Is La Puente, CA a Good Place to Live?
La Puente is a small city of 37,835 in California, with a median household income of $77,702 and a 6.0% unemployment rate. Its cost of living index is 116 (US average = 100), which is 16% above the national average.
Strengths: La Puente stands out for lower-than-average crime.
Trade-offs: Potential downsides include an above-average cost of living, high home prices, longer commutes, an elevated unemployment rate. Whether La Puente is right for you depends on your priorities — the full breakdown is below.
All La Puente 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: 115.5La Puente's overall cost of living index is 115.5, where 100 represents the US national average. Living in La Puente costs roughly 16% more than the average American city.
| Metric | La Puente, CA | National Avg |
|---|---|---|
| Median Home Value | $561,800 | $244,900 |
| Median Monthly Rent | $1,696 | $1,163 |
| Homeownership Rate | 60.2% | 65.9% |
| Median Household Income | $77,702 | $74,755 |
Crime & Safety
Safer than AverageLa Puente's violent crime rate is 410.5 per 100,000 residents — 8% higher than the national average of ~380 per 100,000.
Vertical marker = national average. Source: FBI UCR Program.
Schools & Education
La Puente is served primarily by Hacienda la Puente Unified. The student-to-teacher ratio is 22.2:1 (slightly above the national average of ~16:1).
| Metric | La Puente, CA | National Avg |
|---|---|---|
| School District | Hacienda la Puente Unified | — |
| Elementary Schools | 17 | — |
| Middle Schools | 5 | — |
| High Schools | 6 | — |
| Student/Teacher Ratio | 22.2:1 | 16:1 |
| Bachelor's Degree or Higher | 11.5% | 35.4% |
| High School Diploma or Higher | 65.9% | 91.1% |
Weather & Climate
La Puente sees average highs of 68.6°F in January and 85.5°F in July, with 13.3 inches of annual precipitation .
| Metric | La Puente, CA |
|---|---|
| Average High — January | 68.6°F |
| Average High — July | 85.5°F |
| Annual Precipitation | 13.3" |
| Annual Snowfall | Trace / None |
Demographics
| Metric | La Puente, CA | National Avg |
|---|---|---|
| Population | 37,835 | — |
| Median Age | 36.4 | 38.9 |
| Unemployment Rate | 6.0% | 3.7% |
| Avg Commute Time | 30.6 min | 26 min |
| White (non-Hispanic) | 26.7% | 59.3% |
| Black or African American | 1.5% | 13.6% |
| Hispanic or Latino | 54.5% | 18.9% |
| Asian | 13.6% | 6.3% |
| Under 18 | 22.2% | 22.2% |
| 65 and over | 12.6% | 16.8% |
Nearby Cities
ZIP Codes in La Puente
La Puente, CA is covered by 1 ZIP code: