South Pasadena, California Demographics
Population trends, housing costs, income, commuting, and health, all on one page.
South Pasadena, 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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A+
Health Top grade
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A+
Income Top grade
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A+
Education Top grade
Source: Map AI Methodology
Population
| Metric | South Pasadena | California Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 26,044 | 39,245,658 | 337,468,954 |
| Population density (per sq mi) | 7617.9 | 239.4 | 86.4 |
| Population growth (%/yr) | 0.08% | 0.19% | 0.59% |
| Median age | 40.7 | 35.5 | 37.3 |
| Households | 10,211 | 13,531,619 | 130,235,071 |
Population in South Pasadena grew by 6.2% from 2009 to 2024, reaching 26,044 in 2024.
Population Growth 2009–2024
Race & Ethnicity
Age & Sex
The largest generation in South Pasadena is Millennials, aged 29–44, at 25.7% of residents. That is 2.1 points above California as a whole.
- Gen Z 13–28 4,579 17.6% -4.1 pts
- Millennials 29–44 6,705 25.7% +2.1 pts
- Gen X 45–60 6,267 24.1% +4.2 pts
- Boomers 61–79 3,525 13.5% -1.7 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 51.1% of the people living in South Pasadena and men 48.9%.
- Women 51.1% California 49.9%
- Men 48.9% California 50.1%
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100% of everyone living in South Pasadena
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Economy
South Pasadena has a the economy index of A+, which means it is exceptionally prosperous.
| Metric | South Pasadena | California Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $129,244 | $99,161 | $80,455 |
| Income growth (%/yr) | 5.26% | 5.57% | 4.80% |
| Unemployment rate | 5.1% | 6.6% | 5.2% |
The median household income in South Pasadena is about 30% higher than in California.
Housing
| Metric | South Pasadena | California Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home price | $1,220,504 | $650,794 | $248,835 |
| Median rent | $2,283 | $2,036 | $1,407 |
| Homeownership rate | 44.0% | 55.9% | 65.2% |
The median home price in South Pasadena is about 44.5 years' worth of rent — buying at the median price costs roughly as much as paying the median rent of $2,283 per month for that long.
Commute Time & Mobility
Commuters in South Pasadena spend about 55 minutes on the road round trip each working day. Over a typical 250-day work year, that adds up to roughly 230 hours, about 9.6 full days, spent commuting.
| Metric | South Pasadena | California Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| One-way commute (min) | 27.6 | 23.5 | 22.4 |
| Round-trip commute (min) | 55.2 | 47.0 | 44.8 |
| Yearly time spent (hours) | 230 | 196 | 187 |
| Estimated yearly cost | $7,134 | $6,065 | $5,790 |
| Work from home | 29.9% | 17.2% | 15.0% |
| Highway traffic (vehicles/day) | 17,516 | 16,509 | 8,813 |
| Local road traffic (vehicles/day) | 5,097 | 2,449 | 1,355 |
The average commute time in South Pasadena is 28 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 Pasadena has a education index of A+, which means it is exceptionally educated.
| Metric | South Pasadena | California Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 68.5% | 33.0% | 31.6% |
| Average household size | 2.53 | 2.84 | 2.53 |
Health
South Pasadena has a health index of A+, which means it is exceptionally healthy.
| Metric | South Pasadena | California Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life expectancy (years) | 84.5 | 79.6 | 78.3 |
| Self-rated poor health | 8.4% | 16.4% | 16.3% |
| Smokers | 6.4% | 13.9% | 19.0% |
South Pasadena, CA Compared With Nearby Cities
South Pasadena, CA is the smallest of the 4 cities compared here, 26,044 residents against a local median of 80,973. The measure that sets South Pasadena, CA apart most is median home price: $1,220,504, 97% above the local median of $619,953.
Median household income tells the same story from another angle: $129,244 against a local median of $92,183, 40% above it. The one measure here that carries a verdict is median household income, and at 40% above the local median it puts South Pasadena, CA at the better end of the local range. The cities themselves spread $472,477 on median home price, so South Pasadena, CA sits at one end of an already wide local range rather than apart from it. South Pasadena, CA has the highest median home price of the 4 areas compared here.
| Area | Population | Median household income | Median home price | Commute |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| South Pasadena, CA | 26,044 | $129,244 #1/4 | $1,220,504 #1/4 | 27.6 min #3/4 |
| Alhambra, CA | 80,973 | $88,732 | $838,163 | 28.2 min |
| Pasadena, CA | 138,535 | $104,894 | $365,686 | 22.6 min |
| San Gabriel, CA | 40,046 | $92,183 | $619,953 | 26.8 min |
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about South Pasadena, California.
How big is South Pasadena, California by population?
About 26,044 people live in South Pasadena, California, in 10,211 households of 2.5 people on average. The median age is 40.7, so residents are older than the U.S. median of 37.3 by about 3 years.
How densely populated is South Pasadena, California?
Averaged over its land area, South Pasadena, California has 7,618 people per square mile, a density typical of a city. That is about 88 times the U.S. average of 86.
Is South Pasadena, California an affordable place to live?
The median home costs 9.4 times the median household income ($1,220,504 against $129,244), compared with 3.1 times nationally. A ratio of about 3 is traditionally considered affordable. Median rent of $2,283 a month takes about 21% of the median household's income, below the 30% level at which HUD considers renters cost-burdened.
How common is a college degree in South Pasadena, California?
68.5% of adults in South Pasadena, California hold a bachelor's degree or higher (about 7 in 10), well above the U.S. share of 31.6%.
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