Whittier neighborhoods compared
Zillow publishes typical home values for each Whittier ZIP code and for four named neighborhoods around the city. The table ranks all ten by Zillow's typical value in September 2026, with the change over the previous year. The citywide figure was $815,136, up 1.6%.
| Area | Zillow typical value, Sept 2026 | 1-year change |
|---|---|---|
| Rose Hills | $970,703 | +2.9% |
| ZIP 90603 | $879,609 | +1.2% |
| East La Mirada | $877,546 | +1.3% |
| ZIP 90601 | $854,534 | +1.5% |
| ZIP 90602 | $840,033 | +1.7% |
| ZIP 90604 | $824,520 | +1.6% |
| ZIP 90605 | $790,713 | +1.8% |
| South Whittier | $784,691 | +1.7% |
| ZIP 90606 | $766,743 | +1.8% |
| West Whittier-Los Nietos | $766,090 | +1.7% |
Two things stand out. The spread is narrow, about $204,000 from top to bottom, so the choice in Whittier is more about setting, lot and home age than price tier. And several of these areas are not in the City of Whittier at all: South Whittier and West Whittier-Los Nietos are unincorporated Census-designated places, and the ZIP codes cross the city line. Check jurisdiction for every address.
Redfin also reports sales for the unincorporated places, measured differently from Zillow, so do not compare these with the table. In the three months to September 2026, Redfin's median sale price was $934,555 in East Whittier on 17 sales, $814,612 in South Whittier on 67 sales and $814,612 in West Whittier-Los Nietos on 25 sales. East Whittier is a Census-designated place of about 9,990 people with a median household income of $113,750, according to the Census Bureau's 2020-2024 survey. If a listing says East Whittier, ask whether it means that county area or the east side of the city.
Whittier neighborhood profiles
Rose Hills, Whittier area: $970,703 typical value
Rose Hills has the highest Zillow typical value of any Whittier-area neighborhood, $970,703 in September 2026, up 2.9% in a year, the fastest gain in the table. Zillow's data file does not publish its boundaries, so check the map on any listing. The Habitat Authority describes its Sycamore Canyon trailhead, in the westernmost part of the Puente Hills Preserve, as just south of Rose Hills Memorial Park. Expect hillside lots, views and the fire-zone and insurance checks that come with homes near open space.
ZIP 90603, east Whittier: $879,609 typical value
ZIP 90603 had the highest typical value of the six Whittier ZIPs, $879,609, and Redfin's median sale price was $890,738 in the three months to September 2026 on 39 sales. The Census Bureau's 2020-2024 survey puts its median household income at $136,705, the highest of the six, and 78.5% of homes are owner-occupied. It covers the east end of Whittier Boulevard, including the Whittwood Town Center, where a 2022 plan amendment proposes up to 1,200 homes, and some schools in the Lowell Joint district. Homes are mostly single-family, so condo choices are limited: Redfin counted four condo sales in the period.
East La Mirada: $877,546 typical value
East La Mirada is a Zillow neighborhood that Zillow groups with the Whittier area, with a typical value of $877,546 in September 2026, up 1.3%. Because Zillow does not publish its boundary in the data file, use the listing map to confirm whether a home is in Whittier, La Mirada or unincorporated county. The city and county affect the police agency, planning rules and the property tax rate area, so ask your agent or escrow officer to confirm.
ZIP 90601, Uptown and the college area: $854,534 typical value
ZIP 90601 covers much of historic Whittier, including Uptown along Philadelphia Street and Greenleaf Avenue and the streets around Whittier College. Zillow's typical value was $854,534, and Redfin's median sale price jumped 11.3% from a year earlier to $909,733 on 36 sales. About 62% of homes are owner-occupied and median household income is $104,052, per the Census Bureau. Much of the city's recent small-scale building is here: Elara's 24 townhomes on Philadelphia Street, two-home-and-ADU projects on Washington Avenue, the 25-home Citrange project on Floral Drive and a four-lot split on Honolulu Terrace. Rio Hondo College, also in 90601, has proposed a four-story student housing building on its campus. The Whittier Conservancy's records trace the Central Park historic overlay to 1988 and the Earlham Historic District to 2012, so check historic status before planning exterior changes.
ZIP 90602, Painter Avenue and the Civic Center: $840,033 typical value
ZIP 90602 includes the Civic Center on Penn Street, the Habitat Authority's office at 7333 Greenleaf Avenue, and much of Painter Avenue. Zillow's typical value was $840,033. Redfin's all-homes median fell 4.2% to $852,250, but its single-family median was $1,087,726 on 15 sales, so the mix of homes sold moves the figure. It is the most renter-heavy Whittier ZIP: only 38.9% of homes are owner-occupied and median household income is $68,505, which reflects its apartments. New supply includes Uptown Walk's 40 gated townhomes at 7354 Painter Avenue.
ZIP 90604, south and east of the center: $824,520 typical value
ZIP 90604 was the busiest Whittier ZIP, with 65 sales in the three months to September 2026 and a Redfin median of $842,502. Zillow's typical value was $824,520. With 39,276 residents it is the largest Whittier ZIP by population, and it mixes city blocks with unincorporated South Whittier around Telegraph Road. About 65% of homes are owner-occupied, and median household income is $105,074. Single-family homes made up 52 of the 65 sales. Lowell Joint and other elementary districts serve parts of the ZIP, so confirm the school district by address.
ZIP 90605, the southeast hills and flats: $790,713 typical value
ZIP 90605 runs from Whittier Boulevard at La Serna Drive, where the city approved the 41-home Villas of Friendly Hills condominiums in 2022, to unincorporated blocks near Painter Avenue and Rainier Avenue, where Los Angeles County is reviewing 46 townhouse condos. It also includes hillside lots: a 2026 city filing covers a new 8,690-square-foot house on Aurora Crest Drive in the Hillside Residential zone. Zillow's typical value was $790,713, up 1.8%, and Redfin's median was $824,758 on 33 sales. Median household income is $99,635.
South Whittier: $784,691 typical value
South Whittier is an unincorporated Census-designated place of about 55,650 people, governed by Los Angeles County rather than the city. Zillow's typical value was $784,691 in September 2026, up 1.7%, and Redfin's median sale price was $814,612 over three months, up 4.3%, on 67 sales. The Census puts the median year built at 1957 and median household income at $100,800, with about 65% of homes owner-occupied. Most homes are postwar single-family houses: 11,942 of 15,690 units are detached. Several elementary districts serve the area, including South Whittier Elementary, so confirm schools by address.
ZIP 90606, the west side and the Nelles site: $766,743 typical value
ZIP 90606 had the lowest Zillow typical value of the six Whittier ZIPs, $766,743, but the fastest Redfin gain, up 4.4% to $824,758 on 30 sales, all of them single-family. About 72% of homes are owner-occupied, and median household income is $100,428. It includes the western end of Whittier Boulevard and the Lincoln Specific Plan on the former Nelles site, planned for 750 homes and shops, plus Park Santa Fe mobile home park and the 25-unit Golden Oaks senior rental project approved in 2023. Unincorporated county blocks also use the ZIP, such as the site of a proposed five-story, 60-unit apartment building at Washington Boulevard and Broadway.
West Whittier-Los Nietos: $766,090 typical value
West Whittier-Los Nietos is an unincorporated Census-designated place of about 25,615 people. Zillow's typical value was $766,090, the lowest in the table, and Redfin's median was $814,612 on 25 sales. Its housing is among the oldest in the area, with a median year built of 1954, and about 76% of homes are owner-occupied. Metro's planned E Line extension to Whittier is designed to serve West Whittier-Los Nietos, although Metro says the first segment will end in Montebello, with completion estimated for 2035 to 2037, and the Whittier leg depends on future funding.
Whittier neighborhoods by what you are looking for
Walkability: Uptown Whittier
Uptown is the one part of Whittier planned for walking. The city's Housing Element describes tree-lined streets, outdoor dining and ground-floor shops, and its specific plan allows up to 1,035 homes so more people can live within walking distance of shops and services. Elara and Uptown Walk both market their walk to Uptown and Whittier College.
Lower entry prices: ZIP 90606 and West Whittier-Los Nietos
Both had Zillow typical values near $766,000 in September 2026. For the lowest prices of all, look at condos: Redfin's condo median in 90601 was $529,984, on only four sales.
Newer homes: Uptown townhomes and the Nelles site
With a citywide median year built of 1956, new homes are scarce. Most are the townhome projects near Uptown and the homes built under the Lincoln Specific Plan. See our new homes in Whittier guide.
Condos and townhomes: 90601 and 90602
Most new attached homes are in these two ZIPs, along Philadelphia Street and Painter Avenue. Our Whittier condos guide compares prices by ZIP.
Hills, views and trails: the northern and eastern hills
The Puente Hills Preserve, managed by the Habitat Authority from its office on Greenleaf Avenue, has trailheads including Hellman Park, Turnbull Canyon and Arroyo Pescadero. Hillside homes trade views and trail access for fire-zone checks and higher insurance quotes.
Historic homes: the Uptown historic districts
Whittier's historic districts include the Central Park overlay, recorded by the Whittier Conservancy in 1988, and the Earlham Historic District, designated in 2012. The Conservancy also led the 1989 rezoning of the North of Hadley residential area to stop apartment construction there. Ask the city's planning division for district maps, since exterior changes in a district may need a Certificate of Appropriateness.
Getting around from Whittier neighborhoods
Whittier is a driving city. The Census Bureau's 2020-2024 survey puts the average one-way commute for Whittier residents at 33.2 minutes. The city's General Plan notice lists Interstate 605 and State Route 72, which is Whittier Boulevard, as the main highways, and builders near Uptown point buyers to the 605, 60 and 5 freeways.
Commuting from the west side: 90606 and West Whittier-Los Nietos
The west side is closest to the 605 and to the San Gabriel River. It is also where rail is planned: Metro's Eastside Transit Corridor Phase 2 would extend the E Line about nine miles east from East Los Angeles, serving Commerce, Montebello, Pico Rivera, Santa Fe Springs, West Whittier-Los Nietos and Whittier, with a planned end at Lambert Station in Whittier. Metro is building a 4.7-mile first segment to Greenwood Station in Montebello first, with completion estimated for 2035 to 2037, and the rest depends on future funding.
Commuting from Uptown and the east side: 90601, 90603 and 90605
From Uptown and the east side, the 605 is reached by surface streets, and Whittier Boulevard (State Route 72) is the main east-west route. Test the commute at rush hour before you buy, since a few miles of surface streets can add a lot of time.
Costs that differ by Whittier neighborhood
The purchase price is only part of the cost. Four things change from one Whittier neighborhood to the next.
- Property tax rate area. Every address sits in a tax rate area with its own total rate. One Whittier area carried 1.163110% for 2026-27; city and county areas, and different school districts, can differ. Our Los Angeles County property tax guide shows how to look yours up.
- Insurance. Hillside homes near the Puente Hills Preserve may fall in a fire hazard zone, which can raise premiums or limit carriers. See our wildfire zones guide.
- HOA dues. New townhomes in 90601 and 90602 come with HOA dues; most older single-family streets have none.
- Housing type. The Housing Element counted 65.2% of Whittier's homes as detached single-family, 4.2% attached, 29.9% multifamily and 0.6% mobile homes. The city's four mobile home parks, with 149 spaces, are on Santa Fe Springs Road (90606), Whittier Boulevard (two in 90603) and Painter Avenue (90602).
How to choose a Whittier neighborhood
Start with jurisdiction, then schools, then hazards. Ask whether the home is in the City of Whittier or unincorporated county. Look up the assigned schools with the district, using our Whittier schools guide. Check the address on Cal OES MyHazards and the state's EQ Zapp map, since the Whittier Fault runs along the Puente Hills. Then compare the commute, covered in the next section. For crime figures, see our Whittier crime rates guide; for ZIP-level data, see Whittier ZIP codes.