What it's like to live in Commerce
Commerce is a small city in California with schools with class sizes near the national average. Those factors carry real weight for anyone weighing where to move next.
The tradeoffs are worth naming plainly. Commerce deals with home prices well above the national average, county unemployment above the national average, crime rates above the national average, and air quality that falls short of national benchmarks.
The good
- Average class sizes
The not so good
- High home prices
- Above-average unemployment in the county
- Crime above national average
- Air quality concerns
- Low college degree attainment
- Shrinking population
How Commerce compares
Median household income
Median rent (per month)
Median home value
What it takes to move to Commerce
Based on Commerce's median rent, home value and household income
To rent
$3,098
up front: first month plus a typical one-month deposit
- Income to keep rent under 30%: $61,960 a year
- 52% of Commerce renters spend 30% or more of their income on rent
To buy
$119,740
a 20% down payment on the median home
- With 10% down: $59,870
- Homes cost 7.8× the typical local household income (US: 4.1×)
Moving costs, closing costs and taxes not included.
The details
Cost of livingNear US average
$1,549/mo median rent
Rent is pretty middle of the road, at $1,549 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 $598,700. Renting first to get a feel for the city before buying is often the more practical route.
Median home value $598,700 · 52% of renters cost-burdened
Job market
5.7% county unemployment
Unemployment in Los Angeles County is 5.7%, somewhat above the national average of 4.3%. Lining up work before the move is the safer route. That's the county-wide rate; BLS doesn't measure a place this size on its own.
Los Angeles County (county-wide)
Safety▲ 287% above US
1274 violent crimes per 100k
Crime is a real factor here, with violent rates significantly above the national average. That doesn't make the whole city a write-off, but it does mean specific neighborhoods deserve real research before signing a lease.
Property crime 10878/100k · Commerce Police Department · 2025 data
Getting aroundNear US average
27 min average commute
Commutes run about average, at 27.4 minutes. Fine day to day, but it adds up over a year, and where someone lives relative to where they work starts to matter. 8 in 10 workers drive to work; 9% work from home.
How workers get to work
Climate
Summers are warm, with highs around 85°F, and winters are mild, with lows rarely dropping below 46°F. It's a dry climate with limited rainfall.
Average month
30-year averages, 1991–2020
Education & workforce▼ 69% below US
11% 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
3 public schools inside the boundary
There are 3 public schools inside the boundary. The student-to-teacher ratio is 16:1, close to the national average of 16:1. Smaller class sizes are generally a positive sign for a district.
Parks & recreation
The nearest national park or historic site is Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area (36 miles away). There are 3 national parks and sites within a day's drive.
Bottom line
Nothing in Commerce's numbers stands out as a clear strength, and the main tradeoffs are home prices well above the national average and county unemployment above the national average. A year of median rent ($1,549/mo) equals 24% 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 Commerce
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