CitytisticsShortlist

Cost of living, pay and housing

33.99° N · 118.15° W · GEOID 0614974

Commerce

Los Angeles County, California · part of the Los Angeles, CA metro

CaliforniaCommerce, CACommerceCommerce

The short answer

Commerce is home to 11,993 people. Median household income is $77,064 a year and median rent is $1,549 a month, 24.1% of income (a ratio of two medians, not any one household's burden). Rent pressure is lighter than in most places. The median home is valued at $598,700, about 7.8x annual median household income.

The story in Commerce is how fast things are changing. Housing became more affordable between 2019 and 2024: rent went from 28.8% to 24.1% of income. Also notable: Unemployment is 3.9%, against 8.2% in its closest peers.

8OF 100

CTXCitytistics Index

Weak

Commerce scores better than 8% of the 6,612 places we rate, and ranks 481st of 654 in California.

How the CTX is built

Category ratings · 0 to 100, typical place 50

Affordability 20%15
Economy 20%59
Safety 20%1
Amenities 15%62
Education 10%3
Commute 10%36
Growth 5%49
Median gross rent
$1,549
13% above the median place
Median household income
$77,064
4% below the median place
Median home value
$598,700
87% above the median place
Unemployment
3.9%
20% below the median place

Compared with the median of the 6,645 places we track. The bundle was checked 2026-11-14; each measure may refer to an older release.

01

Moving to Commerce

Los Angeles County loses about 11.4 residents per 1,000 a year to moves between counties.

Moved in177,566
Moved out264,089
Net−86,523

Where people come from and where they go, top counties

Orange County, CA23,95231,420−7,468
San Bernardino County, CA18,69534,872−16,177
Riverside County, CA10,93420,742−9,808
Ventura County, CA6,33210,470−4,138
San Diego County, CA6,9069,296−2,390
Clark County, NV5,43210,100−4,668
Kern County, CA3,6847,772−4,088
Maricopa County, AZ3,1555,844−2,689

Within California, other states or abroad

Arrivals
Leavers
Within CaliforniaOther statesAbroad

Income per tax return

Arrivals$89K
Leavers$94K

People on tax returns who moved between counties, from IRS migration data, 2022 to 2023. Figures are for all of Los Angeles County; flows under 20 returns are not published.

Who moves here
2.7% of residents arrived from another county in the past year, 1.0% from another state. County figure.
Who arrives and who leaves
Households moving into Los Angeles County report $89,400 a year in income on average; those leaving, $94,100, so leavers earn more than newcomers.
Income you would need
$62,000 a year to rent the median home at the 30% line. From your city
Rent or buy
Median rent is $1,549 a month; owners with a mortgage pay $2,082 a month including taxes and insurance, on a median home of $598,700.
Getting to work
27 minutes each way on average; 9.1% work from home; 4.4% take transit.
If it is close but not quite
Vauxhall, NJ matches it on character for less of your income. Compare the two
Net movers per 1,000 people8
-11.4
below the median place (median -0.6)
Moved here in the past year1
2.7%
52% below the median place
Moved from another state1
1.0%
52% below the median place
All 5 moving measures
MeasureCommerceAmong 6,645 placesVs median
Moved here in the past year1County figure2.7%52% below
Moved from another state1County figure1.0%52% below
Net movers per 1,000 people8County figure-11.4below (median -0.6)
Income of households moving in8County figure$89,35027% above
Income of households moving out8County figure$94,07134% above
02

What it costs to live here

The median home costs 7.8 years of the median household's income, more than in 96% of the 2,301 places of 10,000 to 25,000 people we track.

Commerce24.1%
Typical place20.4%

Share of the median household income that goes to the median rent. Above 30% is the usual stress line.

Income needed to rent
$61,960
a year, at the 30% line
Rent to income
24.1%
18% above the median place
Home price to income
7.8x
104% above the median place

Could you afford it?

The median rent would take
24%
comfortably under the 30% line
Left after rent, in US prices
$57,300
a year
Vs the typical household here
Same
as the median household

Uses the median rent in Commerce, $1,549 a month, and local prices for everything else (101.9 against a US average of 100). It runs in your browser and stores nothing.

Like Commerce, but easier on the budget

Places that match Commerce on character (size, age, education, homeownership, household size, housing age, remote work and climate) but where rent takes a clearly smaller share of income. Cost was left out of the match on purpose.

PlaceMatchRent to incomeMore left a year
Vauxhall, NJ7519.7% vs 24.1%$27,700Compare
New Cassel, NY7416.5% vs 24.1%$66,100Compare
Corning, CA7120.4% vs 24.1%n/aCompare
Lexington, NE6817.1% vs 24.1%n/aCompare

Moving from somewhere else? Work out the salary you would need in Commerce.

Sponsored · exampleMoving to Commerce? Compare quotes from licensed movers. No partner is signed yet. Sponsored offers are always labelled and never change the data.
Median year built1
1957
1% below the median place
Median home value1
$598,700
87% above the median place
Homeownership1
55.0%
17% below the median place
All 16 cost and housing measures
MeasureCommerceAmong 6,645 placesVs median
Median gross rent1$1,54913% above
Rent to income124.1%18% above
Property tax rate10.7%29% below
Home price to income17.8x104% above
Prices vs US average2Metro figure113.613% above
Fair market rent, 2 bedrooms3County figure$2,96484% above
HUD area median income4County figure$108,1001% above
Property tax paid (median)1$3,91520% above
Median home value1$598,70087% above
Home prices, 1-year change5County figure1.7%47% below
Home prices, 5-year change5County figure43.3%16% below
Homeownership155.0%17% below
Renters paying 30%+154.7%8% above
Owner costs with a mortgage1$2,08211% above
Vacant homes1County figure6.4%9% below
Median year built119571% below
03

Work and pay

Income per person is $26,210, 35% below the median place.

Income per person1
$26,210
35% below the median place
Commutes by transit1
4.4%
above the median place (median 0.8%)
Unemployment1
3.9%
20% below the median place

More on work and pay, against the typical place

Works from home9.1% −27%
Mean commute27 min +10%
Poverty rate12.4% +15%
Median household income$77,064 −4%
All 10 work and pay measures
MeasureCommerceAmong 6,645 placesVs median
Median household income1$77,0644% below
Income per person1$26,21035% below
Unemployment13.9%20% below
Average annual pay6County figure$86,08030% above
Pay growth, 1 year6County figure3.0%19% below
Jobs6County figure4,525,460above (median 150,665)
Poverty rate112.4%15% above
Mean commute127 min10% above
Works from home19.1%27% below
Commutes by transit14.4%above (median 0.8%)
04

Who lives here

High school or higher is 62.8%, 32% below the median place.

High school or higher1
62.8%
32% below the median place
Household size1
3.6
44% above the median place
Population change since 20207
-5.5%
below the median place (median 1.1%)

More about who lives here, against the typical place

Bachelor's or higher11.0% −66%
Born abroad36.8% 4.2×
Homes with broadband84.3% −9%
No health insurance13.4% 2.1×
Median age35.6 −9%
All 9 people measures
MeasureCommerceAmong 6,645 placesVs median
Population111,9933591st largest
Population change since 20207-5.5%below (median 1.1%)
Median age135.69% below
Bachelor's or higher111.0%66% below
High school or higher162.8%32% below
Household size13.644% above
Born abroad136.8%316% above
No health insurance113.4%109% above
Homes with broadband184.3%9% below
05

Life in Commerce

OpenStreetMap shows 0 grocery stores per 10,000 residents, fewer than in 93% of the 2,301 places of 10,000 to 25,000 people we track. It is the lowest of 655 California places we track.

Founded or incorporated in 1960. 629 sites are on the National Register of Historic Places, 25 of them National Historic Landmarks. Its history on Wikipedia

Out the door, against the typical place

Parks per 10k residents9.2 −10%
Playgrounds per 10k6.7 −29%
Grocery stores per 10k0.0 −100%
Restaurants, cafes and bars per 10k19.2 +72%
Libraries per 10k2.5 2.9×
Named paths and bike trails6 km 2.9×
Bus and rail stops per sq mi19.0 90.4×

Mapped by volunteers in OpenStreetMap inside the city limits (Census boundaries), so coverage is fuller in some places than others. Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors, ODbL.

National Park Service sites nearby

  • Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area 27 miles
  • Cesar E. Chavez National Monument 88 miles
  • Channel Islands National Park 89 miles

Businesses per 10,000 residents (county figures)

Restaurants and bars24.2 +16%
Shops29.6 −2%
Arts, recreation and fitness21.8 5.3×
Doctors' offices and clinics31.4 +55%
Child care centers2.0 −13%

Counts businesses with paid staff, so small owner-run shops are not included.

Nearest National Park Service site11
26.9
13% below the median place
Public schools14
2,197
above the median place (median 9)
Public school students14
1,262,149
above the median place (median 4,897)
All 18 schools and local life measures
MeasureCommerceAmong 6,645 placesVs median
Public schools14County figure2,197above (median 9)
Public school students14County figure1,262,149above (median 4,897)
Students per teacher14County figure21.540% above
Restaurants and bars per 10k9County figure24.216% above
Shops per 10k9County figure29.62% below
Arts, recreation and fitness per 10k9County figure21.8above (median 4.1)
Doctors' offices and clinics per 10k9County figure31.455% above
Child care centers per 10k9County figure2.013% below
Parks per 10k109.210% below
Playgrounds per 10k106.729% below
Grocery stores per 10k100.0below (median 2.1)
Restaurants, cafes and bars per 10k1019.272% above
Libraries per 10k102.5187% above
Named paths and bike trails105.8190% above
Transit stops per sq mi1019.0above (median 0.2)
Nearest National Park Service site1126.913% below
National Park Service sites within 60 miles11150% below
National Register listings12County figure629above (median 13)
06

Safety, weather and risk

The city police department reported 1,274 violent offenses per 100,000 residents, more than in 99% of the 1,457 places of 10,000 to 25,000 people we track. It is the 3rd-highest of 417 California places we track.

Violent crime per 100k
1,274
above the median place (median 192)
Property crime per 100k
10,793
above the median place (median 1,213)
Months reported
12 of 12
by the city police department to the FBI

Counts only offenses reported by the city police department. Sheriff, state and campus police are not included, and some departments do not report to the FBI at all, so compare with care.

Hurricane risk16
0.0
below the median place (median 70.7)
Good air days17
10.7%
84% below the median place
Natural hazard risk16
100.0
8% above the median place
All 11 weather and risk measures
MeasureCommerceAmong 6,645 placesVs median
July average high15County figure89°F2% above
January average low15County figure41°F61% above
Average temperature15County figure62°F13% above
Annual precipitation15County figure15.1 in66% below
Natural hazard risk16County figure100.08% above
Hurricane risk16County figure0.0below (median 70.7)
Tornado risk16County figure97.720% above
Wildfire risk16County figure99.963% above
Heat wave risk16County figure99.310% above
Median air quality index17County figure7472% above
Good air days17County figure10.7%84% below
08

Commerce in 2030: where the trends point

If recent trends hold, the median rent will take about 24% of the median income in 2030, about the same as 24% now.

Citytistics projections to 2030: each figure's own trend, blended with the typical trend across the places we rate, eased toward long-run US growth and carried forward from the latest release. The range is where 80% of places landed when we tested the same method on past releases. On projected 2030 affordability, Commerce does better than 16% of places. Its projected home value growth beats 52%.

MeasureLatest2030 projectionLikely rangeAvg. per year
Median rent$1,549/mo (2024)$2,000/mo$1,640 to $2,440/mo+4.4%
Median household income$77,064 (2024)$100,000$84,500 to $118,000+4.4%
Median home value$598,700 (2024)$859,000$624,000 to $1,184,000+6.2%
Population11,688 (2025)11,50011,030 to 11,980−0.3%

The median home would be worth 8.6 years of the median income in 2030, against 7.8 now.

A projection of recent trends, not a prediction of the economy or advice to buy or sell. How we project.

09

Places like Commerce

The closest matches on income, rent, home value, education and age, and the places nearby.

PlaceRentIncome
South Gate, CA$1,531$74,571Compare
Walnut Park, CA$1,483$80,331Compare
East Los Angeles, CA$1,494$68,741Compare
Lynwood, CA$1,652$74,844Compare
Lynwood, CAEast Los Angeles, CAWalnut Park, CASouth Gate, CACommerce, CACommerceSouth GateLynwoodCommerceSouth GateLynwood

Places built like Commerce

Its statistical peers: the closest matches on size, age, education, homeownership, household size, housing age, origin and remote work, in the same part of the country. Cost and outcomes are left out of the match, so the table shows how Commerce performs against places like it.

PlaceRent to incomeIncome growthPop. change
Commerce, CA24.1%10.2%/yr-5.5%
Garden Acres, CA24.4%9.9%/yrn/aCompare
San Fernando, CA25.3%7.3%/yr-2.1%Compare
South El Monte, CA28.8%6.9%/yr-3.0%Compare
Hawaiian Gardens, CA26.7%9.1%/yr-5.5%Compare
Willowbrook, CA30.1%7.4%/yrn/aCompare
West Modesto, CA28.0%10.2%/yrn/aCompare

Common questions

Is Commerce a good place to live?

It depends on what you need, so here is what the numbers say. Its Citytistics Index is 8 out of 100, better than 8% of the places we rate and 481st of 654 in California. On cost, space and class size it scores 27 out of 100 for families. See how it ranks with your own weights.

Is Commerce expensive to live in?

The median rent takes 24.1% of the median household income, against 20.4% in the typical place we track. Housing is a heavier load here than usual. The median home is valued at $598,700.

What salary do you need to live in Commerce?

To rent the median home without spending more than 30% of income on rent, a household needs about $61,960 a year. Work it out from your current city.

Is Commerce safe?

There were 1,274 reported violent crimes per 100,000 residents, against 192 in the typical place.

What places are similar to Commerce?

On income, rent, home value, education and age, the closest matches are South Gate, CA, Walnut Park, CA, East Los Angeles, CA and Lynwood, CA.

Sources and methods

The small numbers beside each measure point here. Every dataset is public; links go to the publisher.

  1. American Community Survey 5-year estimates · US Census Bureau · 2020 to 2024 estimatesTables B01002, B01003, B05002, B07003, B08013, B08301, B15003, B17001, B19013, B19301, B23025, B25002, B25003, B25010, B25035, B25064, B25070, B25077, B25088, B25103, B28002, S2701
  2. Regional Price Parities · US Bureau of Economic Analysis · Latest release, retrieved 2026-11-14
  3. Fair Market Rents · US Department of Housing and Urban Development · Fiscal year 2027
  4. Income Limits · US Department of Housing and Urban Development · Fiscal year 2026
  5. House Price Index · Federal Housing Finance Agency · Latest release, retrieved 2026-11-14
  6. Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages · US Bureau of Labor Statistics · 2025 annual averages
  7. Population Estimates · US Census Bureau · Vintage 2025
  8. SOI Tax Stats, county-to-county migration · Internal Revenue Service · Tax years 2022 to 2023Counts tax returns and the people on them; flows under 20 returns are suppressed.
  9. County Business Patterns · US Census Bureau · 2023 data
  10. OpenStreetMap · © OpenStreetMap contributors, available under the Open Database License (ODbL) · Map data as of 2026-11
  11. National Park Service sites · Wikidata (CC0), units operated by the National Park Service · Retrieved 2026-11
  12. National Register of Historic Places · National Park Service · Listings through 2026-05-22
  13. Crime Data Explorer · Federal Bureau of Investigation · 2025 data
  14. Common Core of Data · National Center for Education Statistics · 2024 release
  15. 1991-2020 climate normals · NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information · Series updated 2026-11-05Averages for 1991 to 2020 computed from NOAA's county climate series (nClimDiv).nClimDiv county series
  16. National Risk Index · Federal Emergency Management Agency · Latest release, retrieved 2026-11-14NRI data and maps
  17. Air Quality System, annual AQI by county · US Environmental Protection Agency · 2025 dataAirData download files

Derived by Citytistics from the tables above: rent to income (B25064, B19013); property tax rate (B25103, B25077); home price to income (B25077, B19013).

What stands out compares Commerce with places of a similar size, using only figures measured for Commerce itself; county and metro figures never count. Survey figures are estimates with margins of error. Formulas and definitions: methodology. API: /api/v1/places/commerce-california

Citytistics. “Commerce, California.” Data as of 2026-11-14. https://www.citytistics.com/city/commerce-california/

This product uses the Census Bureau Data API but is not endorsed or certified by the Census Bureau.