Whittier, California Income Statistics
Whittier Wealth Score
The wealth index reflects the overall economic prosperity and financial well-being of an area's residents based on income levels, employment rates, and income inequality metrics.
-
C
Whittier Below average
Source: Map AI Methodology
Income Statistics Overview
| Metric | Whittier | California Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median Household Income | $98,368 | $99,161 | $80,455 |
| Median Personal Income | $64,945 | $67,742 | $60,758 |
| Average Yearly Income Growth | 4.8% | 5.6% | 4.8% |
| Six-Figure Earners | 14.6% | 17.6% | 13.9% |
| $200k+ Households | 18.6% | 20.5% | 13.2% |
The median household income in Whittier is about 1% lower than in California. Income has been growing slower in Whittier (4.8%/yr) than in California (5.6%/yr).
About 15% of adults in Whittier earn six figures ($100,000 or more) a year, lower than the California average of 18%.
Median Household Income 2009–2024 Trend
Median Household Income Over Time
Median household income in Whittier, California grew by 51.8% from 2009 to 2024, reaching $98,368 in 2024. That's an average of about 4.8% per year.
Income Inequality and the Gender Pay Gap in Whittier
| Metric | Whittier | California Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gini Coefficient | 0.566 | 0.572 | 0.552 |
| Male Median Income | $72,552 | $75,172 | $69,667 |
| Female Median Income | $65,142 | $66,071 | $56,850 |
| Gender Pay Gap | 10.2% | 12.1% | 18.4% |
The Gini coefficient measures how evenly income is shared between richer and poorer households, from 0 (everyone earns the same) to 1 (one household earns nearly everything). The lower the number, the more equally income is distributed. In Whittier, it is 0.566, lower than California's 0.572, so income is more evenly distributed here than there, and higher than the US's 0.552, so income is less evenly distributed here than there.
Men's income is about 11% more than women's income in Whittier, California. Over a 35-year career, a 11% wage gap accumulates to roughly $259,350 in unearned income for female workers in the area.
Income by Sex Over Time
Since 2009, the income gap between men and women in Whittier, California has narrowed from about 23% to 10% in 2024. Over that period the gap was narrowest at 10% in 2019. In dollar terms, the gap has narrowed by $4,206 since 2009.
Employment
| Metric | Whittier | California Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Unemployment Rate | 5.4% | 6.6% | 5.2% |
| Working from Home | 11.3% | 17.2% | 15.0% |
| Commute time (minutes) | 31 | 23 | 22 |
Approximately 2,322 people are unemployed in Whittier, California.
The average commute time in Whittier is 31 minutes, longer than the 23 minutes in California.
Unemployment Rate Over Time
Since 2011, the unemployment rate in Whittier, California has fallen from 8.6% to 5.4% in 2024. Over that period the rate peaked at 9.3% in 2013 and fell as low as 4.2% in 2019.
Whittier, CA Wealth Compared With Nearby Cities
Whittier, CA is the largest of the 4 cities compared here, 85,117 residents against a local median of 52,314. Whittier, CA's income growth, at 4.8%/yr, runs 20% below the 6.0%/yr typical of the cities around it. That is the weaker end of the local range on this measure.
Unemployment tells the same story from another angle: 5.4% against a local median of 4.5%, 20% above it. Every measure here with a clear better direction points the same way, and it is the wrong way: Whittier, CA reads weaker than its neighbours on all of them. The cities themselves spread 2.3%/yr on income growth, so Whittier, CA sits at one end of an already wide local range rather than apart from it. Whittier, CA has the 3rd highest income growth of the 4 areas compared here.
| Area | Population | Median household income | Income growthAverage yearly change in median household income since 2016. Each year is measured in its own dollars, so this is growth before inflation. | Unemployment | Income inequalityGini coefficient: 0 would mean every household earns the same, 1 that a single household earns everything. The lower the number, the more equally income is shared here. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Whittier, CA | 85,117 | $98,368 #4/4 | 4.8%/yr #3/4 | 5.4% #4/4 | 0.566 #3/4 |
| South Whittier, CA | 52,576 | $100,552 | 6.0%/yr | 4.5% | 0.561 |
| West Whittier-Los Nietos, CA | 23,021 | $102,678 | 6.7%/yr | 4.5% | 0.558 |
| Hacienda Heights, CA | 52,314 | $109,706 | 4.4%/yr | 5.1% | 0.572 |
Conclusion
Considering all these factors, Whittier, California has an overall wealth index grade of C, making it about on par with California, and about on par with the country as a whole.
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about income and wealth in Whittier, California.
How Rich Is Whittier, California?
Whittier has a wealth index grade of C. The wealth index grades areas from A+ (best) to F- by combining income levels, employment rates, and income inequality; a C grade means residents are close to the U.S. average. The median household income is $98,368, about 1% lower than the California average of $99,161.
How has median household income changed in Whittier, California?
Between 2009 and 2024, the median household income in Whittier, California rose 52%, from $64,798 to $98,368. Over the same years, income here lagged behind California as a whole: +52% against +64%.
What was the median household income in Whittier in 2023?
In 2023, the median household income in Whittier, California was $93,271, up 4% from $89,450 in 2022. The California median that year was $96,718.
What was the median household income in Whittier in 2020?
In 2020, the median household income in Whittier, California was $75,173. By 2024 it had risen 31% to $98,368.
What is the Gini coefficient in Whittier, California?
The Gini coefficient in Whittier is 0.566. It measures income inequality on a scale from 0 (everyone earns the same) to 1 (one household earns everything). That is higher than the US average of 0.552, so income is distributed less equally than in the country overall.
How has the income gap between men and women changed in Whittier, California?
Since 2009, the income gap between men and women in Whittier, California has narrowed from about 23% to 10% in 2024. Over that period the gap was narrowest at 10% in 2019. In dollar terms, the gap has narrowed by $4,206 since 2009.
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