What it's like to live in Lawndale
Lawndale is a small city in California. The numbers below lay out what daily life there actually looks like.
The tradeoffs are worth naming plainly. Lawndale deals with rent well above the national average, home prices well above the national average, crime rates above the national average, and air quality that falls short of national benchmarks.
The not so good
- Rent well above the national average
- High home prices
- Crime above national average
- Air quality concerns
- Low college degree attainment
- Shrinking population
How Lawndale compares
Median household income
Median rent (per month)
Median home value
What it takes to move to Lawndale
Based on Lawndale's median rent, home value and household income
To rent
$3,876
up front: first month plus a typical one-month deposit
- Income to keep rent under 30%: $77,520 a year
- 55% of Lawndale renters spend 30% or more of their income on rent
To buy
$156,380
a 20% down payment on the median home
- With 10% down: $78,190
- Homes cost 9.2× the typical local household income (US: 4.1×)
Moving costs, closing costs and taxes not included.
The details
Cost of living▲ 37% above US
$1,938/mo median rent
Rent is expensive here, at $1,938 a month median and well above the national average. This is the kind of city where housing costs deserve serious budgeting before committing to a move. Home prices are steep, with a median around $781,900. Renting first to get a feel for the city before buying is often the more practical route.
Median home value $781,900 · 55% of renters cost-burdened
Job marketNear US average
4.7% unemployment
Unemployment here is 4.7%, close to the national average of 4.3%.
City-level (BLS)
Safety▲ 78% above US
588 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 1588/100k · Lawndale Police Department · 2025 data
Getting aroundNear US average
25 min average commute
Commutes run about average, at 24.6 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; 7% work from home.
How workers get to work
Climate
Summers are comfortable, with highs around 76°F, and winters are mild, with lows rarely dropping below 50°F. It's a dry climate with limited rainfall.
Average month
30-year averages, 1991–2020
Education & workforce▼ 43% below US
21% bachelor's degree or higher
College degree attainment runs below average at 21%. That tends to reflect a more trade and working-class economy, which can be great or limiting depending on the industry.
Schools
11 public schools inside the boundary
There are 11 public schools inside the boundary. 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 (28 miles away). There are 4 national parks and sites within a day's drive.
Bottom line
Nothing in Lawndale'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 ($1,938/mo) equals 27% of the median household income here, more than the 21% typical nationwide. It may be a harder fit for renters on a tight budget and anyone who doesn't drive.
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