Bell Gardens, California Income Statistics
Bell Gardens Wealth Score
The wealth index reflects the overall economic prosperity and financial well-being of an area's residents based on income levels, employment rates, and income inequality metrics.
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F
Bell Gardens Well below average
Source: Map AI Methodology
Income Statistics Overview
| Metric | Bell Gardens | California Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median Household Income | $63,357 | $99,161 | $80,455 |
| Median Personal Income | $35,475 | $67,742 | $60,758 |
| Average Yearly Income Growth | 6.7% | 5.6% | 4.8% |
| Six-Figure Earners | 2.2% | 17.6% | 13.9% |
| $200k+ Households | 4.8% | 20.5% | 13.2% |
The median household income in Bell Gardens is about 36% lower than in California. Income has been growing faster in Bell Gardens (6.7%/yr) than in California (5.6%/yr).
About 2% of adults in Bell Gardens earn six figures ($100,000 or more) a year, lower than the California average of 18%.
Median Household Income 2009–2024 Trend
Median Household Income Over Time
Median household income in Bell Gardens, California grew by 62.7% from 2009 to 2024, reaching $63,357 in 2024. That's an average of about 6.7% per year.
Income Inequality and the Gender Pay Gap in Bell Gardens
| Metric | Bell Gardens | California Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gini Coefficient | 0.573 | 0.572 | 0.552 |
| Male Median Income | $42,147 | $75,172 | $69,667 |
| Female Median Income | $37,748 | $66,071 | $56,850 |
| Gender Pay Gap | 10.4% | 12.1% | 18.4% |
The Gini coefficient measures how evenly income is shared between richer and poorer households, from 0 (everyone earns the same) to 1 (one household earns nearly everything). The lower the number, the more equally income is distributed. In Bell Gardens, it is 0.573, about the same as California's 0.572, so income here is about as evenly distributed as there, and higher than the US's 0.552, so income is less evenly distributed here than there.
Men's income is about 12% more than women's income in Bell Gardens, California. Over a 35-year career, a 12% wage gap accumulates to roughly $153,965 in unearned income for female workers in the area.
Income by Sex Over Time
Since 2009, the income gap between men and women in Bell Gardens, California has narrowed from about 16% to 10% in 2024. Over that period the gap was widest at 26% in 2012, and was narrowest at 9% in 2021. In dollar terms, the gap has narrowed by $191 since 2009.
Employment
| Metric | Bell Gardens | California Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Unemployment Rate | 5.9% | 6.6% | 5.2% |
| Working from Home | 5.6% | 17.2% | 15.0% |
| Commute time (minutes) | 26 | 23 | 22 |
Approximately 1,035 people are unemployed in Bell Gardens, California.
The average commute time in Bell Gardens is 26 minutes, longer than the 23 minutes in California.
Unemployment Rate Over Time
Since 2011, the unemployment rate in Bell Gardens, California has fallen from 9.8% to 5.9% in 2024. Over that period the rate peaked at 13.1% in 2013 and fell as low as 5.7% in 2022.
Bell Gardens, CA Wealth Compared With Nearby Cities
Bell Gardens, CA is the 2nd largest of the 5 cities compared here, 38,229 residents against a local median of 28,020. Where Bell Gardens, CA breaks from the cities next to it is income growth, sitting 23% above the local median of 5.5%/yr at 6.7%/yr. That is the better end of the local range on this measure.
Unemployment tells the same story from another angle: 5.9% against a local median of 7.1%, 17% below it. Every measure here with a clear better direction points the same way, so Bell Gardens, CA is not trading one advantage for another, it reads stronger than its neighbours across the board. The cities themselves spread 2.2%/yr on income growth, so Bell Gardens, CA sits at one end of an already wide local range rather than apart from it. Bell Gardens, CA has the highest income growth of the 5 areas compared here.
| Area | Population | Median household income | Income growthAverage yearly change in median household income since 2016. Each year is measured in its own dollars, so this is growth before inflation. | Unemployment | Income inequalityGini coefficient: 0 would mean every household earns the same, 1 that a single household earns everything. The lower the number, the more equally income is shared here. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bell Gardens, CA | 38,229 | $63,357 #2/5 | 6.7%/yr #1/5 | 5.9% #2/5 | 0.573 #4/5 |
| Cudahy, CA | 21,960 | $57,064 | 4.9%/yr | 10.1% | 0.591 |
| Bell, CA | 33,319 | $61,982 | 6.0%/yr | 6.7% | 0.573 |
| Downey, CA | 112,177 | $92,056 | 4.5%/yr | 5.8% | 0.566 |
| Maywood, CA | 22,721 | $61,102 | 6.7%/yr | 7.5% | 0.550 |
Conclusion
Considering all these factors, Bell Gardens, California has an overall wealth index grade of F, making it worse than California, and worse than the country as a whole.
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about income and wealth in Bell Gardens, California.
How Rich Is Bell Gardens, California?
Bell Gardens has a wealth index grade of F. The wealth index grades areas from A+ (best) to F- by combining income levels, employment rates, and income inequality; an F grade means residents are well below the U.S. average. The median household income is $63,357, about 36% lower than the California average of $99,161.
Are incomes growing in Bell Gardens, California?
Between 2009 and 2024, the median household income in Bell Gardens, California rose 63%, from $38,936 to $63,357. Over the same years, income here lagged behind California as a whole: +63% against +64%.
What was the median household income in Bell Gardens in 2023?
In 2023, the median household income in Bell Gardens, California was $55,525, up 3% from $53,858 in 2022. The California median that year was $96,718.
What was the median household income in Bell Gardens in 2020?
In 2020, the median household income in Bell Gardens, California was $45,300. By 2024 it had risen 40% to $63,357.
What is the Gini coefficient in Bell Gardens, California?
The Gini coefficient in Bell Gardens is 0.573. It measures income inequality on a scale from 0 (everyone earns the same) to 1 (one household earns everything). That is higher than the US average of 0.552, so income is distributed less equally than in the country overall.
How has the income gap between men and women changed in Bell Gardens, California?
Since 2009, the income gap between men and women in Bell Gardens, California has narrowed from about 16% to 10% in 2024. Over that period the gap was widest at 26% in 2012, and was narrowest at 9% in 2021. In dollar terms, the gap has narrowed by $191 since 2009.
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