Population 5,739 · Census ACS 2020–24
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Population and households in El Cerritos
Household size in El Cerritos
| Period | El Cerritos | San Diego area | California | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 2.82 | 2.87 | 3.04 | 2.68 |
| 2010–14 | 2.92 | 2.98 | 3.10 | 2.73 |
| 2015–19 | 2.94 | 2.99 | 3.09 | 2.71 |
| 2020–24 | 2.68 | 2.86 | 3.01 | 2.65 |
| Change | −0.14 | −0.02 | −0.03 | −0.03 |
At 2.68 people per household, El Cerritos sits close to the national average of 2.65. The typical household here is smaller than in the San Diego area as a whole, where it has 2.86 people. Since 2006–10, household size has dropped from 2.82, a much bigger shift than nationally.
Household size: the average number of people living in each occupied home. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25010).
Median age in El Cerritos
| Period | El Cerritos | San Diego area | California | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 28.3 | 36.1 | 35.8 | 37.7 |
| 2010–14 | 27.7 | 36.7 | 36.8 | 38.6 |
| 2015–19 | 30.2 | 37.8 | 37.9 | 39.6 |
| 2020–24 | 32.7 | 39.0 | 39.0 | 40.1 |
| Change | +4.4 | +2.8 | +3.1 | +2.3 |
With a median age of just 32.7, El Cerritos is far younger than the country as a whole (40.1), a population that tilts toward young adults and children. Since 2006–10, the median age has climbed from 28.3, in line with the national trend. Residents skew youngest in the northeast and oldest in the southeast.
Median age: the age that splits residents into two equal halves. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B01002).
Single-parent households in El Cerritos
| Period | El Cerritos | San Diego area | California | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 17.7% | 11.8% | 13.5% | 12.3% |
| 2010–14 | 15.3% | 11.7% | 13.5% | 12.3% |
| 2015–19 | 10.9% | 10.8% | 12.3% | 11.6% |
| 2020–24 | 16.6% | 10.4% | 12.3% | 11.6% |
| Change | −1.1 pts | −1.5 pts | −1.2 pts | −0.6 pts |
Single parents head about one in six households in El Cerritos (16.6%), well above the national share of 11.6%. The single-parent share is down 1.1 points from 2006–10, as it has nationally. El Cerritos has a higher share of single-parent households than the great majority of San Diego neighborhoods.
Single-parent households: households where one adult with no spouse present lives with children under 18. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B11003).
Housing in El Cerritos
Renters in El Cerritos
| Period | El Cerritos | San Diego area | California | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 54.2% | 44.1% | 42.6% | 33.3% |
| 2010–14 | 64.2% | 46.6% | 45.2% | 35.6% |
| 2015–19 | 68.3% | 46.7% | 45.2% | 36.0% |
| 2020–24 | 54.7% | 45.4% | 44.1% | 34.8% |
| Change | +0.5 pts | +1.4 pts | +1.5 pts | +1.5 pts |
Renters far outnumber owners in El Cerritos: 54.7% of households rent their homes, against 34.8% nationally. Among homeowners, 38.0% have no mortgage at all, about the same as nationally. The renter share has edged up 0.5 points since 2006–10, in line with the national trend.
Renters: occupied homes that are rented rather than owned. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25003).
Vacant homes in El Cerritos
| Period | El Cerritos | San Diego area | California | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 12.9% | 8.7% | 8.7% | 11.4% |
| 2010–14 | 14.8% | 7.9% | 8.1% | 11.4% |
| 2015–19 | 6.6% | 7.5% | 7.5% | 11.1% |
| 2020–24 | 4.1% | 7.1% | 7.3% | 9.6% |
| Change | −8.8 pts | −1.6 pts | −1.4 pts | −1.8 pts |
Empty homes are scarce in El Cerritos: just 4.1% sit vacant, compared with 9.6% nationally, a sign of a tight housing market. Vacancy has fallen 8.8 points since 2006–10, a much bigger shift than nationally. El Cerritos has a lower vacancy rate than the great majority of San Diego neighborhoods.
Vacant homes: homes with no one living in them, including vacation homes and homes for sale or rent. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25002).
Age of homes in El Cerritos
| Period | El Cerritos | San Diego area | California | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 1965 | 1977 | 1972 | 1974 |
| 2010–14 | 1970 | 1978 | 1973 | 1975 |
| 2015–19 | 1971 | 1979 | 1974 | 1977 |
| 2020–24 | 1973 | 1981 | 1976 | 1980 |
| Change | +9 | +4 | +4 | +6 |
Homes in El Cerritos run older than the national norm, with a median build year of 1973 against 1980. The median year built has moved up from 1965 in 2006–10, a sign of steady new building.
Age of homes: the year that splits the housing stock into older and newer halves. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25035).
Rent in El Cerritos
| Period | El Cerritos | San Diego area | California | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | $1,148 | $1,408 | $1,298 | $965 |
| 2010–14 | $1,283 | $1,481 | $1,379 | $1,040 |
| 2015–19 | $1,573 | $1,868 | $1,721 | $1,213 |
| 2020–24 | $2,181 | $2,468 | $2,229 | $1,571 |
| Change | +$1,032 | +$1,061 | +$931 | +$606 |
Rent in El Cerritos runs $2,181 a month at the median, utilities included, well above the U.S. median of $1,571. Locally, though, rents here are lower than in the wider San Diego area ($2,468). Rent has climbed $1,032 a month since 2006–10, up 90%, faster than rents rose nationally. The typical renter here spends 37.7% of household income on rent, well over the 30% mark often used to define affordable rent, so many renters here are stretched.
Rent: monthly rent plus the utilities renters pay themselves. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25064).
Education in El Cerritos
Bachelor's degrees in El Cerritos
| Period | El Cerritos | San Diego area | California | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 26.6% | 33.5% | 29.1% | 28.4% |
| 2010–14 | 25.5% | 34.7% | 30.1% | 29.6% |
| 2015–19 | 34.4% | 38.2% | 32.9% | 32.1% |
| 2020–24 | 45.5% | 42.8% | 36.3% | 35.6% |
| Change | +18.9 pts | +9.3 pts | +7.1 pts | +7.2 pts |
More than four in ten adults 25 and older in El Cerritos (45.5%) have a bachelor's degree or higher, above the national share of 35.6%. Since 2006–10, the share with a degree has risen 18.9 points, in line with the national trend. College graduates are most concentrated in the southeast and least in the southwest.
Bachelor's degrees: adults 25 and older with a bachelor's degree or higher. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B15003).
High school graduates in El Cerritos
| Period | El Cerritos | San Diego area | California | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 80.1% | 84.9% | 79.9% | 84.9% |
| 2010–14 | 92.2% | 85.5% | 80.7% | 86.1% |
| 2015–19 | 87.6% | 87.3% | 82.6% | 87.7% |
| 2020–24 | 89.5% | 89.0% | 84.2% | 89.3% |
| Change | +9.4 pts | +4.0 pts | +4.3 pts | +4.3 pts |
High school completion in El Cerritos is close to the national rate: 89.5% of adults have a diploma or equivalent, against 89.3%. The share with a diploma is up 9.4 points from 2006–10, as it has nationally.
High school graduates: adults 25 and older with a high school diploma, GED or more. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B15003).
Jobs in El Cerritos
| Period | El Cerritos | San Diego area | California | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 6.9% | 7.9% | 9.2% | 8.1% |
| 2010–14 | 12.8% | 9.9% | 11.3% | 9.4% |
| 2015–19 | 5.3% | 6.1% | 6.3% | 5.6% |
| 2020–24 | 4.2% | 6.1% | 6.6% | 5.4% |
| Change | −2.7 pts | −1.8 pts | −2.6 pts | −2.7 pts |
Unemployment in El Cerritos runs below the national rate: 4.2% of the labor force was out of work and looking, against 5.4% nationally. Since 2006–10, unemployment has fallen 2.7 points, mirroring the country. Each figure pools five years of surveys (2020–24), so it describes that whole stretch rather than today's job market.
Unemployment: people looking for work as a share of everyone working or looking. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B23025).
El Cerritos compared with nearby neighborhoods
| Neighborhood | Household size | Median age | Single parents | Renters | Vacant homes | Median year built | Median rent | Bachelor's degree | High school diploma | Unemployment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| El Cerritos | 2.68 | 32.7 | 16.6% | 54.7% | 4.1% | 1973 | $2,181 | 45.5% | 89.5% | 4.2% |
| Darnall | 3.06 | 35.2 | 23.1% | 34.5% | 2.3% | 1968 | $2,067 | 23.7% | 80.6% | 4.8% |
| Talmadge | 2.14 | 39.3 | 11.0% | 63.8% | 4.8% | 1965 | $2,244 | 48.6% | 86.7% | 5.2% |
| Rolando | 2.29 | 36.1 | 8.2% | 45.7% | 6.4% | 1963 | $1,879 | 47.2% | 93.5% | 5.3% |
| City Heights East | 3.37 | 32.6 | 20.4% | 80.1% | 6.6% | 1973 | $1,792 | 17.7% | 63.3% | 6.5% |
| College Area | 2.92 | 25.5 | 5.5% | 65.3% | 18.2% | 1969 | $2,237 | 53.7% | 95.9% | 9.1% |
| Oak Park | 3.21 | 34.6 | 12.3% | 51.2% | 3.2% | 1972 | $2,011 | 22.3% | 76.6% | 6.4% |
| Kensington | 2.25 | 49.3 | 9.8% | 35.6% | 5.1% | 1948 | $2,768 | 71.7% | 98.6% | 8.3% |
| City Heights West | 3.01 | 34.1 | 18.3% | 72.3% | 6.0% | 1970 | $1,782 | 26.8% | 72.5% | 9.8% |
| East San Diego | 2.50 | 34.9 | 12.7% | 78.0% | 8.0% | 1966 | $1,846 | 28.9% | 78.3% | 5.5% |
| Ridgeview-Webster | 2.88 | 50.9 | 19.3% | 42.8% | 7.1% | 1960 | $1,934 | 25.3% | 84.1% | 12.7% |
All figures 2020–24.
Neighborhoods with similar populations: Jacksonville Heights South, Jacksonville, FL · Southwest Village, Wichita, KS · Southside, Binghamton, NY · South Westside, Olympia, WA · Sobrante Park, Oakland, CA · Seminole Holland, Springfield, MO · Savannah, Sunrise, FL · North Kensington, Kensington, MD · La Avenida, Rochester, NY · Southwestern Hills, Des Moines, IA
About these numbers
Every figure on this page is a BestNeighborhood calculation from the Census Bureau's American Community Survey (ACS), built up from the Census block groups that make up El Cerritos. Each ACS 5-year release pools five years of responses; this page shows the last 15 releases, 2006–10 through 2020–24. Neighboring releases share four of their five years, so they move gradually and small changes between them are within the survey's margin of error; in small places the lines can jump from one release to the next for the same reason. The maps show the same measures for each neighborhood, ranked against the whole country.
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