CitytisticsShortlist

Cost of living, pay and housing

33.92° N · 117.99° W · GEOID 0621292

East Whittier

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

CaliforniaEast Whittier, CAEast WhittierEast Whittier

The short answer

East Whittier is home to 9,990 people. Median household income is $113,750 a year and median rent is $1,794 a month, 18.9% 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 $834,100, about 7.3x annual median household income.

What sets East Whittier apart is how far household money goes. Money left after rent is $90,500, against $66,900 in its closest peers. Also notable: Rent took 23.4% of the median income in the 2019 survey and 18.9% in 2024. In the 25 places most like it the share rose 0.7 points on average, so affordability held up better here.

22OF 100

CTXCitytistics Index

Weak

East Whittier scores better than 22% of the 6,612 places we rate, and ranks 323rd of 654 in California.

How the CTX is built

Category ratings · 0 to 100, typical place 50

Affordability 20%35
Economy 20%78
Safety 20%n/a
Amenities 15%0
Education 10%59
Commute 10%7
Growth 5%n/a

Not rated: safety, growth, for want of data (the city police department does not report a full year to the FBI). The other weights are spread over the categories rated.

Median gross rent
$1,794
31% above the median place
Median household income
$113,750
42% above the median place
Median home value
$834,100
161% above the median place
Unemployment
3.6%
26% 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.

What stands out about East Whittier

  • HousingThe median home costs 7.3 years of the median household's income, more than in 94% of the 2,480 places under 10,000 people we track.
01

Moving to East Whittier

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
$71,800 a year to rent the median home at the 30% line. From your city
Rent or buy
Median rent is $1,794 a month; owners with a mortgage pay $3,068 a month including taxes and insurance, on a median home of $834,100.
Getting to work
35 minutes each way on average; 9.7% work from home; 3.9% take transit.
If it is close but not quite
Westbury, NY matches it on character for less of your income. Compare the two
Net movers per 1,000 people7
-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
MeasureEast WhittierAmong 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 people7County figure-11.4below (median -0.6)
Income of households moving in7County figure$89,35027% above
Income of households moving out7County figure$94,07134% above
02

What it costs to live here

Owning with a mortgage costs about $1,274 a month more than the median rent, a wider gap than in 92% of the 2,469 places under 10,000 people we track.

East Whittier18.9%
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
$71,760
a year, at the 30% line
Rent to income
18.9%
7% below the median place
Home price to income
7.3x
93% above the median place

Could you afford it?

The median rent would take
19%
comfortably under the 30% line
Left after rent, in US prices
$90,700
a year
Vs the typical household here
Same
as the median household

Uses the median rent in East Whittier, $1,794 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 East Whittier, but easier on the budget

Places that match East Whittier 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
Westbury, NY8214.7% vs 18.9%$27,300Compare
Milltown, NJ8110.2% vs 18.9%$29,800Compare
Winters, CA8015.3% vs 18.9%$11,800Compare
Clewiston, FL7916.0% vs 18.9%n/aCompare

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

Sponsored · exampleMoving to East Whittier? Compare quotes from licensed movers. No partner is signed yet. Sponsored offers are always labelled and never change the data.
Median home value1
$834,100
161% above the median place
Property tax rate1
0.6%
40% below the median place
Owner costs with a mortgage1
$3,068
64% above the median place
All 16 cost and housing measures
MeasureEast WhittierAmong 6,645 placesVs median
Median gross rent1$1,79431% above
Rent to income118.9%7% below
Property tax rate10.6%40% below
Home price to income17.3x93% 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$4,59641% above
Median home value1$834,100161% above
Home prices, 1-year change5County figure1.7%47% below
Home prices, 5-year change5County figure43.3%16% below
Homeownership163.2%5% below
Renters paying 30%+143.9%13% below
Owner costs with a mortgage1$3,06864% above
Vacant homes1County figure6.4%9% below
Median year built119641% below
03

Work and pay

Counting remote workers as zero, the average worker spends about 245 hours a year commuting, more than in 95% of the 2,101 places under 10,000 people we track.

Mean commute1
35 min
41% above the median place
Poverty rate1
3.9%
64% below the median place
Median household income1
$113,750
42% above the median place

More on work and pay, against the typical place

Unemployment3.6% −26%
Works from home9.7% −22%
Income per person$45,341 +13%
All 10 work and pay measures
MeasureEast WhittierAmong 6,645 placesVs median
Median household income1$113,75042% above
Income per person1$45,34113% above
Unemployment13.6%26% below
Average annual pay6County figure$86,08030% above
Pay growth, 1 year6County figure3.0%19% below
Jobs6County figure4,525,460above (median 150,665)
Poverty rate13.9%64% below
Mean commute135 min41% above
Works from home19.7%22% below
Commutes by transit1County figure3.9%360% above
04

Who lives here

No health insurance is 2.4%, 63% below the median place.

No health insurance1
2.4%
63% below the median place
Household size1
3.0
19% above the median place
Born abroad1
22.3%
152% above the median place

More about who lives here, against the typical place

Median age41.0 +5%
High school or higher90.4% −2%
Homes with broadband93.4% +1%
Bachelor's or higher36.5% +14%
All 8 people measures
MeasureEast WhittierAmong 6,645 placesVs median
Population19,9904171st largest
Median age141.05% above
Bachelor's or higher136.5%14% above
High school or higher190.4%2% below
Household size13.019% above
Born abroad122.3%152% above
No health insurance12.4%63% below
Homes with broadband193.4%1% above
05

Life in East Whittier

OpenStreetMap shows 0 parks per 10,000 residents, fewer than in 95% of the 2,480 places under 10,000 people we track. It is the lowest of 655 California places we track.

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 residents0.0 −100%
Playgrounds per 10k0.0 −100%
Grocery stores per 10k0.0 −100%
Restaurants, cafes and bars per 10k0.0 −100%
Libraries per 10k0.0 −100%
Named paths and bike trails0 km −100%
Bus and rail stops per sq mi0.0 −100%

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 37 miles
  • Cesar E. Chavez National Monument 96 miles
  • Channel Islands National Park 97 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 site10
37.3
21% above the median place
Public schools12
2,197
above the median place (median 9)
Public school students12
1,262,149
above the median place (median 4,897)
All 18 schools and local life measures
MeasureEast WhittierAmong 6,645 placesVs median
Public schools12County figure2,197above (median 9)
Public school students12County figure1,262,149above (median 4,897)
Students per teacher12County figure21.540% above
Restaurants and bars per 10k8County figure24.216% above
Shops per 10k8County figure29.62% below
Arts, recreation and fitness per 10k8County figure21.8above (median 4.1)
Doctors' offices and clinics per 10k8County figure31.455% above
Child care centers per 10k8County figure2.013% below
Parks per 10k90.0below (median 10.2)
Playgrounds per 10k90.0below (median 9.4)
Grocery stores per 10k90.0below (median 2.1)
Restaurants, cafes and bars per 10k90.0below (median 11.2)
Libraries per 10k90.0below (median 0.9)
Named paths and bike trails90.0below (median 2.0)
Transit stops per sq mi90.0below (median 0.2)
Nearest National Park Service site1037.321% above
National Park Service sites within 60 miles10150% below
National Register listings11County figure629above (median 13)
06

Safety, weather and risk

Hurricane risk is 0.0, below the median place (median 70.7).

No crime figure yet. Either the city police department did not report to the FBI for the latest year, or our monthly fetch has not reached East Whittier. Larger places are fetched first.

Hurricane risk14
0.0
below the median place (median 70.7)
Good air days15
10.7%
84% below the median place
Natural hazard risk14
100.0
8% above the median place
All 11 weather and risk measures
MeasureEast WhittierAmong 6,645 placesVs median
July average high13County figure89°F2% above
January average low13County figure41°F61% above
Average temperature13County figure62°F13% above
Annual precipitation13County figure15.1 in66% below
Natural hazard risk14County figure100.08% above
Hurricane risk14County figure0.0below (median 70.7)
Tornado risk14County figure97.720% above
Wildfire risk14County figure99.963% above
Heat wave risk14County figure99.310% above
Median air quality index15County figure7472% above
Good air days15County figure10.7%84% below
08

East Whittier in 2030: where the trends point

If recent trends hold, the median rent will take about 19% of the median income in 2030, about the same as 19% 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, East Whittier does better than 36% of places. Its projected home value growth beats 30%.

MeasureLatest2030 projectionLikely rangeAvg. per year
Median rent$1,794/mo (2024)$2,280/mo$1,870 to $2,780/mo+4.1%
Median household income$113,750 (2024)$147,000$124,000 to $174,000+4.3%
Median home value$834,100 (2024)$1,181,000$857,000 to $1,626,000+6.0%

The median home would be worth 8.0 years of the median income in 2030, against 7.3 now.

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

09

Places like East Whittier

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

PlaceRentIncome
Signal Hill, CA$1,851$113,298Compare
Alpine, CA$1,973$108,660Compare
Wailuku, HI$1,762$102,942Compare
Valley Center, CA$1,750$132,361Compare
Valley Center, CAWailuku, HIAlpine, CASignal Hill, CAEast Whittier, CAAlpineWailukuAlpineWailuku

Places built like East Whittier

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 East Whittier performs against places like it.

PlaceRent to incomeIncome growthPop. change
East Whittier, CA18.9%8.3%/yrn/a
Rodeo, CA28.7%4.1%/yrn/aCompare
Charter Oak, CA25.8%3.5%/yrn/aCompare
Boyes Hot Springs, CA22.2%6.4%/yrn/aCompare
Aiea, HI24.3%5.0%/yrn/aCompare
Halawa, HI18.9%1.8%/yrn/aCompare
El Sobrante, CA23.2%5.8%/yrn/aCompare

Common questions

Is East Whittier a good place to live?

It depends on what you need, so here is what the numbers say. Its Citytistics Index is 22 out of 100, better than 22% of the places we rate and 323rd of 654 in California. The median home costs 7.3 years of the median household's income, more than in 94% of the 2,480 places under 10,000 people we track. On cost, space and class size it scores 68 out of 100 for families. See how it ranks with your own weights.

Is East Whittier expensive to live in?

The median rent takes 18.9% of the median household income, against 20.4% in the typical place we track. Housing is a lighter load here than usual. The median home is valued at $834,100.

What salary do you need to live in East Whittier?

To rent the median home without spending more than 30% of income on rent, a household needs about $71,760 a year. Work it out from your current city.

What places are similar to East Whittier?

On income, rent, home value, education and age, the closest matches are Signal Hill, CA, Alpine, CA, Wailuku, HI and Valley Center, 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. 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.
  8. County Business Patterns · US Census Bureau · 2023 data
  9. OpenStreetMap · © OpenStreetMap contributors, available under the Open Database License (ODbL) · Map data as of 2026-11
  10. National Park Service sites · Wikidata (CC0), units operated by the National Park Service · Retrieved 2026-11
  11. National Register of Historic Places · National Park Service · Listings through 2026-05-22
  12. Common Core of Data · National Center for Education Statistics · 2024 release
  13. 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
  14. National Risk Index · Federal Emergency Management Agency · Latest release, retrieved 2026-11-14NRI data and maps
  15. 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 East Whittier with places of a similar size, using only figures measured for East Whittier itself; county and metro figures never count. Survey figures are estimates with margins of error. Formulas and definitions: methodology. API: /api/v1/places/east-whittier-california

Citytistics. “East Whittier, California.” Data as of 2026-11-14. https://www.citytistics.com/city/east-whittier-california/

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