West Carson, California Demographics
Population trends, housing costs, income, commuting, and health, all on one page.
West Carson, 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 Above average
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B
Income Around average
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C
Education Below average
Source: Map AI Methodology
Population
| Metric | West Carson | California Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 22,143 | 39,245,658 | 337,468,954 |
| Population density (per sq mi) | 9717.3 | 239.4 | 86.4 |
| Population growth (%/yr) | 0.14% | 0.19% | 0.59% |
| Median age | 45.3 | 35.5 | 37.3 |
| Households | 8,229 | 13,531,619 | 130,235,071 |
Population in West Carson grew by 3.6% from 2009 to 2024, reaching 22,143 in 2024.
Population Growth 2009–2024
Race & Ethnicity
Age & Sex
The largest generation in West Carson is Millennials, aged 29–44, at 22.0% of residents. That is 1.6 points below California as a whole.
- Gen Z 13–28 3,861 17.4% -4.3 pts
- Millennials 29–44 4,878 22.0% -1.6 pts
- Gen X 45–60 4,569 20.6% +0.8 pts
- Boomers 61–79 4,812 21.7% +6.5 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 West Carson and men 48.5%.
- Women 51.5% California 49.9%
- Men 48.5% California 50.1%
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Economy
West Carson has a the economy index of B, which means it is quite prosperous.
| Metric | West Carson | California Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $93,934 | $99,161 | $80,455 |
| Income growth (%/yr) | 4.39% | 5.57% | 4.80% |
| Unemployment rate | 5.4% | 6.6% | 5.2% |
The median household income in West Carson is about 5% lower than in California.
Housing
| Metric | West Carson | California Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home price | $612,069 | $650,794 | $248,835 |
| Median rent | $1,890 | $2,036 | $1,407 |
| Homeownership rate | 70.7% | 55.9% | 65.2% |
The median home price in West Carson is about 27.0 years' worth of rent — buying at the median price costs roughly as much as paying the median rent of $1,890 per month for that long.
Commute Time & Mobility
Commuters in West Carson spend about 46 minutes on the road round trip each working day. Over a typical 250-day work year, that adds up to roughly 192 hours, about 8.0 full days, spent commuting.
| Metric | West Carson | California Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| One-way commute (min) | 23.0 | 23.5 | 22.4 |
| Round-trip commute (min) | 46.1 | 47.0 | 44.8 |
| Yearly time spent (hours) | 192 | 196 | 187 |
| Estimated yearly cost | $5,954 | $6,065 | $5,790 |
| Work from home | 12.8% | 17.2% | 15.0% |
| Highway traffic (vehicles/day) | 54,696 | 16,509 | 8,813 |
| Local road traffic (vehicles/day) | 3,940 | 2,449 | 1,355 |
The average commute time in West Carson is about the same as 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
West Carson has a education index of C, which means it is somewhat educated.
| Metric | West Carson | California Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 33.3% | 33.0% | 31.6% |
| Average household size | 2.59 | 2.84 | 2.53 |
Health
West Carson has a health index of A, which means it is very healthy.
| Metric | West Carson | California Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life expectancy (years) | 82.1 | 79.6 | 78.3 |
| Self-rated poor health | 14.5% | 16.4% | 16.3% |
| Smokers | 9.4% | 13.9% | 19.0% |
West Carson, CA Compared With Nearby Cities
West Carson, CA is the 4th largest of the 5 cities compared here, 22,143 residents against a local median of 75,735. West Carson, CA's median home price, at $612,069, runs 29% below the $863,425 typical of the cities around it.
The cities themselves spread $604,071 on median home price, so West Carson, CA sits at one end of an already wide local range rather than apart from it. West Carson, CA has the 4th highest median home price of the 5 areas compared here.
| Area | Population | Median household income | Median home price | Commute |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| West Carson, CA | 22,143 | $93,934 #4/5 | $612,069 #4/5 | 23.0 min #3/5 |
| Lomita, CA | 20,223 | $95,911 | $875,000 | 22.0 min |
| Carson, CA | 92,071 | $109,874 | $608,891 | 23.6 min |
| Torrance, CA | 139,758 | $116,831 | $1,212,962 | 22.8 min |
| Gardena, CA | 59,400 | $85,893 | $851,851 | 25.7 min |
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about West Carson, California.
How many people live in West Carson, California?
About 22,143 people live in West Carson, California, in 8,229 households of 2.6 people on average. The median age is 45.3, so residents are older than the U.S. median of 37.3 by about 8 years.
Is West Carson, California urban or rural?
Averaged over its land area, West Carson, California has 9,717 people per square mile, a density typical of a city. That is about 112 times the U.S. average of 86.
Is West Carson, California an affordable place to live?
The median home costs 6.5 times the median household income ($612,069 against $93,934), compared with 3.1 times nationally. A ratio of about 3 is traditionally considered affordable. Median rent of $1,890 a month takes about 24% of the median household's income, below the 30% level at which HUD considers renters cost-burdened.
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