This county page summarizes housing costs, income context, and salary benchmarks so you can quickly gauge affordability and compare nearby options.
Is Los Angeles County, CA affordable?
Los Angeles County, CA reads as a mid-range county in our model. Rent looks manageable relative to local incomes, and housing is the main budget pressure.
Most useful for renters and households comparing county-level affordability before drilling into city pages.
Median 1BR rent is about 22% of gross income in Los Angeles County, CA. In the monthly breakdown, Rent (housing) is the biggest lever for overall costs. In this area (mid-range), the model’s rent math puts housing in a “Comfortable” bucket: rent looks comparatively manageable and rent (housing) is the main lever in the estimates.
Cost-of-living tier: moderate
What drives the budget here?
This area is generally mid-range based on a cost-of-living index of 100 (U.S. average = 100). Typical rent-to-gross is in the Comfortable range (using the page’s rent and income inputs).
In the site’s estimated monthly breakdown, the largest category is Rent (housing) (1,798.5/mo), so that’s the biggest lever for moving the overall budget up or down.
Practical next steps
- Rent looks comparatively manageable for the typical household. Your biggest wins usually come from planning for the non-housing categories (utilities, groceries, etc.) so totals stay predictable.
- State income tax is on the higher side in this state (9.3%). That reduces take-home pay, so “affordable” decisions should be based on net income, not just gross.
- In this area, the modeled rent target is reachable at (or below) the local median income level.
Data: U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year (county-level). Updated March 2026.
Financial snapshot
| Cost of living index | 100 (U.S. = 100) |
|---|---|
| Median household income | $87,760 |
| Median individual income | $52,656 |
| Avg rent 1BR | $1,609/mo |
| Avg rent 2BR | $1,988/mo |
| Median home price | $783,300 |
| State income tax rate | 9.3% |
| Sales tax rate | 6% |
| Population | 9,848,406 |
| Last updated | 2026-03-09 |
Estimated monthly cost breakdown
| Rent (avg 1BR/2BR) | $1,798.5 |
|---|---|
| Utilities | $180 |
| Groceries | $420 |
| Transportation | $380 |
| Healthcare | $320 |
| Misc | $350 |
| Total estimated | $3,448.5 |
Salary & affordability
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