The Town Files

Pico Rivera, California

City in Los Angeles County · population 62,088 (2020 Census)

Map: where Pico Rivera is in CaliforniaPico Rivera
Median home
$648,600
Household income
$88,201
Jan low / Jul high
46° / 86°
Snow a year
0 in
Tornadoes ≤10 mi since 1950
12
Median age
40.4

Pico Rivera is a city of 62,088 people in Los Angeles County, California. The median home is worth $648,600, above the typical California town ($596,900). It ranks more walkable than 91% of California towns, more vibrant than 91% of California towns, more of a college town than 87% of California towns.

How Pico Rivera 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.

Pico Rivera lifestyle rankings vs other California townsRetirement10th pctFamilies44th pctQuiet15th pctWalkability91st pctFirst-time buyers67th pctYoung professionals22nd pctVibrancy91st pctHip & trendy49th pctCollege town87th pctUpscale28th pctVacation homesbottomSeaside characterbottomCycling54th pctTransit78th pctDriving67th 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 Pico Rivera is worth $648,600, above the typical California town ($596,900). Homes cost about 7.4 times the median household income of $88,201, which is more affordable than 35% of California towns. Median rent is $1,786 a month. 70.5% of households own their home.

Pico Rivera vs Los Angeles County vs typical California townPico RiveraLos Angeles CountyTypical California townHome value$648,600$834,200$596,900Household income$88,201$90,112$91,557Monthly rent$1,786$1,954$1,827
Census ACS 5-year estimates, 2020–2024. "Typical town" = median of California towns with 500+ people.
HousingPico RiveraTypical California town
Median home value$648,600$596,900
Median rent$1,786$1,827
Median household income$88,201$91,557
Home value ÷ income7.4×6.4×
Homeownership70.5%67.4%
Median year built19571977
Seasonal / vacation homes0.1%—

Who lives in Pico Rivera

PeoplePico RiveraTypical California town
Median age40.440.2
Age 65 and over18.2%17.7%
Under 1820.8%—
Bachelor's degree or higher16.3%27.7%
Below the poverty line10.3%10.3%
Veterans3.0%—
Born outside the U.S.30.2%—
Work from home8.7%13.4%
Average commute30.3 min27.5 min
Homes with broadband91.2%93.3%

Weather in Pico Rivera

July highs average 85.5°F and January lows 46.1°F. About 15.7 inches of rain and melted snow fall a year, with 0.0 inches of snow (typical California town: 0.0 in). Expect about 64 days a year at 90°F or hotter and 1 nights at or below freezing.

Pico Rivera monthly temperatures and precipitation40°50°60°70°80°90°69°46°Jan68°47°Feb71°51°Mar74°53°Apr76°58°May81°62°Jun86°65°Jul88°66°Aug87°64°Sep81°57°Oct74°51°Nov68°45°DecPrecipitation (in)3.64.22.50.60.50.10.00.00.10.60.92.4
NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals: average daily high and low by month; precipitation and snowfall in inches. Temperatures from the San Gabriel Fire Dept station (6.6 mi away); snow from Whittier City Yard Fc106C (4.0 mi).

Tornadoes, storms and disasters

12 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of Pico Rivera since 1950, compared with 2 for the typical California town. 2 rated (E)F2 or stronger. The strongest, an F2, struck on November 9, 1982 about 7.9 miles from the town center. The most recent was on March 13, 2025.

Tornadoes within 10 miles of Pico Rivera by decade11950s11960s01970s31980s31990s12000s02010s32020s
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 2 times; the largest was 1.00 inches on March 15, 2024.

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 Pico Rivera itself the ACS puts it at 4.9%.

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 Pico Rivera

15 public schools with 7,206 students, about 23.6 students per teacher.

SchoolGradesStudentsPer teacher
El Rancho High9-122,10424.2
STEAM Academy @ Burke6-855823.3
Rivera Middle6-854422.7
North Park Academy of the Arts6-853122.1
Rivera ElementaryK-547926.6
Valencia Academy of the ArtsK-539724.8
Magee Academy of Arts & SciencesK-539326.2
Rio Vista ElementaryK-538624.1
South Ranchito Dual Language AcademyK-535120.6
Durfee ElementaryK-534226.3
Birney Tech AcademyK-534122.7
North Ranchito ElementaryK-533423.9

Towns near Pico Rivera

Pico Rivera questions

Is Pico Rivera, California a good place to retire?

On The Town Files lifestyle rankings, Pico Rivera scores better for retirees than 10% of California towns and quieter than 15%. 18.2% of residents are 65 or older (median age 40.4).

How much does a house cost in Pico Rivera?

The median owner-occupied home in Pico Rivera is valued at $648,600 (Census ACS 2020–2024), against a median household income of $88,201, so homes cost about 7.4 times income. Median rent is $1,786 a month.

What is the weather like in Pico Rivera?

July highs average 85.5°F and January lows 46.1°F (NOAA 1991–2020 normals). It gets about 15.7 inches of precipitation a year and 0.0 inches of snow.

Does Pico Rivera get tornadoes?

12 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of Pico Rivera since 1950 (NOAA Storm Events); the strongest was a F2 on November 9, 1982. The typical California town has had 2.

How this page is made. Every number comes from public data, matched to Pico Rivera's Census boundary (GEOID 0656924). 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.