About

Life in Arcadia

Arcadia is a solidly middle-to-upper-class suburb where you'll need a car and shouldn't expect much spontaneity in your commute—the average trip is about 30 minutes, and you're in the thick of the Los Angeles metro area. The median home price hovers around $1.34 million with rents averaging $2,200 monthly, so this isn't an affordable pocket of LA; the median household income of $114,000 reflects the affluent character. That said, the Asian community here is vibrant and well-established, making up about two-thirds of residents, alongside a smaller Latino community and other groups.

Arcadia at a Glance

Population, income, housing and more

Median Age

43.9 yrs

Poverty Rate

8.6%

Foreign-Born

46.2%

Broadband Internet

96.6%

of households

Population Growth

-4.5%

recent change · Census Bureau

Median household income

Arcadia$113,516
California avg$99,122
US$80,734

Demographics46.2% foreign-born, most often from China, excluding Hong Kong and Taiwan

Who lives in Arcadia: race and ethnicity, ages, households, languages and countries of origin

In Arcadia, the largest foreign-born group is from China, excluding Hong Kong and Taiwan (34.0%), and 37.6% of residents speak Chinese at home.

Under 18

20.9%

of residents

65 and Older

20.6%

of residents

Households with Kids

31.4%

anyone under 18

Living Alone

17.8%

of households

Married Couples

56.6%

of households

Avg Household Size

2.82

people

Race & Ethnicity

Asian58.7%
Hispanic or Latino17.5%
White16.7%
Two or more races4.2%
Black1.6%
American Indian & Alaska Native0.5%

Hispanic or Latino of any race; other groups are non-Hispanic

Top countries of origin (foreign-born)

China34.0%
Taiwan18.7%
Hong Kong5.9%
Vietnam5.6%
Philippines5.4%
India4.6%
Mexico4.0%
Korea3.2%
Burma (Myanmar)2.2%
Indonesia1.6%

Languages Spoken at Home

English only38.9%
Chinese37.6%
Spanish9.3%
Other Asian/Pacific3.5%
Other Indo-European3.5%
Tagalog/Filipino2.3%
Korean1.8%
Vietnamese1.8%

Cost of Livingrent 8% above CA average

Rent, home values, and income in Arcadia

In Arcadia, rent runs 8% above the CA average, and home values are 96% above the CA average.

Median rent (per month)

Arcadia$2,191
California avg$2,036
US$1,413

Median home value

Arcadia$1,441,800
California avg$734,700
US$332,700

Rent Burdened

54.4%

spending 30%+ of income on rent

Severely Rent Burdened

27.4%

spending 50%+

Cost of Living Index

113.6

metro area (BEA) · US avg = 100

Homeowners

58.1%

of occupied homes are owned

Typical Home Built

1965

median year built

Vacant Homes

8.4%

of housing units

Home Value Trend

$1,145,322
$1,375,605
202120222023202420252026

Latest: $1,375,605 (September 2026)

Jobs & Economyunemployment 0.5 pts below CA average

Unemployment in Arcadia and typical pay across the metro area

Unemployment in Arcadia is 0.5 percentage points lower than the CA average.

Unemployment rate

Arcadia5.0%
California avg5.5%
US4.3%

City-level rate · BLS annual average

Unemployment Rate — 10 Year Trend

4.4%
4.1%
3.9%
3.8%
10.7%
7.4%
4.1%
4.3%
5%
5%
2016201720182019202020212022202320242025

City-level (BLS) · Annual averages

What Arcadia Residents Do for Work · share of employed residents by industry

Education & health care27.3%
Professional & business services16.3%
Finance & real estate10.0%
Retail8.9%
Arts, hospitality & food service7.1%
Manufacturing6.9%
Wholesale trade5.6%
Transportation & utilities4.9%

City residents, wherever they work

Median Salary by Occupation · metro area

Management$130,300
Healthcare$103,060
Business & Finance$82,860
Education$67,700
Office & Admin$48,810
Production$43,740
Transportation$40,560
Sales$39,510

Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA metro area

Commute29.3 min avg

How Arcadia residents get to work, and the nearest airports

In Arcadia, most residents drive alone to work (63%), and 53% get there in under 30 minutes.

How People Get to Work

Drive alone62.6%
Carpool9.8%
Public transit1.6%
Walk1.2%
Work from home22.7%
Other2.1%

Commute Time Distribution

Under 15 min19.0%
15–29 min33.7%
30–44 min26.6%
45–59 min11.2%
60+ min9.6%

Nearest airports · with airline service

  • Hollywood Burbank/Bob Hope Airport (BUR)

    Medium hub3.2M passengers boarded in 2025

    19 mi
  • Los Angeles International Airport (LAX)

    Major hub36.5M passengers boarded in 2025

    25 mi

Straight-line distance. Size is the FAA’s hub category, based on passenger traffic: regional airports may have only a few flights a day.

Safetyviolent crime 40% below national average

Crime rates for 2025

Violent crime in Arcadia runs 40% below the national average.

Violent Crime Rate

198.3

per 100,000 residents

Below average (329 national, 2025)

Property Crime Rate

2,440.1

per 100,000 residents

Above average (1,552 national, 2025)

Arcadia Police Department

Natural DisastersHigh Wind most common — 21 events in 2025

Natural hazard risk, storms and earthquakes

FEMA National Risk Index

Very High

100.0 / 100

Compares expected losses from natural hazards, social vulnerability and community resilience against every US county (higher = more risk).

Earthquake · Very HighLightning · Very HighInland flooding · Very HighWildfire · Very HighAvalanche · High

Los Angeles County, county-wide · FEMA NRI December 2025

In Los Angeles County, which includes Arcadia, the most common type is high wind, with 21 recorded events in 2025.

Most common events:

High WindFlash FloodThunderstorm WindDebris FlowWinter Storm

Storm events by year

YearEventsTop TypeProperty Damage
202521High Wind$3,000
202427High Wind$5,000
202321High WindNone reported
20227High WindNone reported
20215High WindNone reported
20204High WindNone reported
20192WildfireNone reported
20183Debris FlowNone reported

Property damage is the National Weather Service's estimate filed with each event. “None reported” means the events were logged with $0 damage; “Not estimated” means no estimate was filed. Storms covering several counties aren't counted here, since NOAA doesn't split their damage by county.

172 earthquakes of magnitude 2.5+ within 100 miles in the past year

Los Angeles County, county-wide

Arcadia is less than 1% of Los Angeles County’s population, so county-wide figures may differ from local conditions.

Air Quality74 median AQI — Moderate

Days by air quality category (2025)

Air quality in Los Angeles County, which includes Arcadia, is typically moderate — acceptable for most people, but can affect those unusually sensitive to air pollution.

Median AQI

74

Good Days

39

per year

Moderate Days

228

per year

Unhealthy Days

32

per year

Los Angeles County, county-wide

Arcadia is less than 1% of Los Angeles County’s population, so county-wide figures may differ from local conditions.

Climate85°F summers, 46°F winters

30-year climate averages (1991–2020) — monthly temperatures and precipitation

Arcadia has warm summers (avg high 85°F) and warm winters (avg low 46°F).

Spring (Mar–May)

73°/54°F

avg high / low

Summer (Jun–Aug)

85°/64°F

avg high / low

Fall (Sep–Nov)

80°/57°F

avg high / low

Winter (Dec–Feb)

68°/46°F

avg high / low

Annual Precipitation

19.4"

Annual Snowfall

0.0"

Hot Days/Year

64

days above 90°F

Freeze Days/Year

1

days below 32°F

Rainy Days/Year

33

Average month

High °FLow °FPrecip (in)
30°50°70°90°4.5"Jan: 3.56" precipitationFeb: 4.22" precipitationMar: 2.53" precipitationApr: 0.61" precipitationMay: 0.48" precipitationJun: 0.13" precipitationJul: 0.04" precipitationAug: 0.00" precipitationSep: 0.13" precipitationOct: 0.61" precipitationNov: 0.92" precipitationDec: 2.44" precipitationJJan: high 69°F, low 46°FFFeb: high 68°F, low 47°FMMar: high 71°F, low 51°FAApr: high 74°F, low 53°FMMay: high 76°F, low 58°FJJun: high 81°F, low 62°FJJul: high 86°F, low 65°F88°AAug: high 88°F, low 66°FSSep: high 87°F, low 64°FOOct: high 81°F, low 57°FNNov: high 74°F, low 51°F45°DDec: high 68°F, low 45°F
Show month-by-month table ↓
MonthHighLowPrecip
Jan69°F46°F3.56"
Feb68°F47°F4.22"
Mar71°F51°F2.53"
Apr74°F53°F0.61"
May76°F58°F0.48"
Jun81°F62°F0.13"
Jul86°F65°F0.04"
Aug88°F66°F0.00"
Sep87°F64°F0.13"
Oct81°F57°F0.61"
Nov74°F51°F0.92"
Dec68°F45°F2.44"

Healthcare1 hospital, avg 3.0/5

Hospitals, ratings, and health insurance in Arcadia

Arcadia has 1 hospital, averaging 3.0 out of 5 on CMS's quality rating.

Hospitals

1

within city limits

Uninsured

3.5%

of residents

Avg Hospital Rating

3.0 / 5

Usc Arcadia Hospital

Acute Care Hospitals · ER available

Nearby hospitals · within 15 miles

Aurora Las Encinas

Psychiatric · 3.1 mi away · Pasadena

Not rated

San Gabriel Valley Medical Center

Acute Care Hospitals · ER available · 4.5 mi away · San Gabriel

Bhc Alhambra Hospital

Psychiatric · 4.6 mi away · Rosemead

Not rated

Adult Health · vs. the typical US place

Obesity16.5%US 36.8%
Diabetes12.0%US 12.6%
High blood pressure29.3%US 37.1%
Current smoking7.3%US 15.0%
No leisure-time physical activity21.1%US 26.6%
Depression13.9%US 23.0%
Asthma7.2%US 10.7%
Routine checkup in past year76.1%US 78.2%

Share of adults. Modeled estimates, not counted cases. “US” = the typical US place.

Medicare-certified hospitals only. Doesn’t include clinics, urgent care, or freestanding ERs.

Education25.6:1 student/teacher ratio

Schools and degree attainment in Arcadia

Arcadia's student/teacher ratio is 25.6:1 (higher than the national average of 16:1), and 57.4% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor's degree or higher.

Public Schools

11

within city limits

Private Schools

9

within city limits

College Degree Rate

57.4%

adults 25+ with bachelor's or higher

Student/Teacher Ratio

25.6:1

National avg 16:1

Schools located within city limits (2023) — school-level metrics change slowly year to year

Colleges Near Arcadia (within 15 miles)

Mt San Antonio College

12.4 mi away

Public · 2-year · 26,140 students · in-state tuition $1,364 · 35% graduate · median earnings $49,600 (10 yrs after entry)

University of the People

5.8 mi away

Private nonprofit · 4-year · 22,688 students · in-state tuition $1,400 · 35% graduate

Pasadena City College

4.7 mi away

Public · 2-year · 21,466 students · in-state tuition $1,180 · 33% graduate · median earnings $47,494 (10 yrs after entry)

California State University-Los Angeles

8.9 mi away

Public · 4-year · 19,562 students · in-state tuition $7,530 · 69% graduate · median earnings $62,555 (10 yrs after entry)

Los Angeles City College

14.9 mi away

Public · 2-year · 11,198 students · in-state tuition $1,238 · 20% graduate · median earnings $42,194 (10 yrs after entry)

Glendale Community College

11.1 mi away

Public · 2-year · 10,509 students · in-state tuition $1,195 · 28% graduate · median earnings $46,476 (10 yrs after entry)

Degree-granting colleges with 100+ students, placed by campus location (main campuses only — branch campuses are reported under their parent school)

Parks & Recreationclosest: Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area, 42 mi

Nearby national parks, recreation areas and public libraries for Arcadia

Arcadia has 3 nearby national parks or recreation areas, closest being Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area (42 mi away).

Nearby National Parks & Recreation Areas

Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area

National Recreation Area

42 mi away

Juan Bautista de Anza National Historic Trail

National Historic Trail

50 mi away

César E. Chávez National Monument

National Monument

81 mi away

Public Libraries in Arcadia

Arcadia Public Library

20 W. Duarte Road, Arcadia

Central library~60 hrs/week

Cities Near Arcadia

The closest cities within 60 miles

Planning a move to Arcadia?

Read our full moving guide — what it's really like to live here.

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Arcadia FAQ

Is Arcadia, California affordable?⌄

Arcadia's median rent is $2,191/month, which is significantly above the national average. The median household income is $113,516/year. Median home value is $1,441,800.

Is Arcadia, California safe?⌄

Arcadia's violent crime rate was 198 per 100,000 residents in 2025, which is below the national average of 329/100k that year. Property crime rate is 2440 per 100,000. As with any city, crime rates vary by neighborhood.

What is the job market like in Arcadia, California?⌄

Arcadia has an unemployment rate of 5.0%, which is slightly above the national average of 4.3%.

What is the cost of living in Arcadia, California?⌄

The cost of living in Arcadia is primarily driven by housing. Median rent is $2,191/month and median household income is $113,516/year. The median home value is $1,441,800. About 54% of renters spend more than 30% of their income on housing.

How is the commute in Arcadia, California?⌄

The average commute in Arcadia is 29 minutes, which is about average compared to the national average of 26 minutes.

Data from the US Census Bureau, BLS, FBI, NOAA, EPA, Zillow Research and other public sources. Where our data comes from