South Gate, California Demographics
Population trends, housing costs, income, commuting, and health, all on one page.
South Gate, 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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B
Health Around 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 | South Gate | California Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 90,685 | 39,245,658 | 337,468,954 |
| Population density (per sq mi) | 12330.8 | 239.4 | 86.4 |
| Population growth (%/yr) | -0.61% | 0.19% | 0.59% |
| Median age | 37.2 | 35.5 | 37.3 |
| Households | 24,961 | 13,531,619 | 130,235,071 |
Population in South Gate declined by 5.6% from 2009 to 2024, reaching 90,685 in 2024.
Population Growth 2009–2024
Race & Ethnicity
Age & Sex
The largest generation in South Gate is Gen Z, aged 13–28, at 25.7% of residents. That is 4.0 points above California as a whole.
- Gen Z 13–28 23,282 25.7% +4.0 pts
- Millennials 29–44 19,800 21.8% -1.8 pts
- Gen X 45–60 18,414 20.3% +0.4 pts
- Boomers 61–79 10,875 12.0% -3.3 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 51.2% of the people living in South Gate and men 48.8%.
- Women 51.2% California 49.9%
- Men 48.8% California 50.1%
How many residents match a customer profile?
Residents matching this profile
100% of everyone living in South Gate
Pick an age range and a women/men split and the figure above answers with how many residents that profile reaches.
Economy
South Gate has a the economy index of D, which means it is barely prosperous.
| Metric | South Gate | California Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $74,287 | $99,161 | $80,455 |
| Income growth (%/yr) | 6.33% | 5.57% | 4.80% |
| Unemployment rate | 7.5% | 6.6% | 5.2% |
The median household income in South Gate is about 25% lower than in California.
Housing
| Metric | South Gate | California Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home price | $625,000 | $650,794 | $248,835 |
| Median rent | $1,530 | $2,036 | $1,407 |
| Homeownership rate | 45.1% | 55.9% | 65.2% |
The median home price in South Gate is about 34.0 years' worth of rent — buying at the median price costs roughly as much as paying the median rent of $1,530 per month for that long.
Commute Time & Mobility
Commuters in South Gate spend about 62 minutes on the road round trip each working day. Over a typical 250-day work year, that adds up to roughly 257 hours, about 10.7 full days, spent commuting.
| Metric | South Gate | California Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| One-way commute (min) | 30.9 | 23.5 | 22.4 |
| Round-trip commute (min) | 61.7 | 47.0 | 44.8 |
| Yearly time spent (hours) | 257 | 196 | 187 |
| Estimated yearly cost | $7,971 | $6,065 | $5,790 |
| Work from home | 7.0% | 17.2% | 15.0% |
| Highway traffic (vehicles/day) | 61,696 | 16,509 | 8,813 |
| Local road traffic (vehicles/day) | 5,346 | 2,449 | 1,355 |
The average commute time in South Gate is 31 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
South Gate has a education index of F, which means it scores poorly in education.
| Metric | South Gate | California Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 11.1% | 33.0% | 31.6% |
| Average household size | 3.63 | 2.84 | 2.53 |
Health
South Gate has a health index of B, which means it is quite healthy.
| Metric | South Gate | California Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life expectancy (years) | 80.7 | 79.6 | 78.3 |
| Self-rated poor health | 22.6% | 16.4% | 16.3% |
| Smokers | 12.4% | 13.9% | 19.0% |
South Gate, CA Compared With Nearby Cities
South Gate, CA is the largest of the 5 cities compared here, 90,685 residents against a local median of 43,435. Where South Gate, CA breaks from the cities next to it is median home price, sitting 74% above the local median of $359,857 at $625,000.
Median household income tells the same story from another angle: $74,287 against a local median of $61,002, 22% above it. The one measure here that carries a verdict is median household income, and at 22% above the local median it puts South Gate, CA at the better end of the local range. The cities themselves spread $529,998 on median home price, so South Gate, CA sits at one end of an already wide local range rather than apart from it. South Gate, CA has the highest median home price of the 5 areas compared here.
| Area | Population | Median household income | Median home price | Commute |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| South Gate, CA | 90,685 | $74,287 #2/5 | $625,000 #1/5 | 30.9 min #4/5 |
| Cudahy, CA | 21,960 | $57,064 | $95,002 | 30.1 min |
| Lynwood, CA | 62,939 | $74,926 | $625,000 | 30.2 min |
| Bell, CA | 33,319 | $61,982 | $369,715 | 30.5 min |
| Huntington Park, CA | 53,550 | $60,023 | $350,000 | 31.0 min |
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about South Gate, California.
What is the population of South Gate, California?
About 90,685 people live in South Gate, California, in 24,961 households of 3.6 people on average. The median age is 37.2, close to the U.S. median of 37.3.
Is South Gate, California mostly urban or rural?
Averaged over its land area, South Gate, California has 12,331 people per square mile, a density typical of a city. That is about 143 times the U.S. average of 86.
Is South Gate, California an affordable place to live?
The median home costs 8.4 times the median household income ($625,000 against $74,287), compared with 3.1 times nationally. A ratio of about 3 is traditionally considered affordable. Median rent of $1,530 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 South Gate, California?
Unemployment in South Gate, California is 7.5%, well above the U.S. rate of 5.2%, so job seekers may face more competition than elsewhere.
What share of adults in South Gate, California have a college degree?
11.1% of adults in South Gate, California hold a bachelor's degree or higher (about 1 in 9), well below the U.S. share of 31.6%.
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