California does not have an officially designated "slum city," but two areas are frequently described in such terms due to severe poverty, homelessness, and informal living conditions: Skid Row in Los Angeles and Slab City in the Sonoran Desert.
Cities with a population of at least 10,000 individuals are ranked by percent of individuals living below the poverty line in 2019.
Top 10 Highest Homeless Populations in California. Los Angeles tops the list with the highest homeless population in California. According to the 2023 Greater Los Angeles Homeless Count, there were an estimated 75,518 homeless individuals in Los Angeles County, with 46,260 in the city alone (LAHSA) (LAHSA).
Across regions, poverty rates were highest in Los Angeles County (19.9%) and the Central Coast region (19.3%); the Sacramento Area had the lowest (13%). Rates differ widely across legislative districts (6.9% to 26.5%).
Skid Row contains one of the largest stable populations of homeless people in the United States, estimated at over 4,400, and has been known for its condensed homeless population since at least the 1930s.
Change the focus to property crime and Orange County cities with a population not much higher than 50,000 dominate the top ten, with seven of the ten places ranking in the top ten being located in Orange County, including (in ascending order of violent crime rate) Aliso Viejo, Laguna Niguel, Lake Forest, Mission Viejo, ...
According to a list compiled by Wallethub, the unhappiest city in California is San Bernardino. Other U.S. cities that rank among the unhappiest include Cleveland, Ohio, Memphis, Tennessee, Birmingham, Alabama, Huntington, West Virginia, and Jackson, Mississippi to name a few.
A vast majority (89 percent) of the tracts with concentrated levels of poverty are adjacent to Downtown and in South Los Angeles neighborhoods, with a few showing up in the Valley and Harbor areas.
Amador City, located in the heart of the state and about six hours from L.A., is officially the smallest in area, covering just 0.53 square miles, and the least populated, with only 205 residents. All of this according to the latest 2020 census.
Since the 1950s, Slab City has drawn a variety of people, such as anarchists, artists, eccentrics, outcasts, retirees, and the impoverished.
1. Atherton. Topping the list, Atherton has long held the title of not only the richest city in California, but also one of the wealthiest in the entire United States. Nestled in the heart of Silicon Valley, Atherton is home to venture capitalists, CEOs of major tech companies, and generational wealth.
Racial poverty gaps also remain stark, with Black and Latinx Californians experiencing poverty at approximately ten percentage points higher than white Californians, according to new Census data. California's poverty rate means that about 7 million state residents lacked the resources to meet basic needs last year — ...
Areas like Skid Row, South LA, and parts of Hollywood are known to be dangerous areas in Los Angeles due to high crime rates.
Malibu: Famous for “Billionaire's Beach,” this area attracts tech moguls and A-list actors who want oceanfront living away from the city center. Beverly Park: Situated high in the mountains, this exclusive gated community is home to megastars like Adele and The Rock, offering massive estates with maximum privacy.
1. Oakland, CA. Violent Crime Rate: Oakland faces significant safety challenges with a violent crime rate of 16.85 incidents per 1,000 residents, making it California's most dangerous major city. This rate is approximately 327% above the national average.
The least educated city in the USA is in the Central Valley, according to this report. Visalia, California was ranked as the least educated ...
Santa Rosa Ranked #1 Safest City in California. Santa Rosa has been ranked the #1 safest city in California for 2025, and was ranked as the city with the fewest traffic fatalities per capita nationwide.
1. Memphis. Memphis has one of the highest crime rates in the country at 2,437 per 100,000 people, with assault leading the list. The city has addressed these issues through targeted policing and community engagement initiatives.
Most Dangerous Neighborhoods in Los Angeles