Lancaster vs Los Angeles
Lancaster, California versus Los Angeles, California: a factual, side-by-side comparison of cost of living, housing, safety, schools, and climate. Greener figures rank better among US places.
Los Angeles edges out Lancaster on overall objective livability (45 vs 39 of 100), though each leads on different factors below.
Factor-by-factor comparison
| Factor | Lancaster | Los Angeles |
|---|---|---|
| Affordability | ||
| Median Household Income | $71k | $76k |
| Cost of Living | $66k | $66k |
| Home Value | $369k | $823k |
| Monthly Rent | $2k | $2k |
| Monthly Owner Costs | $2k | $3k |
| Property Tax Rate | 0.92% | 0.66% |
| Income Tax | 13.30% | 13.30% |
| Sales Tax | 8.85% | 8.85% |
| Estimated total tax burden | 20.99% | 23.35% |
| Unemployment | 7.5% | 7.7% |
| Weather | ||
| Winter Temp (Jan) | 45°F | 58°F |
| Summer Temp (Jul) | 82°F | 70°F |
| Annual Precipitation | 7.9 in | 14.0 in |
| Annual Snowfall | 0.0 in | 0.0 in |
| Sunny Days | 328 days | 292 days |
| Summer Humidity | 42°F | 58°F |
| Comfortable Days | 61 days | 329 days |
| Safety & Wellbeing | ||
| Natural Disaster Risk | 74.3 | 63.6 |
| Air Quality | 50 AQI | 49 AQI |
| School Quality | 60.1 | 100.0 |
| Violent Crime | 1780/100k | 1813/100k |
| Property Crime | 1876/100k | 2708/100k |
| Community | ||
| Population | 171,465 | 3,881,041 |
| Median Age | 33.6 | 36.5 |
| Racial Diversity | 0.73 | 0.73 |
| Male/Female Ratio | 1.01 | 1.00 |
| Political Leaning | D+45 | D+45 |
| White (%) | 25.7% | 28.1% |
| Black (%) | 20.7% | 8.2% |
| Hispanic (%) | 45.3% | 48.1% |
| Asian (%) | 4.0% | 11.6% |
| Other / Multiracial (%) | 4.4% | 4.0% |
| Getting Around | ||
| Commute Time | 31 min | 31 min |
| Walkability | 10.2/20 | 16.2/20 |
| Airport Distance | 55 mi | 6 mi |
| Lifestyle & Connectivity | ||
| Broadband Access | 87.8% | 89.7% |
| Amenities Nearby | 6.53 | 5.27 |
| Park & Nature Access | Good | Moderate |
Each figure is colored by how it ranks among all US places: green is strong, amber average, red weaker. Neutral factors (population, demographics, target-style climate) show their percentile without a better/worse claim.
Frequently asked questions
- Is Lancaster or Los Angeles more affordable?
- Los Angeles has the lower cost of living: its index is $66k, compared with Lancaster's $66k and Los Angeles's $66k. Median rent is $2k in Lancaster versus $2k in Los Angeles.
- Is Lancaster or Los Angeles safer?
- Lancaster has the lower violent crime rate. Lancaster reports 1780/100k and Los Angeles reports 1813/100k (violent crimes per 100,000 residents).
- Are homes cheaper in Lancaster or Los Angeles?
- The median home value is $369k in Lancaster and $823k in Los Angeles, so homes are more affordable in Lancaster.