Los Angeles in numbers — economics, housing, urban form, mobility, beside the national average.
Los Angeles, CA, anchors the west with 3,800,000 residents on 502 square miles — 7,570 to the square mile. Its economy produces $1,096.1 billion — $78,507 per resident — led by technology, manufacturing, finance, retail. The median home trades at $999,800. The built city reads as dense horizontal, a legacy of its mid-century growth growth.
Overview
| City Name |
Los Angeles |
| State |
CA |
| Country |
United States |
| Region |
West |
| Area Km2 |
1,299.97 |
| Land Area Sq Miles |
502 |
| Population |
3,800,000 |
| Population Density Per Sqmi |
7,569.72 |
| Population Growth Rate 1 |
-0.22 |
| Metropolitan Population |
12,870,000 |
Economics
|
City |
Natl avg |
| Gdp Billions 2 |
1,096.1 |
319.49 |
| Gdp Per Capita 3 |
78,507 |
69,842.03 |
| Unemployment Rate |
2.5 |
4.14 |
| Major Industries |
Technology, Manufacturing, Finance, Retail |
— |
| Average Income |
54,349 |
72,708.01 |
| Cost Living Index 4 |
152.3 |
110.36 |
| Housing Affordability Ratio 5 |
11.5 |
5.46 |
Housing
|
City |
Natl avg |
| Median Home Price |
999,800 |
512,278.7 |
| Rental Affordability Index 6 |
12.87 |
6.15 |
| Housing Typology Diversity 7 |
0.85 |
0.76 |
| Housing Price Growth Rate 8 |
-0.22 |
1.76 |
Urban Form
|
City |
Natl avg |
| Area Sqmi |
502 |
124.28 |
| Built Density 9 |
7,569.72 |
4,657.14 |
| Avg Building Height 10 |
128.1 |
182.56 |
| Land Use Mix Index 11 |
-1,274.1 |
-1,485.93 |
| Public Space Percentage |
0 |
0.1 |
| Street Connectivity Index 12 |
7 |
4.9 |
| Sprawl Index 13 |
1.1 |
1.84 |
| Historical Development Pattern |
Mid-Century Growth |
— |
| Building Age Distribution |
{"pre_1950": 0, "1950_1979": 5, "1980_1999": 12, "2000_plus": 5} |
— |
| Urban Morphology Type |
Dense Horizontal |
— |
Mobility
|
City |
Natl avg |
| Public Transit Mode Share 14 |
54.2 |
21.36 |
| Walkability Score 15 |
69.8 |
49.04 |
| Cycling Infrastructure Miles |
55.2 |
44.83 |
| Avg Commute Time |
35.2 |
25.74 |
| Traffic Congestion Index 16 |
89.4 |
47.8 |
| Vehicle Ownership Rate |
40.8 |
74.17 |
| Transportation Accessibility Score |
59.1 |
34.36 |
| Micromobility Options |
Bikeshare |
— |
| Transit Frequency Score 17 |
7 |
3.64 |
World Comparison
| Dubai (UAE) |
3,600,000 — 95% of Los Angeles |
| Kuala Lumpur (Malaysia) |
1,982,112 — 52% of Los Angeles |
| Hong Kong (China) |
7,500,700 — 197% of Los Angeles |
The Building Stock
| Buildings On File |
837 |
| With Measured Heights |
395 |
| Mean Roof Height |
151 ft (45.9 m) |
| Tallest On File |
1,100 ft (335.3 m) |
| Under 100 Ft |
190 |
| 100 To 250 Ft |
156 |
| 250 To 500 Ft |
35 |
| 500 To 1,000 Ft |
13 |
| 1,000 Ft And Above |
1 |
The Tallest On File
| Wilshire Grand Center |
1,099 ft |
| Two California Plaza |
751 ft |
| Gas Company Tower |
748 ft |
| 777 Tower |
719 ft |
| Figueroa at Wilshire |
719 ft |
| The Beaudry Apartments |
696 ft |
| Oceanwide Plaza I |
676 ft |
| Metropolis Residential Tower III |
646 ft |
Further Reading
Compiled 2026-11-01 from the urbanicity research tables.
1 Population Growth Rate — Annualized rate, recent period.
2 Gdp Billions — Metropolitan GDP, in billions of USD.
3 Gdp Per Capita — Metro GDP divided by resident population, USD.
4 Cost Living Index — Composite cost of living; U.S. average = 100.
5 Housing Affordability Ratio — Median home price ÷ median household income; higher = less affordable.
6 Rental Affordability Index — Share of income consumed by median rent; higher = less affordable.
7 Housing Typology Diversity — Mix of housing types, 0–1; higher = more varied stock.
8 Housing Price Growth Rate — Annualized price change, recent period.
9 Built Density — Population per square mile of built-up land.
10 Avg Building Height — Mean building height, feet.
11 Land Use Mix Index — Diversity of land uses; source column under data review.
12 Street Connectivity Index — Intersection density and network grain; higher = finer grid.
13 Sprawl Index — Compactness measure; higher = more sprawl.
14 Public Transit Mode Share — Percent of commutes by transit.
15 Walkability Score — 0–100; higher = more walkable.
16 Traffic Congestion Index — Delay relative to free-flow travel; higher = worse.
17 Transit Frequency Score — Service frequency composite, 0–10.