What it's like to live in Cudahy
Cudahy is a small city in California. The numbers below lay out what daily life there actually looks like.
The tradeoffs are worth naming plainly. Cudahy deals with rent 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
- Rent well above the national average
- Above-average unemployment
- Below-average household incomes
- Crime above national average
- Above-average commute times
- Air quality concerns
How Cudahy compares
Median household income
Median rent (per month)
What it takes to move to Cudahy
Based on Cudahy's median rent, home value and household income
To rent
$3,422
up front: first month plus a typical one-month deposit
- Income to keep rent under 30%: $68,440 a year
- 58% of Cudahy renters spend 30% or more of their income on rent
Moving costs, closing costs and taxes not included.
The details
Cost of living▲ 21% above US
$1,711/mo median rent
Rent runs on the higher side, at $1,711 a month median. That premium adds up quickly for renters whose income hasn't kept pace with local prices.
58% of renters cost-burdened
Job market▲ 35% above US
5.8% unemployment
Unemployment here is 5.8%, well above the national average of 4.3%. Moving with a job already lined up matters more here.
City-level (BLS)
Safety▲ 42% above US
466 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 1338/100k · Cudahy Police Department · 2025 data
Getting around▲ 20% above US
31 min average commute
Traffic is a real factor here. The 31.3 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. 9 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▼ 82% below US
7% 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
4 public schools inside the boundary
There are 4 public schools inside the boundary. The student-to-teacher ratio is 19:1, slightly 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 Cudahy's numbers stands out as a clear strength, and the main tradeoffs are rent well above the national average and unemployment above the national average. A year of median rent ($1,711/mo) equals 36% 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.
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