City safety & data profile

South El MonteCA

South El Monte, CA is a 21K-resident city in Los Angeles County with a median household income of $72,990.

Los Angeles County, California. Federal health, economic, and safety indicators for South El Monte, drawn from the U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey, CDC PLACES, and CMS Hospital Compare. South El Monte has a population larger than 46% of the 4,640 U.S. cities Areazine tracks, a median home value of $601,000, and 1 hospital serving the surrounding area.

Data updated 2026-07-20

21K
Population
Top 54%
By size
$72,990
Median income
$601,000
Median home
20.9%
Poverty rate

The read on South El Monte

South El Monte posts a median household income higher than 41% of U.S. cities Areazine tracks, where 1 hospital serves the South El Monte area.

Top 59%
by median income, US cities
1
hospital in & near South El Monte

Where South El Monte income ranks nationally

Median household income vs. every place Areazine profiles (place-level ACS)

$72,990 Bottom 41% higher than 41% of 3,889 places Areazine profiles

$0–$20,000: 0 places Areazine profiles (0%). Below this entry. $20,000–$40,000: 71 places Areazine profiles (2%). Below this entry. $40,000–$60,000: 788 places Areazine profiles (20%). Below this entry. $60,000–$80,000: 1,055 places Areazine profiles (27%). This entry sits in this band. $80,000–$100,000: 768 places Areazine profiles (20%). Above this entry. $100,000–$120,000: 515 places Areazine profiles (13%). Above this entry. $120,000–$140,000: 308 places Areazine profiles (8%). Above this entry. $140,000–$160,000: 171 places Areazine profiles (4%). Above this entry. $160,000–$180,000: 92 places Areazine profiles (2%). Above this entry. $180,000–$200,000: 47 places Areazine profiles (1%). Above this entry. $200,000–$220,000: 28 places Areazine profiles (1%). Above this entry. $220,000–$240,000: 18 places Areazine profiles (0%). Above this entry. $240,000–$260,000: 28 places Areazine profiles (1%). Above this entry. CA $0 $260,000 every profiled place, bucketed by value

Each bar is a $20K-wide band; taller bars hold more places Areazine profiles. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count, share, and where it sits relative to this entry.

Source U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey (place-level) · 2024 ACS 5-year

The quick read

Reading South El Monte, CA beyond the headline numbers

South El Monte sits inside Los Angeles County, California, at roughly 34.05°N, -118.05°W. Population 20,878, $72,990 median household income. Median home value $601,000, median rent $1,752. Poverty rate 20.9%, read against that income figure since two cities on the same median can differ underneath it.

CDC PLACES: South El Monte's highest-prevalence health measure is physical inactivity at 39.5%, then short sleep duration at 39%. 1 hospital in/around South El Monte, 2/5 avg rating, 0 with an ER.

Sources: U.S. Census ACS, CDC PLACES, CMS Hospital Compare, plus live alerts for South El Monte from FEMA, NOAA, FDA, and CPSC. Comparison bars benchmark each metric against the national reference.

Population
20,878
South El Monte
Median Income
$72,990
+7% vs avg
Median Home Value
$601,000
+164% vs avg
Median Age
37.2
years

10-Year Trends 2013–2024

County-level trend (Los Angeles County) - South El Monte's own historical series isn't separately published by the Census Bureau, so these year-over-year figures track the surrounding county, not the city alone.

20132024
Population
9.8M-1%
Median Income
$90,112+61%
Median Home Value
$834,200+99%
Poverty Rate
13.7%-23%
Unemployment
7.3%-36%

Economics

Economics indicators for South El Monte, CA
IndicatorValue
Median Rent
$1,752/mo
Poverty Rate
20.9% +47% vs avg
Unemployment 7.4%
Bachelor's Degree+ 10.5%
Work From Home 6.7%
Public Transit 3%

Population

White 10.7%
African American 0.9%
Asian 20.5%

Health Profile 15 measures

Health Indicators

Physical Inactivity
39.5%
Short Sleep Duration
39%
High Blood Pressure
32%
Obesity
30.4%
Lack of Health Insurance
23.9%
Frequent Physical Distress
19.1%
Frequent Mental Distress
18.5%
Diabetes
17.1%
Current Smoking
15.5%
Binge Drinking
13.4%

Preventive Care

Dental Visit 45.6%
Annual Checkup 68.4%

Other Measures

Current Asthma
8.9%
Coronary Heart Disease
6.6%
Stroke
4%

Hospitals 1 total

Rating Distribution
★★★★★
0
★★★★
0
★★★
0
★★
1
★
0
Average Rating
2/5
Total Hospitals
1
With ER
0
GREATER EL MONTE COMMUNITY HOSPITAL
SOUTH EL MONTE · Acute Care Hospitals
★★☆☆☆

Frequently Asked Questions 6

What is the population of South El Monte, CA? ▼
South El Monte, CA has a population of 20,878 people, located in Los Angeles County, California.
What is the median household income in South El Monte? ▼
The median household income in South El Monte, CA is $72,990 per year, per the U.S. Census ACS. The poverty rate is 20.9%.
What is the median home value in South El Monte? ▼
The median home value in South El Monte, CA is $601,000. Median rent is $1,752/month.
What are the top health concerns in South El Monte? ▼
The top health indicators in South El Monte include Physical Inactivity (39.5%), Short Sleep Duration (39%), High Blood Pressure (32%). Data from CDC PLACES.
How many hospitals are in South El Monte? ▼
South El Monte has 1 hospital with an average rating of 2/5 stars. 0 have emergency departments.
What is the median age in South El Monte? ▼
The median age in South El Monte, CA is 37.2 years. 10.5% of residents have a bachelor's degree or higher.

Safety Context

South El Monte, CA is located in Los Angeles County, California. With a population of 21K and a $72,990 median household income, the community faces health challenges including physical inactivity and short sleep duration. Residents have access to 1 hospital with an average rating of 2/5 stars. Safety alerts for the South El Monte area are monitored from federal and state agencies including FEMA, NOAA, FDA, and CPSC.

Safety Guides

How Product Recalls Work

CPSC, FDA & NHTSA recall process explained

Understanding Weather Alerts

Watch vs warning vs advisory explained

Earthquake Magnitude Explained

What the numbers mean & when to act
All safety guides →

Primary source data

EPA Outdoor Air Quality Data

Federal monitoring network, every measurement we report

AirNow - California

Real-time AQI for every monitored California location

National Weather Service

NOAA active watches, warnings, advisories

CDC Air Quality & Health

Health-impact reference for every AQI category

EPA NAAQS standards

National Ambient Air Quality Standards, the regulatory thresholds

Nearby Cities 8

El Monte, CA 117K Rosemead, CA 55K Temple City, CA 36K Avocado Heights, CA 15K East San Gabriel, CA 15K Montebello, CA 64K San Gabriel, CA 40K Whittier, CA 87K
All cities in California → Compare South El Monte vs El Monte → All comparisons → Browse all cities

Using South El Monte's profile

Use this as a starting research checklist, not a verdict on whether to live here.

  • Check live recalls, weather and hazard alerts scoped to the South El Monte area before relying on national headlines. Check your area
  • Read the poverty rate alongside the income figure, two places with the same median can have very different realities.
  • Compare South El Monte against California peers on any ranking lens. Explore California

Population and economics (income, home value, poverty, education) are place-level U.S. Census ACS; health is CDC PLACES; hospital counts reflect facilities in and around the city.

Data Sources

All data on this page comes from official U.S. government sources. Population and economic data from the Census Bureau American Community Survey (2024 5-year estimates, place geography). Health data from the CDC PLACES program (2023). Hospital ratings from CMS Hospital Compare (2024). Climate data from NOAA. Education data from NCES. Cost of living from Bureau of Economic Analysis. Crime statistics, where referenced on Areazine, originate from the FBI Crime Data Explorer. Housing market figures referenced on Areazine come from HUD Fair Market Rents. Census economics and population are at place geography; some health and hospital indicators are reported at the county level (Los Angeles County) where that is the smallest published unit.

Every figure on Areazine is published directly from official U.S. government sources, no number is typed in by an editor. City demographic and health figures are compiled directly from U.S. Census, CDC, and CMS releases, updated quarterly within 30 days of upstream release. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of 2026.