What it's like to live in El Monte
El Monte is a mid-size city in California. The numbers below lay out what daily life there actually looks like.
The tradeoffs are worth naming plainly. El Monte deals with rent well above the national average, home prices well 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
- High home prices
- Below-average household incomes
- Crime above national average
- Air quality concerns
- Low college degree attainment
How El Monte compares
Median household income
Median rent (per month)
Median home value
What it takes to move to El Monte
Based on El Monte's median rent, home value and household income
To rent
$3,472
up front: first month plus a typical one-month deposit
- Income to keep rent under 30%: $69,440 a year
- 56% of El Monte renters spend 30% or more of their income on rent
To buy
$128,800
a 20% down payment on the median home
- With 10% down: $64,400
- Homes cost 9.5× the typical local household income (US: 4.1×)
Moving costs, closing costs and taxes not included.
The details
Cost of living▲ 23% above US
$1,736/mo median rent
Rent runs on the higher side, at $1,736 a month median. Whether that premium makes sense usually comes down to the local job market and what it pays. Home prices are steep, with a median around $644,000. Renting first to get a feel for the city before buying is often the more practical route.
Median home value $644,000 · 56% of renters cost-burdened
Job market▲ 23% above US
5.3% unemployment
Unemployment here is 5.3%, somewhat above the national average of 4.3%. Lining up work before the move is the safer route.
City-level (BLS)
Safety▲ 24% above US
410 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 1953/100k · El Monte Police Department · 2025 data
Getting aroundNear US average
28 min average commute
Commutes run about average, at 27.8 minutes. Fine day to day, but it adds up over a year, and where someone lives relative to where they work starts to matter. 9 in 10 workers drive to work; 7% 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▼ 58% below US
15% 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
24 public schools inside the boundary
There are 24 public schools inside the boundary and 4 private schools. The student-to-teacher ratio is 21:1, above the national average of 16:1.
Parks & recreation
The nearest national park or historic site is Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area (42 miles away). There are 3 national parks and sites within a day's drive.
Bottom line
Nothing in El Monte's numbers stands out as a clear strength, and the main tradeoffs are rent well above the national average and home prices well above the national average. A year of median rent ($1,736/mo) equals 31% of the median household income here, more than the 21% typical nationwide. Whether it fits comes down to the specifics: the neighborhood, the job, and what matters most in the move.
Other places near El Monte
All California guides →Moving to South El Monte →
2 mi away · pop. 19,287
Rent $1,752/mo · Income $72,990
Compare with El Monte →Moving to Temple City →
3 mi away · pop. 35,430
Rent $2,135/mo · Income $104,425
Compare with El Monte →Moving to Baldwin Park →
3 mi away · pop. 70,138
Rent $1,867/mo · Income $80,663
Compare with El Monte →Not sure El Monte is the one?
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