South El Monte, CA

Census place 0672996 · pop 19,287

F20/ 100
💀 Bad
F
in CA
📍 California ranks #49 of 50 states →
🏆 Prop tax0.63% · top 20%
🚽 Disaster100/100 · bottom 1%
Taxes
0.63% property · US 0.99%8.99% sales · US 7.00%up to 13.30% income · US 4.63%

Sales & income are statewide.

The breakdown — worst first

Natural disaster riskCounty-level100/1001

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.

Bachelor's degree or higher10.5%2

U.S. median 24.3% · worse than most cities

10.5% have a bachelor's degree or higher · Share of adults 25+ with a bachelor's degree or higher.

Air quality (AQI)County-level80 AQI3

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.

Unhealthy air daysCounty-level133 days3

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.

Physical inactivity39.5%3

U.S. median 26.5% · worse than most cities

39.5% of adults · Adults with no leisure-time physical activity.

Uninsured adults23.9%4

U.S. median 9.3% · worse than most cities

23.9% of adults · Adults 18–64 without health insurance.

Population growth (5yr)-6.9%5

U.S. median +2.4% · worse than most cities

-6.9% population change (5yr) · 5-year population change — are people moving in, or fleeing?

Unemployment rateCounty-level5.5%7

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.

Property crime rate3266/100k10

U.S. median 964/100k · worse than most cities

3266 property crimes per 100k · Burglary, theft, motor-vehicle theft and arson per 100,000 residents.

Housing cost$601,00014

U.S. median $214,900 · worse than most cities

$601,000 median home value · Median home value — how expensive it is to buy in. Higher = less affordable.

Poverty rate20.9%16

U.S. median 12.1% · worse than most cities

20.9% live in poverty · Share of residents living below the federal poverty line.

Homeownership50.5%16

U.S. median 67.2% · worse than most cities

50.5% own their home · Share of occupied homes that are owner-occupied.

Violent crime rate467/100k19

U.S. median 152/100k · worse than most cities

467 violent crimes per 100k · Violent crimes (murder, rape, robbery, aggravated assault) per 100,000 residents.

Broadband access88.4%28

U.S. median 90.0% · worse than most cities

88.4% of homes have broadband · Share of households with a broadband internet subscription.

Commute time27 min29

U.S. median 24 min · worse than most cities

27 min average one-way commute · Average one-way commute to work, in minutes.

Adult smoking15.5%29

U.S. median 14.6% · worse than most cities

15.5% of adults · Share of adults who currently smoke.

Poor mental health18.5%29

U.S. median 17.4% · worse than most cities

18.5% of adults · Adults reporting frequent poor mental health (14+ days a month).

Median household income$72,99048

U.S. median $67,857 · worse than most cities

$72,990 median household income · Median household income — a proxy for local economic health.

Income inequality0.4265

U.S. median 0.43 · better than most cities

Gini 0.42 (0 = equal, 1 = unequal) · Gini index of household income (0 = equal, 1 = unequal).

Adult obesity30.4%75

U.S. median 36.5% · better than most cities

30.4% of adults · Share of adults with obesity (BMI ≥ 30).

Property-tax burden0.63%80

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.

Not measured for South El Monte: Rent. Not every public source covers every city — EPA air monitors and Zillow rent only reach some places, and national crime data is still being added.

Frequently asked

Is South El Monte, CA a good place to live?
By the numbers, South El Monte scores 20/100 — a F (Bad) on Shcity, which ranks U.S. cities on public data across 21 metrics like crime, cost, jobs and health. Its strongest area is property-tax burden 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 South El Monte, CA?
South El Monte reports 467 violent crimes per 100k and 3266 property crimes per 100k — worse than most U.S. cities on violent crime.
Is South El Monte, CA expensive to live in?
South El Monte has a median home value of $601,000 — pricier than most U.S. cities.
What's the biggest downside of living in South El Monte, 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 South El Monte, CA best at?
Its strongest measured area is property-tax burden (0.63%) — 80/100, better than most U.S. cities.

Sources: U.S. Census (ACS), CDC PLACES, FBI Crime Data Explorer, BLS, EPA AirData, FEMA National Risk Index, and Zillow.