, 1966. The typical California town has had 2.

How this page is made. Every number comes from public data, matched to East Los Angeles's Census boundary (GEOID 0620802). Comparisons use the median of California towns with at least 500 people. Weather comes from the nearest NOAA normals station; storm counts use NOAA tornado tracks within 10 miles of the town center. Data snapshot 2026-11-13.