Canyon City in the foothills of the San Gabriel Mountains
Situated in the foothills of the San Gabriel Mountains, Azusa is a sleepy community of about 50,000 residents 25 miles northeast of Los Angeles. “We’re not too far from LA — just far enough,” says Steven Castro, CEO of the Chamber of Commerce. Nicknamed “Canyon City” because of its proximity to San Gabriel Canyon, the city’s comparably affordable housing stems from its blue-collar roots. Still, housing prices are climbing as more upscale development is cultivated. “From an economic standpoint, the Azusa of yesteryear was kind of a one-horse town, but today it is one of the fastest-growing communities in the valley,” says council member Andrew Mendez, who was born and raised in the city. “As we’ve gotten larger, we’ve really gotten away from being a one-horse town, but we’ve kept the small-town feel.” Mendez points specifically to the rapid commercial growth downtown in recent years as a development trend.
Azusa also goes by Canyon City because of its proximity to the San Gabriel mountains.
Azusa is far enough from LA to have that small town feel with all its local shops.
Many new developments in Azusa have grand community centers with lots of amenities.
Azusa is taking bold steps towards growth with lots of development plans ahead.
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Homes are more affordable than the California average
Azusa’s median home price was around $700,000 in late 2024, compared to $400,000 nationally and $900,000 in California. “We have a lower price point than in some of the surrounding areas because, historically, this was a town of blue-collar workers, so the older housing stock is tract homes under 1,500 square feet on compact 5,000 square foot lots,” Mendez says. Homes are larger and more contemporary in North Azusa, home to Mountain Cove and Rosedale, the city’s two modern planned communities. “The south is a little more industrial. Small homes are tightly packed near the Northrop Grumman facility south of the 210,” Mendez says. There are pockets of condos and townhomes in Azusa, but it is primarily single-family homes priced between $600,000 and $1.5 million.
Mountain Cove in North Azusa offers larger craftsman revival style planned living.
Azusa's median home price was around $700,000 in 2024 for homes like this new traditional.
Spanish revivals like this one will benefit from Azusa's influx of commercial developments.
Asymmetrical prairie style homes like this one are close to the San Gabriel foothills.
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Declining student population at Azusa Unified
Azusa Unified is the city's public school district, which is graded B-minus by Niche. The district serves nearly 7,000 students in over a dozen community schools, including eight walkable elementary schools. However, like many districts in California, it is seeing declining numbers as lower birth rates and cost-of-living relocations have taken their toll. The student population has dropped substantially from over 12,000 in 2004, and the board voted to close five schools after the 2022-23 school year.
Azusa is also home to a highly rated private college, Azusa Pacific University, founded in 1899. The evangelical Christian school serves over 6,500 students and offers 66 bachelor's programs, 40 master's degrees and nine doctoral programs. It also offers 23 certificates and credentials. APU is no stranger to "best of" lists for a private college experience, with notable programs in social work, clinical psychology and nursing, among many others.
Charles H. Lee Elementary is one of the great walkable schools in Azusa.
Gladstone Middle School survived district closures in 2003 from declining enrollments.
Azusa High School Aztecs football stadium was built in 2022.
The highly rated private college, Azusa Pacific University was founded in 1899.
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Nearly 70% of residents are a 10-minute walk from a park
There are over 20 community parks and recreation centers in the city. “Azusa is known for having some of the best parks and recreation services in SoCal,” Mendez says. According to the Trust for Public Land, nearly 70% of residents live within a 10-minute walk of a park. Mendez points to Memorial Park as a community highlight that hosts concerts in the park each summer. Situated on about 15 acres a few blocks south of downtown, the park has multiple sports fields, two gyms and a rec center that hosts a variety of programming. Castro credits Azusa’s natural beauty as a big draw for homeowners, and the city’s park system works to preserve the city’s scenic views. “It’s beautiful here. I’m sitting here in my office and looking at our beautiful San Gabriel Mountains.” Los Angeles National Forest is about 10 miles away for additional outdoor recreation.
Nearly 70% of Azusa residents live within a 10-minute walk of a park.
The San Gabriel Mountains have beautiful bike trails for Azusa residents.
Sports fields in Azusa are always active and many have lighting for evening games.
Enjoy Azusa's many skateparks at Memorial and Jardin de Roca parks.
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City is looking to bring in more chain dining establishments
There are multiple commercial stretches in Azusa, including several blocks downtown on and around North Azusa Avenue. “Former councils were anti-development of a downtown area, but that has changed in recent years. Our downtown has added 14 new businesses in the past few years,” Mendez says. The city’s restaurant scene features many independent eateries, but they aim to add a little diversity. “We have a lot of locally-owned restaurants, which is fantastic, but you’ve got a lot of people that are like, ‘Can we get a Chili’s in here too,” Mendez says. “We love mom-and-pop shops, but the truth is Azusa residents leave for chain dining, so we’re trying to bring in some chains.” Azusa has separate shopping centers outside of downtown, including national big-box stores like Target and Costco, so residents don’t need to leave to shop for necessities.
Azucanela is a small churreia chain in Azusa, but the city plans to attract bigger names.
Costco is located within Azusa so residents can spend local and keep revenue in the city.
Mantra Coffee is one of the local businesses in Azusa making way for bigger chains.
Target is another big box brand situated right at the top of downtown Azusa.
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People turn out for the Canyon City Classic and Festival of Lights
Azusa keeps an outsized calendar of community events for a city with a population under 50,000. They have a few signature events, including an annual 5K run/walk — the Canyon City Classic. “In 2024, even though we hadn’t done one in five years because of the pandemic lull, we had around 900 people participate in the race,” Mendez says. Christmas is also a big deal in the city, which celebrates with a Santa Breakfast and the Festival of Lights. “Santa tours around town with fire vehicles spreading Christmas joy, and then the festival has ice skating and the Grinch — last year we gave out 1,500 toys,” Mendez says. They also have one of the largest classic car shows in the San Gabriel Valley. “The Cruising Back to Route 66 Car Show was so big in 2024 that we had to turn away 300 cars,” Mendez says. Azusa Golden Days and Taste of the Town are two more annual events that bring out crowds.
Kids can take a ride before the movie starts at Azusa's Movies in the Park.
Engines had people talking at SoCal Variety Cars & Coffee Azusa.
Play games before the the show at Azusa's Concerts in the Park.
Azusa Golden Days is an annual week long carnival and parade that celebrates the city.
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Direct access to the 210 and proximity to the 605 and the 10
Azusa is set between Los Angeles, about 25 miles west, and San Bernardino, about 40 miles east. Pasadena is 15 miles from the city center. The city has direct access to Interstate 210 and is within a few miles of Interstates 605 and 10. "Traffic, overall, is not horrific. Our traffic is essentially east-to-west only, but you'll get some congestion on Route 66, which is technically Foothill Boulevard," Mendez says. State Route 39, known locally as North Azusa Avenue, is the city’s other main thoroughfare. It’s a four-lane road, more expansive in some spots, known for traffic lights and stop-and-go congestion. Mendez calls housing development downtown “transit-oriented” and points to Metro access and bus routes operated by Azusa Transit and Foothill Transit. Azusa, once the terminus of the Metro A-Line, formerly the Gold Line, has been part of a planned expansion to Pomona, which is set to open in early 2025. There are two airports about 30 miles away — Ontario International is east, and Hollywood Burbank is west.
Lower than average crime and very high fire risk
Though there was a spike in violent crime for a few months in the second half of 2023, the number of violent crimes is generally one-third lower in Azusa than the national and state numbers, according to the FBI Database. Property crime is more on par with state and national numbers.
Bounded by the San Gabriel Mountains to the north, Azusa’s fire risk in the summer is considered high. The California State Fire Marshall classifies most of the northern part of the city as a Very High Fire Hazard Severity Zone, which means securing fire insurance would be a critical issue for some buyers. "The city takes really aggressive fire mitigation efforts. We've had some very close fires, but to my knowledge, not a single structure has ever been lost to fire," Mendez says.
The climate in Azusa is known for hot, arid summers with temperatures in the 90s and cooler, rainy winters with temperatures in the 70s. There are about 285 sunny days per year, compared to the U.S. average of 205. There are around 40 days of precipitation annually.
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