Locations
Los Angeles is an amazing place to live. The entire county is literally jam-backed with amazing places to go, things to see, fine arts, culture, night life, and more. However, that all comes at a hefty home price tag. The average listing price of a home in L.A. County is $1,114,000 and the average sale price is $652,000. That’s why we’ve put together this list to help you find an affordable place to settle in this amazing county.
There are approximately 90 cities within Los Angeles County, so we started to form our list by first finding the top 30 cities with the lowest average listing price. From there we decided to use one other factor to find the cities you should be living in – crime rates. The average violent crime rate in the state of California is 4.23 (number of violent crimes per 1,000 people). The cities that made our top 10 list were those within the most affordable 30 cities which all had crime rates below the state average.
So not only are these some of the most affordable cities in Los Angeles County, they’re the safest which means you should take a good look!
1. Bell Gardens
Bell Gardens made it to the top of our list because it was the most affordable real estate market in Los Angeles County with the lowest crime rate. Coincidentally, it has the lowest crime rate on our entire list except for West Covina which made it in at #10. The city is one of five in L.A. County to legally allow casino gambling. The luxury Bicycle Casino is a major source of revenue for the city and community resource offering conference rooms for business and delicious dining for pleasure.
Listing Price: $343,000
Sold Price: $216,000
Crime Rate: 2.92
2. Norwalk
Norwalk is bordered by the cities of Downy, Bellflower, Cerritos, Artesia and Sante Fe Springs. It is a relatively large city and traffic heavy because of its location off of the 5 Freeway. The city is home to Cerritos College and is served by several different school districts including the Norwalk-La Mirada Unified School District.
Listing Price: $356,000
Sold Price: $306,000
Crime Rate: 4.04
3. Baldwin Park
Located in the central San Gabriel Valley, Baldwin Park has a population of about 75,390. Now is a good time to buy in Baldwin Park especially because home values and prices are on the rise. Listing prices have increased 18.1% from last year and 2.8% from just last month. The city’s claim to fame is as home of the first In-N-Out burger stand back in 1948.
Listing Price: $366,000
Sold Price: $313,000
Crime Rate: 3.41
4. Pico Rivera
Pico Rivera is centrally located within the county, just 11 miles from downtown Los Angeles and within close proximity to LAX airport and the ports of Long Beach. Community friendly, the city has 9 parks in the city including 18 athletic fields, four community centers, a nine-hole golf course and a skate park.
Listing Price: $371,000
Sold Price: $302,000
Crime Rate: 4.08
5. San Fernando
Nestled into the San Fernando Valley, this suburb is completely surrounded by the city of Los Angeles. The city is popular among young families – the average age in the city is 31 years old and 55% of households have children. Listing prices in the city have been rising, 28.8% year-over-year and 1.1% from last month which means now is a good time to invest in San Fernando real estate.
Listing Price: $371,000
Sold Price: $288,000
Crime Rate: 3.2
6. La Puente
The city of La Puente has a population of 114,928 and has a 70% homeownership rate among residents. La Puente is a great city to invest in now because home values and prices have appreciated since last year, listing prices up 23.9%, however in the last month prices have been stable. Take a look at La Puente homes for sale and see if this community is right for you.
Listing Price: $378,000
Sold Price: $345,000
Crime Rate: 2.99
7. Duarte
Duarte is a relatively small city in L.A. County with a population of 29,160, located just outside of one of the most expensive zip codes in the country. Bounded to the north by the San Gabriel Mountains, Duarte is surrounded by the cities of Irwindale, Bradbury, Monrovia and Azusa. Fun fact, historic Route 66 runs through the heart of the city and every September the city holds a Salute to Route 66 Parade.
Listing Price: $423,000
Sold Price: $365,000
Crime Rate: 3.28
8. Artesia
Artesia is a small city of 16,691 residents but has a lot to offer residents and visitors. The city is very diverse and home to what’s commonly known as “Little India” or the city’s International Cultural District. The area has numerous Indian restaurants grocery stores and boutiques as well as other South Indian businesses. The city is also home to EastWest Ice Palace which is co-owned by former Olympic champion Michelle Kwan.
Listing Price: $431,000
Sold Price: $417,000
Crime Rate: 3.57
9. Bellflower
Bellflower is a suburb of the city of Los Angeles and borders on Downey, Norwalk, Cerritos, Lakewood, Long Beach and the city of Paramount. Larger than most of the cities on our list, Bellflower has a population of 76,146. The city is a great location to settle if you love the cities of Long Beach and Los Angeles, its central location between the two as well as easy access to the 91 Freeway and MTA are invaluable.
Listing Price: $432,000
Sold Price: $314,000
Crime Rate: 3.9
10. West Covina
Inventory in West Covina has been on the rise which means more home choices than ever. December stats revealed there are 123 homes for sale in the city, a 61.8% increase from last year. West Covina is also the safest city on our list with a 2.61 violent crime rate. For the price tag, West Covina is a great city to settle into if you love Los Angeles County.
Listing Price: $454,000
Sold Price: $414,000
Crime Rate: 2.61