Downey, CA
Census place 0619766 · pop 110,939
Home of the world's oldest still-operating McDonald's, a 1953 stand with original Golden Arches and a Speedee sign.
Source ↗Sales & income are statewide.
The breakdown — worst first
U.S. median 77/100 · worse than most cities
100/100 FEMA risk (higher = riskier) · FEMA National Risk Index — wildfire, flood, earthquake, heat and more. Published by county, not city — every city in the county shares this figure.
U.S. median 42 AQI · worse than most cities
80 median AQI · Median air quality index — lower is cleaner air. Published by county, not city — every city in the county shares this figure.
U.S. median 1 days · worse than most cities
133 unhealthy-air days per year · Days per year with unhealthy air (AQI above 100). Published by county, not city — every city in the county shares this figure.
U.S. median 3.6% · worse than most cities
5.5% unemployment · Share of the labor force out of work. Published by county, not city — every city in the county shares this figure.
U.S. median $214,900 · worse than most cities
$796,600 median home value · Median home value — how expensive it is to buy in. Higher = less affordable.
U.S. median 24 min · worse than most cities
31 min average one-way commute · Average one-way commute to work, in minutes.
U.S. median 67.2% · worse than most cities
51.1% own their home · Share of occupied homes that are owner-occupied.
U.S. median 9.3% · worse than most cities
14.8% of adults · Adults 18–64 without health insurance.
U.S. median +2.4% · worse than most cities
-1.2% population change (5yr) · 5-year population change — are people moving in, or fleeing?
U.S. median $1,756/mo · worse than most cities
$2,244/mo typical rent · Typical monthly rent (Zillow Observed Rent Index, all home types).
U.S. median 24.3% · worse than most cities
26.1% have a bachelor's degree or higher · Share of adults 25+ with a bachelor's degree or higher.
U.S. median 26.5% · worse than most cities
26.7% of adults · Adults with no leisure-time physical activity.
U.S. median 0.43 · better than most cities
Gini 0.43 (0 = equal, 1 = unequal) · Gini index of household income (0 = equal, 1 = unequal).
U.S. median 90.0% · better than most cities
93.0% of homes have broadband · Share of households with a broadband internet subscription.
U.S. median 12.1% · better than most cities
9.0% live in poverty · Share of residents living below the federal poverty line.
U.S. median 17.4% · better than most cities
16.1% of adults · Adults reporting frequent poor mental health (14+ days a month).
U.S. median $67,857 · better than most cities
$90,699 median household income · Median household income — a proxy for local economic health.
U.S. median 0.99% · better than most cities
0.67% of home value paid in property tax · Median real-estate taxes paid as a share of home value.
U.S. median 14.6% · better than most cities
9.9% of adults · Share of adults who currently smoke.
U.S. median 36.5% · better than most cities
27.6% of adults · Share of adults with obesity (BMI ≥ 30).
U.S. median 152/100k · better than most cities
0 violent crimes per 100k · Violent crimes (murder, rape, robbery, aggravated assault) per 100,000 residents.
U.S. median 964/100k · better than most cities
0 property crimes per 100k · Burglary, theft, motor-vehicle theft and arson per 100,000 residents.
Frequently asked
- Is Downey, CA a good place to live?
- By the numbers, Downey scores 42/100 — a D− (Rough) on Shcity, which ranks U.S. cities on public data across 22 metrics like crime, cost, jobs and health. Its strongest area is property crime rate and its weakest is natural disaster risk. California overall ranks #49 of 50 states. Whether it's "good" depends on what you value — re-weight the factors to score it your way.
- How safe is Downey, CA?
- Downey reports 0 violent crimes per 100k and 0 property crimes per 100k — better than most U.S. cities on violent crime.
- Is Downey, CA expensive to live in?
- Downey has a median home value of $796,600 and typical rent around $2,244/mo — pricier than most U.S. cities.
- What's the biggest downside of living in Downey, CA?
- Its weakest measured area is natural disaster risk (100/100) — 1/100, worse than most U.S. cities. (A county-level figure.)
- What is Downey, CA best at?
- Its strongest measured area is property crime rate (0/100k) — 97/100, better than most U.S. cities. Fun fact: Home of the world's oldest still-operating McDonald's, a 1953 stand with original Golden Arches and a Speedee sign.
Sources: U.S. Census (ACS), CDC PLACES, FBI Crime Data Explorer, BLS, EPA AirData, FEMA National Risk Index, and Zillow.