Pasadena, CA
Census place 0656000 · pop 136,969
Host of the Tournament of Roses Parade and Rose Bowl, and home to Caltech and NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory.
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 $214,900 · worse than most cities
$1,093,300 median home value · Median home value — how expensive it is to buy in. Higher = less affordable.
U.S. median 67.2% · worse than most cities
42.5% own their home · Share of occupied homes that are owner-occupied.
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 $1,756/mo · worse than most cities
$2,903/mo typical rent · Typical monthly rent (Zillow Observed Rent Index, all home types).
U.S. median 0.43 · worse than most cities
Gini 0.50 (0 = equal, 1 = unequal) · Gini index of household income (0 = equal, 1 = unequal).
U.S. median 964/100k · worse than most cities
2795 property crimes per 100k · Burglary, theft, motor-vehicle theft and arson per 100,000 residents.
U.S. median +2.4% · worse than most cities
-3.0% population change (5yr) · 5-year population change — are people moving in, or fleeing?
U.S. median 152/100k · worse than most cities
486 violent crimes per 100k · Violent crimes (murder, rape, robbery, aggravated assault) per 100,000 residents.
U.S. median 24 min · worse than most cities
27 min average one-way commute · Average one-way commute to work, in minutes.
U.S. median 12.1% · worse than most cities
13.3% live in poverty · Share of residents living below the federal poverty line.
U.S. median 9.3% · better than most cities
8.2% of adults · Adults 18–64 without health insurance.
U.S. median 90.0% · better than most cities
93.9% of homes have broadband · Share of households with a broadband internet subscription.
U.S. median 26.5% · better than most cities
21.3% of adults · Adults with no leisure-time physical activity.
U.S. median $67,857 · better than most cities
$105,192 median household income · Median household income — a proxy for local economic health.
U.S. median 17.4% · better than most cities
14.9% of adults · Adults reporting frequent poor mental health (14+ days a month).
U.S. median 0.99% · better than most cities
0.63% 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
9.2% of adults · Share of adults who currently smoke.
U.S. median 24.3% · better than most cities
56.1% have a bachelor's degree or higher · Share of adults 25+ with a bachelor's degree or higher.
U.S. median 36.5% · better than most cities
24.2% of adults · Share of adults with obesity (BMI ≥ 30).
Frequently asked
- Is Pasadena, CA a good place to live?
- By the numbers, Pasadena scores 34/100 — a F (Bad) on Shcity, which ranks U.S. cities on public data across 22 metrics like crime, cost, jobs and health. Its strongest area is adult obesity 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 Pasadena, CA?
- Pasadena reports 486 violent crimes per 100k and 2795 property crimes per 100k — worse than most U.S. cities on violent crime.
- Is Pasadena, CA expensive to live in?
- Pasadena has a median home value of $1,093,300 and typical rent around $2,903/mo — pricier than most U.S. cities.
- What's the biggest downside of living in Pasadena, 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 Pasadena, CA best at?
- Its strongest measured area is adult obesity (24.2%) — 93/100, better than most U.S. cities. Fun fact: Host of the Tournament of Roses Parade and Rose Bowl, and home to Caltech and NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory.
Sources: U.S. Census (ACS), CDC PLACES, FBI Crime Data Explorer, BLS, EPA AirData, FEMA National Risk Index, and Zillow.