What it's like to live in South Pasadena
South Pasadena is a small city in California with household incomes running above the national average and a highly educated workforce. Those factors carry real weight for anyone weighing where to move next.
The tradeoffs are worth naming plainly. South Pasadena deals with rent well above the national average, home prices well above the national average, commute times longer than most cities, and air quality that falls short of national benchmarks.
The good
- Higher-than-average incomes
- Highly educated workforce
The not so good
- Rent well above the national average
- High home prices
- Above-average commute times
- Air quality concerns
- Shrinking population
- High student-teacher ratio
How South Pasadena compares
Median household income
Median rent (per month)
Median home value
What it takes to move to South Pasadena
Based on South Pasadena's median rent, home value and household income
To rent
$4,568
up front: first month plus a typical one-month deposit
- Income to keep rent under 30%: $91,360 a year
- 45% of South Pasadena renters spend 30% or more of their income on rent
To buy
$328,000
a 20% down payment on the median home
- With 10% down: $164,000
- Homes cost 12.9× the typical local household income (US: 4.1×)
Moving costs, closing costs and taxes not included.
The details
Cost of living▲ 62% above US
$2,284/mo median rent
Rent is expensive here, at $2,284 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 $1,640,000. Renting first to get a feel for the city before buying is often the more practical route.
Median home value $1,640,000 · 45% of renters cost-burdened
Job market▲ 21% above US
5.2% unemployment
Unemployment here is 5.2%, somewhat above the national average of 4.3%. Lining up work before the move is the safer route.
City-level (BLS)
Safety▼ 13% below US
288 violent crimes per 100k
Crime runs about typical for a city this size. Some neighborhoods are safer than others, and one overall rate doesn't tell the whole story, so a neighborhood-level look matters more than the headline stat.
Property crime 1959/100k · South Pasadena Police Department · 2025 data
Getting around▲ 15% above US
30 min average commute
Commutes run about average, at 29.9 minutes. Fine day to day, but it adds up over a year, and where someone lives relative to where they work starts to matter. 6 in 10 workers drive to work; 30% work from home.
How workers get to work
Climate
Summers are hot and humid, with highs regularly hitting 88°F, and winters are mild, with lows rarely dropping below 45°F.
Average month
30-year averages, 1991–2020
Education & workforce▲ 104% above US
74% bachelor's degree or higher
This is a highly educated city, with over half the adult population holding a college degree. That tends to shape the job market and the broader culture, and it's a solid indicator of a strong professional scene.
Schools
5 public schools inside the boundary
There are 5 public schools inside the boundary and 4 private schools. The student-to-teacher ratio is 25:1, 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 3 national parks and sites within a day's drive.
Bottom line
South Pasadena's strongest points are household incomes running above the national average and a highly educated workforce; the main tradeoffs are rent well above the national average and home prices well above the national average. A year of median rent ($2,284/mo) equals 22% of the median household income here, about the same as the 21% typical nationwide. It tends to suit remote workers (30% of workers here already work from home) and college-educated professionals. It may be a harder fit for renters on a tight budget.
See all the data for South Pasadena →·All California cities →
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