City, Los Angeles County
© McCormack's Guides
Zip Codes: 90220, 90221, 90222, 90223, 90224
Bedroom city 12 miles south of Los Angeles downtown. School scores low. Community in transition. Population 99,242. Median age of residents is 25. Under 18 years, 38 percent. Over 55 years, 16 percent. Lot of kids. www.mccormacks.com
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State tallied 65 homicides in 2005. Counts for previous years are 39, 43, 53, 45, 45, 54, 48, 16, 72, 79, 81, 62, 58, 87, 78. Gang problems. See Crime.
Sheriff took over protection from local cops and in 2006 assigned more deputies to Compton. Homicides have dropped but it is too soon to tell whether they will stay down. Sheriff’s substation in town.
Served by Compton Unified School District, which also includes a small part of Carson. A few Compton schools score above the 20th percentile. Most score below.
When district blew its budget, state took over, renovated some schools, bought books and tried to improve teaching. In 2003, district was returned to local control. In 2002, voters approved an $80 million bond to upgrade the public schools. Several parochial schools. See Schools.
These and other problems notwithstanding, Compton in many ways is a “working” community. It provides housing for the low-income and for immigrants. If you drive the town you will find security doors, bars on windows, empty lots and many homes rundown and in need of repair. www.mccormacks.com
But you’ll also see homes and lawns that have been kept up, people repairing roofs, painting exteriors and making improvements, and many kids trudging to school with backpacks heavy with books. The city's location makes it a good commute to many job centers.
Compton started World War II with about 2,200 housing units and boomed in 1940s and 1950s, building 12,000 units, about half of its housing stock. In the 1960s, housing starts fell to 4,400 and in the 1970s and 1980s about 4,200 units were built. The last decade saw about 1,000 units. On west side, a townhouse subdivision. Lot of variety. 1950s tracts well maintained. A few narrow streets with shacks barely standing.
Hidden away outside city limits, small farms with cows, chickens, gardens.
State in 2008 counted 24,112 units: 16,086 single homes, 2,150 single attached, 5,228 multiples, 648 mobiles.
On weekends, soccer teams in flashy uniforms take over Compton’s playing fields. Compton Community College waves the flag for education and provides many courses and activities for low fees— a plus for the Compton. The college also serves as home to the Major League Baseball Academy. Library. Usual sports, activities. California state university in next town. www.mccormacks.com
Bordered by four freeways, a commute plus. About 20 minutes to downtown L.A. or to Long Beach, job centers. Buses, light-rail trolleys. Compton has an airport on west side.
For orientation on cities, towns and neighborhoods of Los Angeles County, see County Overview.
Chamber of commerce: (310) 631-8611.
City web site: www.comptoncity.org
