What it's like to live in Bell
Bell is a small city in California. The numbers below lay out what daily life there actually looks like.
The tradeoffs are worth naming plainly. Bell deals with home prices well above the national average, unemployment above the national average, household incomes below the national average, and crime rates above the national average.
The not so good
- High home prices
- Above-average unemployment
- Below-average household incomes
- Crime above national average
- Above-average commute times
- Air quality concerns
How Bell compares
Median household income
Median rent (per month)
Median home value
What it takes to move to Bell
Based on Bell's median rent, home value and household income
To rent
$3,150
up front: first month plus a typical one-month deposit
- Income to keep rent under 30%: $63,000 a year
- 62% of Bell renters spend 30% or more of their income on rent
To buy
$118,320
a 20% down payment on the median home
- With 10% down: $59,160
- Homes cost 9.7× the typical local household income (US: 4.1×)
Moving costs, closing costs and taxes not included.
The details
Cost of living▲ 11% above US
$1,575/mo median rent
Rent is pretty middle of the road, at $1,575 a month median. Not a bargain, not a budget-buster. About typical for a city this size. Home prices are steep, with a median around $591,600. Renting first to get a feel for the city before buying is often the more practical route.
Median home value $591,600 · 62% of renters cost-burdened
Job market▲ 30% above US
5.6% unemployment
Unemployment here is 5.6%, somewhat above the national average of 4.3%. Lining up work before the move is the safer route.
City-level (BLS)
Safety▲ 42% above US
469 violent crimes per 100k
Crime is worth weighing seriously here. Rates run above the national average, and while plenty of residents live comfortably, neighborhood selection matters a lot more than it does in a safer city.
Property crime 935/100k · Bell Police Department · 2025 data
Getting around▲ 15% above US
30 min average commute
Traffic is a real factor here. The 30 minute average means plenty of commuters are pushing 45 to 60 minutes on a bad day. Proximity to work matters more here than it might elsewhere. 8 in 10 workers drive to work; 5% take public transit.
How workers get to work
Climate
Summers are warm, with highs around 81°F, and winters are mild, with lows rarely dropping below 49°F. It's a dry climate with limited rainfall.
Average month
30-year averages, 1991–2020
Education & workforce▼ 73% below US
10% bachelor's degree or higher
This is a working-class city, and college degree rates reflect that. Trades, manufacturing, and service industries tend to dominate the local economy, which is a strength for some fields and a real constraint for others.
Schools
10 public schools inside the boundary
There are 10 public schools inside the boundary and 1 private school. The student-to-teacher ratio is 20:1, above the national average of 16:1.
Parks & recreation
The nearest national park or historic site is Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area (35 miles away). There are 4 national parks and sites within a day's drive.
Bottom line
Nothing in Bell's numbers stands out as a clear strength, and the main tradeoffs are home prices well above the national average and unemployment above the national average. A year of median rent ($1,575/mo) equals 31% of the median household income here, more than the 21% typical nationwide. It may be a harder fit for anyone moving without a job lined up.
Other places near Bell
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