Is El Segundo, CA a Good Place to Live?
El Segundo is a small city of 17,081 in California, with a median household income of $142,596 and a 5.4% unemployment rate. Its cost of living index is 116 (US average = 100), which is 16% above the national average.
Strengths: El Segundo stands out for solid school ratings (B+), a well-educated population, short average commutes.
Trade-offs: Potential downsides include an above-average cost of living, high home prices, a higher-than-average crime index, an elevated unemployment rate. Whether El Segundo is right for you depends on your priorities — the full breakdown is below.
All El Segundo 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: 115.5El Segundo's overall cost of living index is 115.5, where 100 represents the US national average. Living in El Segundo costs roughly 16% more than the average American city.
| Metric | El Segundo, CA | National Avg |
|---|---|---|
| Median Home Value | $1,479,000 | $244,900 |
| Median Monthly Rent | $2,476 | $1,163 |
| Homeownership Rate | 42.2% | 65.9% |
| Median Household Income | $142,596 | $74,755 |
Crime & Safety
High CrimeEl Segundo's violent crime rate is 512.5 per 100,000 residents — 35% higher than the national average of ~380 per 100,000.
Vertical marker = national average. Source: FBI UCR Program.
Schools & Education
El Segundo is served primarily by Wiseburn Unified. The student-to-teacher ratio is 25.4:1 (slightly above the national average of ~16:1).
| Metric | El Segundo, CA | National Avg |
|---|---|---|
| School District | Wiseburn Unified | — |
| Elementary Schools | 3 | — |
| Middle Schools | 1 | — |
| High Schools | N/A | — |
| Student/Teacher Ratio | 25.4:1 | 16:1 |
| Bachelor's Degree or Higher | 61.3% | 35.4% |
| High School Diploma or Higher | 98.3% | 91.1% |
Weather & Climate
El Segundo sees average highs of 66.3°F in January and 75.1°F in July, with 12.2 inches of annual precipitation .
| Metric | El Segundo, CA |
|---|---|
| Average High — January | 66.3°F |
| Average High — July | 75.1°F |
| Annual Precipitation | 12.2" |
| Annual Snowfall | Trace / None |
Demographics
| Metric | El Segundo, CA | National Avg |
|---|---|---|
| Population | 17,081 | — |
| Median Age | 36.4 | 38.9 |
| Unemployment Rate | 5.4% | 3.7% |
| Avg Commute Time | 24.2 min | 26 min |
| White (non-Hispanic) | 65.9% | 59.3% |
| Black or African American | 4.8% | 13.6% |
| Hispanic or Latino | 11.2% | 18.9% |
| Asian | 10.0% | 6.3% |
| Under 18 | 20.8% | 22.2% |
| 65 and over | 12.4% | 16.8% |
Nearby Cities
ZIP Codes in El Segundo
El Segundo, CA is covered by 1 ZIP code: