Is Carson, CA a Good Place to Live?
Carson is a mid-sized city of 94,475 in California, with a median household income of $103,045 and a 6.9% unemployment rate. Its cost of living index is 116 (US average = 100), which is 16% above the national average.
Strengths: Carson's profile is close to national averages across most measures.
Trade-offs: Potential downsides include an above-average cost of living, high home prices, an elevated unemployment rate. Whether Carson is right for you depends on your priorities — the full breakdown is below.
All Carson 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: 115.5Carson's overall cost of living index is 115.5, where 100 represents the US national average. Living in Carson costs roughly 16% more than the average American city.
| Metric | Carson, CA | National Avg |
|---|---|---|
| Median Home Value | $616,000 | $244,900 |
| Median Monthly Rent | $1,815 | $1,163 |
| Homeownership Rate | 74.7% | 65.9% |
| Median Household Income | $103,045 | $74,755 |
Crime & Safety
Near National AverageCarson's violent crime rate is 420.0 per 100,000 residents — 11% higher than the national average of ~380 per 100,000.
Vertical marker = national average. Source: FBI UCR Program.
Schools & Education
Carson is served primarily by Long Beach Unified. The student-to-teacher ratio is 23.7:1 (slightly above the national average of ~16:1).
| Metric | Carson, CA | National Avg |
|---|---|---|
| School District | Long Beach Unified | — |
| Elementary Schools | 53 | — |
| Middle Schools | 15 | — |
| High Schools | 13 | — |
| Student/Teacher Ratio | 23.7:1 | 16:1 |
| Bachelor's Degree or Higher | 29.6% | 35.4% |
| High School Diploma or Higher | 82.3% | 91.1% |
Weather & Climate
Carson sees average highs of 66.8°F in January and 76.9°F in July, with 13.6 inches of annual precipitation .
| Metric | Carson, CA |
|---|---|
| Average High — January | 66.8°F |
| Average High — July | 76.9°F |
| Annual Precipitation | 13.6" |
| Annual Snowfall | Trace / None |
Demographics
| Metric | Carson, CA | National Avg |
|---|---|---|
| Population | 94,475 | — |
| Median Age | 41.3 | 38.9 |
| Unemployment Rate | 6.9% | 3.7% |
| Avg Commute Time | 27.6 min | 26 min |
| White (non-Hispanic) | 20.4% | 59.3% |
| Black or African American | 22.5% | 13.6% |
| Hispanic or Latino | 25.0% | 18.9% |
| Asian | 25.5% | 6.3% |
| Under 18 | 19.5% | 22.2% |
| 65 and over | 17.2% | 16.8% |
Nearby Cities
ZIP Codes in Carson
Carson, CA is covered by 4 ZIP codes: