Is Whittier a good place to live? The short answer
Whittier is an established, mostly owner-occupied city at the edge of the Puente Hills with prices close to the Los Angeles County middle. Four numbers sum it up:
- $815,136: Zillow's typical Whittier home value in September 2026, up 1.6% in a year and 82.4% in ten years.
- $97,201: the city's median household income in the Census Bureau's 2020-2024 survey.
- 93.7%: the graduation rate at Whittier Union High School District on the 2025 California School Dashboard, against 87.8% statewide.
- 1956: the median year Whittier's homes were built, which shapes both the charm and the repair bills.
Whether it suits you depends on budget, commute and how you weigh hillside living against earthquake and fire checks. The pros and cons below set out the evidence.
Pros of living in Whittier
Pro: Whittier prices have held steady
Zillow's typical value has stayed within about 1% of its December 2024 peak of $820,360, and rose 18.1% over five years. Redfin's median sale price was $926,559 in the three months to September 2026, up 6.2%. Homes sold in a median of 42 days for 101.4% of list price, so buyers face competition but still have time for inspections.
Pro: high school results above the state
Whittier Union High School District scored 32.7 points above standard in English on the 2025 Dashboard, against 8.1 below for the state, and La Serna High scored 55.3 above. Some elementary schools, such as Leffingwell and Murphy Ranch in East Whittier City district, scored more than 50 points above. Results vary widely by district, so see our Whittier schools guide.
Pro: trails in the Puente Hills Preserve
The Puente Hills Habitat Preservation Authority, based on Greenleaf Avenue, manages preserve land with trailheads at Hellman Park, Turnbull Canyon, Arroyo Pescadero and Sycamore Canyon. The Whittier Conservancy records that residents campaigned for Prop A in 1992 to buy and preserve the hills behind the city.
Pro: a walkable historic Uptown
Uptown Whittier, along Philadelphia Street and Greenleaf Avenue, is described in the city's Housing Element as tree-lined streets with outdoor dining and ground-floor shops. The city's specific plan allows up to 1,035 homes there, and new townhomes are being built within walking distance. The Whittier Museum and the historic Bailey House offer free admission.
Pro: two colleges in town
Whittier College, a four-year private liberal arts college, sits next to Uptown, and Rio Hondo College, a community college, is on Workman Mill Road, where it has proposed new student housing. Rio Hondo's proposed building is about 90,000 square feet over four stories.
Pro: a stable, owner-heavy city
About 94% of residents lived in the same home a year earlier, according to the Census Bureau, and about 58% of households own their homes. In ZIP 90603, owner-occupancy is 78.5%. Whittier's population barely changed from 86,090 to 86,165 between the 2015-2019 and 2020-2024 surveys.
Pro: rail is planned
Metro's Eastside Transit Corridor Phase 2 plans to extend the E Line about nine miles east to a final stop at Lambert Station in Whittier. The first segment ends in Montebello, with completion estimated for 2035 to 2037, and the Whittier leg depends on funding, so treat it as a long-term plan.
Pro: new homes near Uptown
After decades with little new building, Whittier now has townhome communities selling near Uptown: Elara, listed from $719,900, and the gated Uptown Walk, from the high $600,000s, when checked in October 2026. See our new homes guide.
Cons of living in Whittier
Con: the cost of buying
At Zillow's $815,136 typical value, 20% down and Freddie Mac's 7.24% rate for the week of October 29, 2026, principal and interest are about $4,444 a month, plus about $790 in property tax at one Whittier tax rate area's 1.163110% rate. That is far above Zillow's typical Whittier rent of $2,402.
Con: earthquake risk
The Whittier Fault runs about 40 km and could produce magnitude 6.0 to 7.2 earthquakes, according to the Southern California Earthquake Data Center. The 1987 Whittier Narrows earthquake, magnitude 5.9, killed eight people and caused $358 million in damage. Older homes may need foundation bolting; see our earthquake insurance guide.
Con: fire zones and insurance in the hills
Homes near the preserve can fall in mapped fire hazard zones, which can limit insurers and raise premiums. Check the address on Cal OES MyHazards and get quotes early; our FAIR Plan guide covers the fallback option.
Con: no rail station today
Whittier has no Metro rail stop yet, and the Census Bureau puts the average commute at 33.2 minutes each way. Plan on driving for most trips, and test any commute at rush hour.
Con: old houses need work
With a median build year of 1956, many homes have original sewer lines, older wiring and raised foundations. Budget for inspections and repairs, and check permits on past additions.
Con: little new housing
The Housing Element counted 29,721 homes in 2020, only 130 more than in 2010. Limited supply keeps choice narrow, especially for condos: Redfin counted 18 condo sales across five Whittier ZIPs in the three months to September 2026.
Con: reported violent crime has risen
California DOJ OpenJustice figures show the Whittier Police Department reported 408 violent crimes in 2024, up from 213 in 2019, while property crimes were 1,976 in 2024 against 1,901 in 2019. Per 1,000 residents, using the Census population of 86,165, that is about 4.7 violent and 22.9 property crimes. These are reported counts, not a measure of any street. See our Whittier crime rates guide.
What living in Whittier is like
Whittier's climate
Whittier has dry summers and wet winters. Long-term records from the nearby Montebello weather station, kept by the Western Regional Climate Center, average about 16.5 inches of rain a year, with January, February and March the wettest months and almost none from June to August. Rain years vary a lot: the same record runs from about 4 inches in 1989 to almost 38 inches in 1998.
Getting around Whittier
Interstate 605 and State Route 72, which is Whittier Boulevard, are the main highways listed in the city's General Plan notice. Builders near Uptown point to the 605, 60 and 5 freeways. Uptown is the one area designed for walking. Check bus routes on Metro's site for your address.
Things to do in Whittier
The Puente Hills Preserve trails, Uptown's restaurants and shops, the Whittier Museum and the Bailey House, and the Whittier Greenway Trail are the local staples. A 2024 state filing covers cleanup of Union Pacific land next to a planned Greenway Trail extension near Leffingwell Creek. Los Angeles County's Whittier Narrows Recreation Area, which includes a nature center and a county golf course, is nearby.
Housing in Whittier
Whittier is mostly houses. The city's Housing Element counted 65.2% of homes as detached single-family, 4.2% attached, 29.9% in multifamily buildings and 0.6% mobile homes, with an average household of 3.07 people. Renters are about 42% of households. The Census Bureau's median gross rent was $1,906 in the 2020-2024 survey, while Zillow's typical asking rent, which tracks homes on the market now, was $2,402 in September 2026, up 0.9% in a year. The two measures differ because long-term tenants often pay below current market rents.
Shopping and errands in Whittier
Daily shopping is split between Uptown's smaller stores and the big centers along Whittier Boulevard. The largest is the Whittwood Town Center at Santa Gertrudes Avenue, about 743,000 square feet of shopping, which a 2022 plan amendment would partly redevelop with up to 1,200 homes and up to 300 hotel rooms. The former Nelles site on Whittier Boulevard was approved for about 146,000 square feet of shops alongside its homes.
Jobs and education in Whittier
The Census Bureau's 2020-2024 survey puts Whittier's unemployment rate at 5.4% and the share of adults 25 and over with a bachelor's degree or higher at 29.5%. Most residents work outside the city, which is why the commute matters. MIT's calculator, using Bureau of Labor Statistics data for the region, lists typical salaries of about $80,140 in education, training and library jobs and $131,360 for healthcare practitioners, which you can compare with the living wage table below.
Salary needed to live in Whittier
MIT's Living Wage Calculator for Los Angeles County, updated February 15, 2026, estimates the pre-tax income needed to cover basic costs, including rent:
| Household | Income needed before taxes |
|---|---|
| 1 adult, no children | $60,161 |
| 1 adult, 1 child | $104,483 |
| 2 adults (1 working), no children | $79,296 |
| 2 adults (both working), 2 children | $140,735 |
Buying costs more. Keeping principal, interest and property tax on Zillow's typical Whittier home (about $5,234 a month at 7.24% with 20% down) to 30% of gross income takes about $209,000 a year, before insurance. Whittier's median household income is $97,201, so most buyers rely on equity from a previous home, larger down payments or two incomes.
Who is moving to Whittier
The Census Bureau's 2020-2024 survey shows a settled population. Of residents aged one and over, 94.3% lived in the same home a year earlier. About 4.5% had moved from elsewhere in Los Angeles County, 0.9% from another California county, 0.2% from another state and 0.1% from abroad. Between the 2015-2019 and 2020-2024 surveys, median household income rose from $77,270 to $97,201 and the median owner-estimated home value from $574,400 to $822,600, while population held near 86,000. In short, few people move in, and those who do mostly come from nearby.
Retiring in Whittier
About 15% of Whittier residents, 12,903 people, are 65 or older, according to the 2020-2024 survey. The city's Housing Element counted about 438 affordable units reserved for lower-income seniors, and in 2023 the city approved Golden Oaks, a 25-unit senior rental project near Norwalk Boulevard and Whittier Boulevard. Homeowners moving within California may be able to carry their Prop 13 base under Prop 19; see our Prop 19 guide, and for age-restricted options statewide, our 55+ communities guide.
Where to live in Whittier
Zillow's typical values by ZIP ran from $766,743 in 90606 to $879,609 in 90603 in September 2026. Uptown and the college area in 90601 suit buyers who want older homes and walkable streets; 90603 on the east side has the highest values and incomes; 90606 and unincorporated West Whittier-Los Nietos have the lowest typical values. Our Whittier neighborhoods guide profiles each area, and the Whittier homes for sale guide covers buying and selling.
Should you move to Whittier? A checklist
- Run the monthly cost at today's rate, including tax, insurance and any HOA dues.
- Confirm whether the address is in the city or unincorporated county.
- Check the assigned schools with the district, not a listing.
- Look up fault and fire zones on EQ Zapp and MyHazards, and get insurance quotes.
- Drive the commute at rush hour.
- Walk the street at night and on a weekend.
- For an older home, budget for a sewer scope and a foundation check.
- If the home is in a historic district, ask the city's planning division what exterior work needs review before you plan changes.
- For a townhome or condo, read the HOA budget, reserve study and balcony inspection status.