The Town Files

Lawndale, California

City in Los Angeles County · population 31,807 (2020 Census)

Map: where Lawndale is in CaliforniaLawndale
Median home
$781,900
Household income
$85,441
Jan low / Jul high
49° / 77°
Snow a year
0 in
Tornadoes ≤10 mi since 1950
14
Median age
36.9

Lawndale is a city of 31,807 people in Los Angeles County, California. The median home is worth $781,900, above the typical California town ($596,900). It ranks more vibrant than 99% of California towns, more walkable than 98% of California towns, more of a college town than 96% of California towns.

Lawndale in our rankings:

How Lawndale ranks

Percentile among California towns with at least 500 people on The Town Files lifestyle rankings. 50 is typical for the state; 90 means better than 90% of California towns.

Lawndale lifestyle rankings vs other California townsRetirement8th pctFamilies17th pctQuiet1st pctWalkability98th pctFirst-time buyers63rd pctYoung professionals74th pctVibrancy99th pctHip & trendy74th pctCollege town96th pctUpscale34th pctVacation homesbottomSeaside characterbottomCycling94th pctTransit85th pctDriving44th pcttypical
The Town Files lifestyle rankings, built from federal demographic, school, crime and housing data (2025).

Homes and cost of living

The median home in Lawndale is worth $781,900, above the typical California town ($596,900). Homes cost about 9.2 times the median household income of $85,441, which is more affordable than 15% of California towns. Median rent is $1,938 a month. 37.0% of households own their home.

Lawndale vs Los Angeles County vs typical California townLawndaleLos Angeles CountyTypical California townHome value$781,900$834,200$596,900Household income$85,441$90,112$91,557Monthly rent$1,938$1,954$1,827
Census ACS 5-year estimates, 2020–2024. "Typical town" = median of California towns with 500+ people.
HousingLawndaleTypical California town
Median home value$781,900$596,900
Median rent$1,938$1,827
Median household income$85,441$91,557
Home value ÷ income9.2×6.4×
Homeownership37.0%67.4%
Median year built19671977
Seasonal / vacation homes1.8%—

Who lives in Lawndale

PeopleLawndaleTypical California town
Median age36.940.2
Age 65 and over10.9%17.7%
Under 1822.7%—
Bachelor's degree or higher20.6%27.7%
Below the poverty line13.0%10.3%
Veterans2.6%—
Born outside the U.S.38.7%—
Work from home7.2%13.4%
Average commute24.6 min27.5 min
Homes with broadband95.9%93.3%

Weather in Lawndale

July highs average 77.2°F and January lows 49.2°F. About 11.8 inches of rain and melted snow fall a year, with 0.0 inches of snow (typical California town: 0.0 in). Expect about 9 days a year at 90°F or hotter and 0 nights at or below freezing.

Lawndale monthly temperatures and precipitation40°50°60°70°80°67°49°Jan67°51°Feb68°53°Mar70°55°Apr71°58°May73°62°Jun77°65°Jul79°65°Aug79°65°Sep76°60°Oct72°54°Nov66°49°DecPrecipitation (in)2.73.01.70.60.30.00.00.00.20.50.72.2
NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals: average daily high and low by month; precipitation and snowfall in inches. Temperatures from the Hawthorne Muni Ap station (2.6 mi away); snow from Torrance Ap (6.0 mi).

Tornadoes, storms and disasters

14 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of Lawndale since 1950, compared with 2 for the typical California town. 3 rated (E)F2 or stronger. The strongest, an F2, struck on March 1, 1983 about 6.4 miles from the town center. The most recent was on May 4, 2023.

Tornadoes within 10 miles of Lawndale by decade01950s41960s11970s51980s01990s12000s12010s22020s
NOAA Storm Events Database, tornado tracks (start to end point) passing within 10 miles of the town center, 1950–2026.

Hail of 1 inch or larger has been reported within 10 miles 3 times; the largest was 1.50 inches on January 31, 1979.

Severe weather in Los Angeles County since 1996

Storm events in Los Angeles County since 1996 by typeHail23Flood24Tornado18Wildfire34High Wind171Lightning10Heavy Rain9Debris Flow24
NOAA Storm Events Database, Los Angeles County, 1996–2026 (all event types recorded since 1996). 74 deaths recorded.

Los Angeles County has been included in 88 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1953, most often for fire, flood, freezing.

DeclaredIncidentDeclaration
August 8, 2025FireFM-5605: Canyon Fire
January 8, 2025FireDR-4856: Wildfires And Straight-Line Winds
January 8, 2025FireFM-5550: Eaton Fire
January 8, 2025FireFM-5551: Hurst Fire
January 7, 2025FireFM-5549: Palisades Fire

Jobs and pay in Los Angeles County

Los Angeles County had 4,525,711 jobs in 2024, paying an average of $83,554 a year. Unemployment was 5% in 2023; in Lawndale itself the ACS puts it at 9.7%.

Largest industries in Los Angeles CountyHealth care & social assistan…818,122 jobs · $57,296Hotels & restaurants436,540 jobs · $36,750Retail398,015 jobs · $50,556Manufacturing311,242 jobs · $95,918Professional & technical serv…305,604 jobs · $133,862Administrative & support271,747 jobs · $57,712
BLS Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024, private-sector jobs and average annual pay.
Unemployment rate in Los Angeles County, 2000–20230%4%8%12%2000200420082012201620202023Los Angeles 5%
Annual average unemployment rate (BLS Local Area Unemployment Statistics via USDA ERS).

Public schools in Lawndale

13 public schools with 8,790 students, about 21.5 students per teacher.

SchoolGradesStudentsPer teacher
Leuzinger High9-121,92423.8
Lawndale High9-121,68021.3
Will Rogers Middle6-879922.2
Jane Addams Middle6-870419.6
William Anderson ElementaryK-559523.8
Mark Twain ElementaryK-556824.7
William Green ElementaryK-552223.7
Environmental Charter High - Lawndale (charter)9-1249015.8
Billy Mitchell ElementaryK-545619.8
F. D. Roosevelt ElementaryK-542322.3
Lucille J. Smith ElementaryK-533924.2
R. K. Lloyde High9-1224413.6

Towns near Lawndale

Lawndale questions

Is Lawndale, California a good place to retire?

On The Town Files lifestyle rankings, Lawndale scores better for retirees than 8% of California towns and quieter than 1%. 10.9% of residents are 65 or older (median age 36.9).

How much does a house cost in Lawndale?

The median owner-occupied home in Lawndale is valued at $781,900 (Census ACS 2020–2024), against a median household income of $85,441, so homes cost about 9.2 times income. Median rent is $1,938 a month.

What is the weather like in Lawndale?

July highs average 77.2°F and January lows 49.2°F (NOAA 1991–2020 normals). It gets about 11.8 inches of precipitation a year and 0.0 inches of snow.

Does Lawndale get tornadoes?

14 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of Lawndale since 1950 (NOAA Storm Events); the strongest was a F2 on March 1, 1983. The typical California town has had 2.

How this page is made. Every number comes from public data, matched to Lawndale's Census boundary (GEOID 0640886). Comparisons use the median of California towns with at least 500 people. Weather comes from the nearest NOAA normals station; storm counts use NOAA tornado tracks within 10 miles of the town center. Data snapshot 2026-11-12.