Compton, California Demographics
Population trends, housing costs, income, commuting, and health, all on one page.
Compton, CA Population Density Map and Area Scores
Area Score
Health, income and education, each graded from F to A+. Explore interactive maps for deeper analysis.
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C
Health Below average
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D
Income Well below average
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F
Education Well below average
Source: Map AI Methodology
Population
| Metric | Compton | California Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 94,573 | 39,245,658 | 337,468,954 |
| Population density (per sq mi) | 9349.2 | 239.4 | 86.4 |
| Population growth (%/yr) | -0.71% | 0.19% | 0.59% |
| Median age | 31.5 | 35.5 | 37.3 |
| Households | 24,460 | 13,531,619 | 130,235,071 |
Population in Compton declined by 0.2% from 2009 to 2024, reaching 94,573 in 2024.
Population Growth 2009–2024
Race & Ethnicity
Age & Sex
The largest generation in Compton is Gen Z, aged 13–28, at 25.5% of residents. That is 3.7 points above California as a whole.
- Gen Z 13–28 24,073 25.5% +3.7 pts
- Millennials 29–44 21,132 22.3% -1.3 pts
- Gen X 45–60 17,409 18.4% -1.5 pts
- Boomers 61–79 10,248 10.8% -4.4 pts
Residents by birth cohort, from the 2025 age distribution. The right-hand figure is how far each cohort's share sits above or below California, in percentage points. Children younger than Gen Z and the generations before the Boomers are counted in the population but not shown here, so these shares do not add up to 100%.
Male and female share
Women are 51.5% of the people living in Compton and men 48.5%.
- Women 51.5% California 49.9%
- Men 48.5% California 50.1%
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Residents matching this profile
100% of everyone living in Compton
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Economy
Compton has a the economy index of D, which means it is barely prosperous.
| Metric | Compton | California Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $77,977 | $99,161 | $80,455 |
| Income growth (%/yr) | 7.00% | 5.57% | 4.80% |
| Unemployment rate | 7.7% | 6.6% | 5.2% |
The median household income in Compton is about 21% lower than in California.
Housing
| Metric | Compton | California Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home price | $664,791 | $650,794 | $248,835 |
| Median rent | $1,652 | $2,036 | $1,407 |
| Homeownership rate | 56.1% | 55.9% | 65.2% |
The median home price in Compton is about 33.5 years' worth of rent — buying at the median price costs roughly as much as paying the median rent of $1,652 per month for that long.
Commute Time & Mobility
Commuters in Compton spend about 61 minutes on the road round trip each working day. Over a typical 250-day work year, that adds up to roughly 253 hours, about 10.5 full days, spent commuting.
| Metric | Compton | California Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| One-way commute (min) | 30.3 | 23.5 | 22.4 |
| Round-trip commute (min) | 60.7 | 47.0 | 44.8 |
| Yearly time spent (hours) | 253 | 196 | 187 |
| Estimated yearly cost | $7,839 | $6,065 | $5,790 |
| Work from home | 4.9% | 17.2% | 15.0% |
| Highway traffic (vehicles/day) | 58,658 | 16,509 | 8,813 |
| Local road traffic (vehicles/day) | 3,879 | 2,449 | 1,355 |
The average commute time in Compton is 30 minutes, longer than the 23 minutes in California.
Estimated yearly cost applies a single national wage rule of thumb (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics average hourly earnings), not a measurement of wages in this area. Traffic volume figures come from proprietary Ticon and TrafficZoom data.
Education & Households
Compton has a education index of F, which means it scores poorly in education.
| Metric | Compton | California Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 9.9% | 33.0% | 31.6% |
| Average household size | 3.84 | 2.84 | 2.53 |
Health
Compton has a health index of C, which means it is somewhat healthy.
| Metric | Compton | California Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life expectancy (years) | 77.5 | 79.6 | 78.3 |
| Self-rated poor health | 24.2% | 16.4% | 16.3% |
| Smokers | 14.9% | 13.9% | 19.0% |
Compton, CA Compared With Nearby Cities
Compton, CA is the largest of the 5 cities compared here, 94,573 residents against a local median of 42,803. Compton, CA sits close to the middle of its own neighbourhood. No measure below is more than 15% off the local median, so the choice between these cities turns on things this data does not capture.
The largest of those small differences is median home price, 11% below the local median at $664,791 against $749,827. Compton, CA has the 3rd highest median home price of the 5 areas compared here.
| Area | Population | Median household income | Median home price | Commute |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Compton, CA | 94,573 | $77,977 #3/5 | $664,791 #3/5 | 30.3 min #3/5 |
| Willowbrook, CA | 21,745 | $62,634 | $874,654 | 31.5 min |
| Lynwood, CA | 62,939 | $74,926 | $625,000 | 30.2 min |
| West Rancho Dominguez, CA | 22,667 | $85,219 | $874,701 | 30.5 min |
| Carson, CA | 92,071 | $109,874 | $608,891 | 23.6 min |
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about Compton, California.
What is the population of Compton, California?
About 94,573 people live in Compton, California, in 24,460 households of 3.8 people on average. The median age is 31.5, so residents are younger than the U.S. median of 37.3 by about 6 years.
Is Compton, California urban or rural?
Averaged over its land area, Compton, California has 9,349 people per square mile, a density typical of a city. That is about 108 times the U.S. average of 86.
Can a typical household afford a home in Compton, California?
The median home costs 8.5 times the median household income ($664,791 against $77,977), compared with 3.1 times nationally. A ratio of about 3 is traditionally considered affordable. Median rent of $1,652 a month takes about 25% of the median household's income, below the 30% level at which HUD considers renters cost-burdened.
Is it hard to find a job in Compton, California?
Unemployment in Compton, California is 7.7%, well above the U.S. rate of 5.2%, so job seekers may face more competition than elsewhere.
What share of adults in Compton, California have a college degree?
9.9% of adults in Compton, California hold a bachelor's degree or higher (about 1 in 10), well below the U.S. share of 31.6%.
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