Median Income
$53,935
household / year
Median Home Value
$478,700
owner-occupied
Median Rent
$1,544
gross / month
Cost of Living
116
national avg = 100

Is Bell Gardens, CA a Good Place to Live?

Bell Gardens is a small city of 39,263 in California, with a median household income of $53,935 and a 5.7% unemployment rate. Its cost of living index is 116 (US average = 100), which is 16% above the national average.

Strengths: Bell Gardens stands out for lower-than-average crime.

Trade-offs: Potential downsides include an above-average cost of living, high home prices, an elevated unemployment rate. Whether Bell Gardens is right for you depends on your priorities — the full breakdown is below.

All Bell Gardens city data on this page comes from official government sources — the US Census Bureau, FBI, NCES, BEA, and NOAA — updated annually.

Cost of Living

Index: 115.5

Bell Gardens's overall cost of living index is 115.5, where 100 represents the US national average. Living in Bell Gardens costs roughly 16% more than the average American city.

Metric Bell Gardens, CA National Avg
Median Home Value $478,700 $244,900
Median Monthly Rent $1,544 $1,163
Homeownership Rate 19.6% 65.9%
Median Household Income $53,935 $74,755

Crime & Safety

Safer than Average

Bell Gardens's violent crime rate is 388.1 per 100,000 residents — 2% higher than the national average of ~380 per 100,000.

Violent Crime
388.1 /100k
Property Crime
1476.3 /100k

Vertical marker = national average. Source: FBI UCR Program.

Schools & Education

Bell Gardens is served primarily by Magnolia Science Academy Bell District. The student-to-teacher ratio is 20.9:1 (slightly above the national average of ~16:1).

Metric Bell Gardens, CA National Avg
School District Magnolia Science Academy Bell District —
Elementary Schools N/A —
Middle Schools 1 —
High Schools N/A —
Student/Teacher Ratio 20.9:1 16:1
Bachelor's Degree or Higher 6.1% 35.4%
High School Diploma or Higher 51.7% 91.1%

Weather & Climate

Bell Gardens sees average highs of 68.0°F in January and 82.0°F in July, with 15.2 inches of annual precipitation .

MetricBell Gardens, CA
Average High — January68.0°F
Average High — July82.0°F
Annual Precipitation15.2"
Annual SnowfallTrace / None

Demographics

MetricBell Gardens, CANational Avg
Population39,263—
Median Age31.138.9
Unemployment Rate5.7%3.7%
Avg Commute Time29.4 min26 min
White (non-Hispanic)44.2%59.3%
Black or African American1.4%13.6%
Hispanic or Latino52.4%18.9%
Asian0.4%6.3%
Under 1828.1%22.2%
65 and over9.3%16.8%

Nearby Cities

Cudahy, CA 2 mi Bell, CA 2 mi Commerce, CA 2 mi Downey, CA 2 mi Maywood, CA 3 mi

ZIP Codes in Bell Gardens

Bell Gardens, CA is covered by 1 ZIP code:

90201

Bell Gardens vs Other Cities

Bell Gardens, CA vs Cudahy, CA Bell Gardens, CA vs Bell, CA Bell Gardens, CA vs Commerce, CA Bell Gardens, CA vs Downey, CA Bell Gardens, CA vs Maywood, CA

Frequently Asked Questions

Bell Gardens's cost of living index is 116, where 100 is the national average. That puts Bell Gardens roughly 16% above the national average in cost. The median home price is $478,700 and median rent is $1,544/month.
Bell Gardens's violent crime rate is 388.1 per 100,000 residents — the national average is ~380 per 100,000. Property crime is 1476.3 per 100,000 (national avg ~2,100). Data from the FBI Uniform Crime Reporting Program.
Public schools in Bell Gardens are operated by Magnolia Science Academy Bell District. The district has several elementary, 1 middle, and several high schools. The student-to-teacher ratio is 20.9:1. 6.1% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor's degree or higher.
Bell Gardens, CA has a population of 39,263, a median household income of $53,935, and an unemployment rate of 5.7%. Whether it's right for you depends on your priorities — use the compare tool above to stack it against another city you're considering.
Bell Gardens averages 68.0°F in January and 82.0°F in July. Annual rainfall is 15.2 inches . Based on NOAA 30-year climate normals (1991–2020).
Bell Gardens, CA is covered by 1 ZIP code: 90201.
The population of Bell Gardens, California is 39,263 with a median age of 31.1. Source: US Census ACS 5-Year Estimates.
Key numbers for living in Bell Gardens: cost of living index 116 (100 = US average), median home $478,700, median household income $53,935, crime index 89 (100 = US average, lower is safer), schools rated C-. Whether these are benefits or drawbacks depends on where you're coming from — compare Bell Gardens side by side with your current city to see the trade-offs.