Popular culture often defined Compton by its crime and violence in the 1980s and ‘90s. While it is true that these issues affected the city, it was never true that they represented the city, which has roughly 90,000 residents. “It’s not what everybody thinks it is. People have pride in this city,” says Sheena Pratt, a Los Angeles resident and a Realtor with Wedgewood Homes Realty since 2020. “A lot of people have been here for years, and they have a pride of ownership. Some properties have been passed down from generation to generation.” New residents are drawn to Compton's budget-friendly housing prices and central location. In fact, it's nicknamed Hub City because of its freeway access and location near the center of Los Angeles County. “It’s an up-and-coming area,” says Joshua Glaz, The Ave Agency’s founder and broker who’s sold real estate here since 1999. “The city is investing in the parks, and they’ve added a new shopping center with a Best Buy and Target.” The Martin Luther King Jr. Transit Center is a mixed-use development completed in 2011, and developers continue to add single-family homes, townhomes and apartments.
Compton has budget-friendly home prices that have brought in new residents in recent years.
Compton is the most economical city in southern LA, with a median sold price of $630,000
The MLK Jr. Transit Center in Compton is a mixed-use development completed in 2011
Compton has a great mix of big box retailers, like Target, along with small businesses.
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Budget-friendly homes in southern Los Angeles
Compton is the most budget-friendly city in southern LA, with a median sold price of $649,000. That’s nearly $200,000 less than in neighboring Carson and Long Beach and nearly $400,000 less than in Torrance. Compton’s prices have increased about 9% year over year, but nearby cities have experienced similar increases. Single-family homes can go as low as $300,000 near Downtown Compton, and investors continue to teardown or renovate. Most homes were built in the 1950s and ‘60s, and they can have irregular layouts. “Compton didn’t have a lot of housing rules back in the day, so a lot of homes have random additions. You might walk through a bedroom to get to another bedroom,” Glaz says. “Now you have presale inspection so things have to be permitted. If you put a light fixture up, the inspector wants that documented. If someone illegally converted a garage, they want it taken down.” While renovations are common throughout the city, horse properties in the Richland Farms neighborhood are often fixed up, and they can reach $1.2 million.
Architectural styles in Willowbrook range from bungalows to ranch-style homes.
Renovated bungalows are popping up in Willowbrook and other Compton neighborhoods.
Quaint bungalows in Willowbrook are generally lower than the LA county average.
Find midcentury homes next to ranch style homes in West Compton, CA.
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Freeways are a short drive away in Hub City
Hub City is well connected to the rest of Los Angeles with a major freeway on every side. Interstate 105 is north, and state Route 91 is south; Interstate 710 is east, and Interstate 110 is west. Traffic usually clogs in the mornings and evenings, but it clears around noon. “Potholes are pretty common,” Pratt says. “You kind of have a pep talk with your car ahead of time. But the city is always working on the roads, and there are areas where it’s gotten better.” Compton Renaissance buses operate five routes throughout the city on weekdays. The Los Angeles Metro Rail also goes north from Downtown Long Beach to the San Gabriel Valley, passing through Compton. On the city's west side, Compton/Woodley Airport has about 60,000 private takeoffs and landings each year. Noise is noticeable, but levels are similar to the city’s major thoroughfares. The closest commercial airport is Los Angeles International, about 10 miles west.
Contrary to popular belief, crime in Compton has decreased
Crime rates in Compton have decreased since their peak in the 1980s and ‘90s. In July 1987, there were 489 violent offenses per 100,000 residents. In December 2023, there were 121. That’s a 75% decrease overall. Property crime rates also decreased 23% in the same period. Still, crime levels are significantly higher than neighboring Torrance and Lakewood. “Town hall meetings have really made a difference in the community, and they’re always packed,” says Kimberley Woods, assistant vice president and senior program director with the Neighborhood Housing Service of Los Angeles County. “Our city council is extremely accessible. If you’re having a problem, you can pick up the phone and call.” Although Compton dismantled its police department in 2000, it contracts for law enforcement with the county Sheriff's Department.
New life for Compton’s shopping, dining and entertainment scene
Locals often eat and shop on Compton Boulevard and Rosecrans Avenue. “Tourists don’t really come here, but they have a lot of good hole-in-the-wall places,” Glaz says. Takeout restaurants serve everything from soul food to barbecue, and big box retailers mix with small businesses. While people used to have to leave Compton for specialty food and entertainment, new spots have changed that. Boulevard Gastropub became the first gastropub in the city in 2022, and Planet Health Compton opened to serve vegan food in the same year. The Compton Art and History Museum, founded in 2023, has rotating exhibits from Compton artists. The family friendly Compton Fest, started in 2024, is filled with live music, educational workshops and community leaders. A few miles north, Inglewood offers popular concert and sports venues. SoFi Stadium hosts NFL football — the Los Angeles Chargers and Rams — and big musical acts like Compton native Kendrick Lamar. The Kia Forum has more musicians and comedy shows.
Head to SoFi Stadium on to watch the LA Rams or Chargers in Morningside Park, CA.
Boulevard Gastropub became the first ever gastropub in Compton in 2022 a became a favorite.
The Compton Art and History Museum became the city’s first and only museum in 2023.
Watch your favorite band play a show at the Kia Forum in Morningside Park, CA.
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Improvements to Compton Unified School District
Compton Unified School District has had an increased focus on STEM, facility improvements and a graduation rate nearing 90% in the 2020s. Across the district’s 36 campuses, it serves 26,000 students, and Niche gives it a B-minus. Compton Early College High is a standout school, serving grades six through 12 and receiving an A. Its students can earn an Associate of Arts degree or Intersegmental General Education Transfer Certificate while obtaining their high school diplomas. Compton College is a community college on the city’s south side that offers more than 80 degree and certificate programs.
Located on W 156th Street, Bursch Elementary is part of the Compton Unified School District.
Bunche Middle School has an overall C- rating from Niche.
Compton Early College High School has an overall A rating from Niche.
Dominguez High School has an overall B- grade from Niche.
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Nearby green spaces: Los Angeles River, Wilson Park
Compton is about 20 miles from the region's famous mountains and beaches, but it has 17 parks of its own. The Los Angeles River runs along the city’s east side, and it has a waterfront space called Ralph C. Dills Park. This wooded area has walking paths and a playground. In the center of Compton, Wilson Park has a skate park, basketball court and gymnasium. Serena and Venus Williams grew up on the tennis courts in East Rancho Dominguez Park, on the city’s west side. The Compton Cowboys, a nonprofit group of Black riders, practice equestrian sports in Richland Farms; they formed in 2017 to give young people a healthy alternative to crime.
The Compton Cowboys, a nonprofit group, practice equestrian sports in Richland Farms.
17 parks are found within Compton's boundaries, including Magic Johnson Park.
Magic Johnson Park is a vast 104 acre recreation area located in Willowbrook, CA.
Take your dog for a walk through Roy Campanella Park in West Compton, CA.
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Los Angeles sun and fewer wildfires
Compton has temperatures in the 60s and 70s for most of the year, with warm summers and mild winters. The sun shines about 280 days per year, compared to about 200 days in the United States overall. The city’s central location distances it from the ocean and mountains, so flooding and wildfires are typically avoided. However, the area can still experience smoke like the rest of Los Angeles.
The city of Compton experiences very mild winters, making parks enjoyable all year long.
Enjoy the beautiful lake at the center of Magic Johnson Recreational Park in Compton.
Residents can enjoy the various wildlife around Magic Johnson Park.
Compton has temperatures in the 60s and 70s for most of the year, with warm summers.
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