Altadena 72 Excellent
Altadena Livability #178 ranked city in California#5,739 ranked city in the USARanks better than 80% of areas
Is This the Right Place for You? Local Insights Report
  • Uncover the key details before you move
  • Use local data to guide a smarter investment
  • Compare neighborhoods side by side
Local Insights Report

Pros and Cons of Living in Altadena

PROS
  • Commute Commute

    High commute scores indicates that public transit should be easily accessible in this area and the average commute time to work is less than average.

  • Crime Crime

    With a lower than average crime rate per 100,000 people, this area could be considered a very safe place to live. Crime rates are based on both violent and property crimes.

  • Employment Employment

    The combination of higher than average median home income, income per capita and low unemployment rates results in a score that is well above average in the employment category.

  • Ratings Ratings

    Local residents have positive things to say about the proximity of restaurants, grocery stores, parks, public transit, friendliness of neighbors, sense of community and overall safety of the area.

CONS
  • Amenities Amenities

    A majority of amenities are not ideally situated within a reasonable walking distance, which may lead residents to rely on a vehicle or public transportation.

  • Cost Of Living Cost Of Living

    Based on the most recent cost of living data, this area is more expensive to live in. You can expect to pay more for everyday goods and services, housing, groceries and utilities.

What's it like Living in Altadena?

Altadena, California is a moderately-sized city with a population of 44,242 inhabitants. Altadena has a population density of 5,077 people per square mile. This would be considered well above the national population density level. More than a quarter of the residents of Altadena identify themselves as Hispanic or Latino, and 23% of the population speak Spanish as their primary or secondary language. Something to be aware of when living in Altadena are the above average commute times. If you're looking for a short commute to work, this might not be the right area for you. With one way commute time of 30 minutes, this comes in much higher than the national average of 26 minutes.

Whether you’re relocating to a new city to be closer to family, friends or for a new job, living in Altadena could be a positive experience compared to other cities in California if you know where to search. Don't forget to determine what matters most to you in a neighborhood. Consider factors such as safety, proximity to work or school, access to amenities (like parks, fitness facilities, grocery stores, restaurants), public transportation options, community atmosphere and the overall vibe you're looking for. With useful information like amenities, employment, housing and other key data points, finding the best places to live in Altadena and in the areas around Altadena is a much easier task.

With a livability score of 71 out of 100, Altadena is ranked #6,065 in the United States and #213 in California. For each of the livability categories, we can establish that Altadena ranks very well for education (B-). There are some categories that Altadena ranks poorly for, including: amenities (F) and cost of living (F). It might be worth taking a closer look to figure out why.

Assuming that Altadena meets all of your requirements like low crime rates, good schools and great local amenities, the next most important item to examine is the affordability of real estate in Altadena. Everything else becomes a lot less important if it turns out that home prices in Altadena are simply unattainable. The median home price for Altadena homes is $1,425,095, which is 94.8% higher than the California average. If we take a closer look at the affordability of homes in Altadena, we’ll see that the home price to income ratio is 9.6, which is 24.7% higher than the California average.

Best Places to Live in and Around Altadena

See all the best places to live around Altadena

How Do You Rate The Livability In Altadena?

1. Select a livability score between 1-100
0
Awful
25
Poor
50
Average
75
Good
100
Great
2. Select any tags that apply to this area
View results

Compare Altadena, CA Livability

City Image
    City Default Image
      vs
      Compare Neighborhoods & Addresses Local Insights Report

      Why stop at city-to-city? With Local Insights, you can compare neighborhoods, zip codes, or even exact addresses. Access 300+ hyperlocal data points—from schools and crime to housing and amenities—to see which area is the better fit.

      Local Insights Report

      Altadena transportation information

      Statistic Altadena California National
      Average one way commute30min28min26min
      Workers who drive to work75.8%73.5%76.4%
      Workers who carpool6.3%10.6%9.3%
      Workers who take public transit4.2%5.2%5.1%
      Workers who bicycle0.8%1.1%0.6%
      Workers who walk2.2%2.7%2.8%
      Working from home9.7%5.4%4.6%
      Source: The Altadena, CA data and statistics displayed above are derived from the United States Census Bureau American Community Survey (ACS) and include 2026 modeled data developed using proprietary methodologies.