Is Pico Rivera, CA a Good Place to Live?
Pico Rivera is a mid-sized city of 61,561 in California, with a median household income of $82,539 and a 4.7% unemployment rate. Its cost of living index is 116 (US average = 100), which is 16% above the national average.
Strengths: Pico Rivera's profile is close to national averages across most measures.
Trade-offs: Potential downsides include an above-average cost of living, high home prices, longer commutes. Whether Pico Rivera is right for you depends on your priorities — the full breakdown is below.
All Pico Rivera 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: 115.5Pico Rivera's overall cost of living index is 115.5, where 100 represents the US national average. Living in Pico Rivera costs roughly 16% more than the average American city.
| Metric | Pico Rivera, CA | National Avg |
|---|---|---|
| Median Home Value | $596,500 | $244,900 |
| Median Monthly Rent | $1,702 | $1,163 |
| Homeownership Rate | 68.9% | 65.9% |
| Median Household Income | $82,539 | $74,755 |
Crime & Safety
Near National AveragePico Rivera's violent crime rate is 468.1 per 100,000 residents — 23% higher than the national average of ~380 per 100,000.
Vertical marker = national average. Source: FBI UCR Program.
Schools & Education
Pico Rivera is served primarily by El Rancho Unified. The student-to-teacher ratio is 23.3:1 (slightly above the national average of ~16:1).
| Metric | Pico Rivera, CA | National Avg |
|---|---|---|
| School District | El Rancho Unified | — |
| Elementary Schools | 8 | — |
| Middle Schools | 3 | — |
| High Schools | 2 | — |
| Student/Teacher Ratio | 23.3:1 | 16:1 |
| Bachelor's Degree or Higher | 14.5% | 35.4% |
| High School Diploma or Higher | 71.7% | 91.1% |
Weather & Climate
Pico Rivera sees average highs of 68.6°F in January and 85.5°F in July, with 15.2 inches of annual precipitation .
| Metric | Pico Rivera, CA |
|---|---|
| Average High — January | 68.6°F |
| Average High — July | 85.5°F |
| Annual Precipitation | 15.2" |
| Annual Snowfall | Trace / None |
Demographics
| Metric | Pico Rivera, CA | National Avg |
|---|---|---|
| Population | 61,561 | — |
| Median Age | 39.0 | 38.9 |
| Unemployment Rate | 4.7% | 3.7% |
| Avg Commute Time | 30.8 min | 26 min |
| White (non-Hispanic) | 30.8% | 59.3% |
| Black or African American | 1.0% | 13.6% |
| Hispanic or Latino | 60.9% | 18.9% |
| Asian | 3.5% | 6.3% |
| Under 18 | 20.9% | 22.2% |
| 65 and over | 15.6% | 16.8% |
Nearby Cities
ZIP Codes in Pico Rivera
Pico Rivera, CA is covered by 1 ZIP code: