South Whittier, California Demographics
Population trends, housing costs, income, commuting, and health, all on one page.
South Whittier, 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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C
Income Below average
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F
Education Well below average
Source: Map AI Methodology
Population
| Metric | South Whittier | California Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 52,576 | 39,245,658 | 337,468,954 |
| Population density (per sq mi) | 9833.6 | 239.4 | 86.4 |
| Population growth (%/yr) | -0.54% | 0.19% | 0.59% |
| Median age | 36.5 | 35.5 | 37.3 |
| Households | 14,495 | 13,531,619 | 130,235,071 |
Population in South Whittier declined by 3.3% from 2009 to 2024, reaching 52,576 in 2024.
Population Growth 2009–2024
Race & Ethnicity
Age & Sex
The largest generation in South Whittier is Gen Z, aged 13–28, at 24.5% of residents. That is 2.8 points above California as a whole.
- Gen Z 13–28 12,881 24.5% +2.8 pts
- Millennials 29–44 12,426 23.6% on par
- Gen X 45–60 10,357 19.7% -0.2 pts
- Boomers 61–79 6,294 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 48.8% of the people living in South Whittier and men 51.2%.
- Women 48.8% California 49.9%
- Men 51.2% California 50.1%
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Economy
South Whittier has a the economy index of C, which means it is somewhat prosperous.
| Metric | South Whittier | California Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $100,552 | $99,161 | $80,455 |
| Income growth (%/yr) | 6.02% | 5.57% | 4.80% |
| Unemployment rate | 4.5% | 6.6% | 5.2% |
The median household income in South Whittier is about 1% higher than in California.
Housing
| Metric | South Whittier | California Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home price | $753,582 | $650,794 | $248,835 |
| Median rent | $1,916 | $2,036 | $1,407 |
| Homeownership rate | 65.7% | 55.9% | 65.2% |
The median home price in South Whittier is about 32.8 years' worth of rent — buying at the median price costs roughly as much as paying the median rent of $1,916 per month for that long.
Commute Time & Mobility
Commuters in South Whittier spend about 60 minutes on the road round trip each working day. Over a typical 250-day work year, that adds up to roughly 252 hours, about 10.5 full days, spent commuting.
| Metric | South Whittier | California Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| One-way commute (min) | 30.2 | 23.5 | 22.4 |
| Round-trip commute (min) | 60.4 | 47.0 | 44.8 |
| Yearly time spent (hours) | 252 | 196 | 187 |
| Estimated yearly cost | $7,800 | $6,065 | $5,790 |
| Work from home | 8.5% | 17.2% | 15.0% |
| Highway traffic (vehicles/day) | — | 16,509 | 8,813 |
| Local road traffic (vehicles/day) | 4,184 | 2,449 | 1,355 |
The average commute time in South Whittier 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
South Whittier has a education index of F, which means it scores poorly in education.
| Metric | South Whittier | California Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 16.4% | 33.0% | 31.6% |
| Average household size | 3.59 | 2.84 | 2.53 |
Health
South Whittier has a health index of B, which means it is quite healthy.
| Metric | South Whittier | California Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life expectancy (years) | 81.5 | 79.6 | 78.3 |
| Self-rated poor health | 16.1% | 16.4% | 16.3% |
| Smokers | 10.1% | 13.9% | 19.0% |
South Whittier, CA Compared With Nearby Cities
South Whittier, CA is the 2nd largest of the 5 cities compared here, 52,576 residents against a local median of 34,993. Nothing separates South Whittier, CA sharply from the cities around it. Each measure below lands within 15% of the local median, close enough that the differences are within what survey sampling alone would produce.
The largest of those small differences is commute, 2% below the local median at 30.2 min against 30.9 min. South Whittier, CA has the lowest commute of the 5 areas compared here.
| Area | Population | Median household income | Median home price | Commute |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| South Whittier, CA | 52,576 | $100,552 #3/5 | $753,582 #3/5 | 30.2 min #1/5 |
| Santa Fe Springs, CA | 22,478 | $88,678 | $846,142 | 30.7 min |
| Whittier, CA | 85,117 | $98,368 | $657,460 | 31.0 min |
| La Mirada, CA | 46,965 | $109,661 | $184,633 | 30.6 min |
| West Whittier-Los Nietos, CA | 23,021 | $102,678 | $827,858 | 31.3 min |
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about South Whittier, California.
How many people live in South Whittier, California?
About 52,576 people live in South Whittier, California, in 14,495 households of 3.6 people on average. The median age is 36.5, close to the U.S. median of 37.3.
Is South Whittier, California urban or rural?
Averaged over its land area, South Whittier, California has 9,834 people per square mile, a density typical of a city. That is about 114 times the U.S. average of 86.
How affordable is housing in South Whittier, California?
The median home costs 7.5 times the median household income ($753,582 against $100,552), compared with 3.1 times nationally. A ratio of about 3 is traditionally considered affordable. Median rent of $1,916 a month takes about 23% of the median household's income, below the 30% level at which HUD considers renters cost-burdened.
What share of adults in South Whittier, California have a college degree?
16.4% of adults in South Whittier, California hold a bachelor's degree or higher (about 1 in 6), well below the U.S. share of 31.6%.
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