These Are The 10 Worst Anaheim Suburbs For 2018

Not everyone is cut out for city life. Some people would prefer to live in the cities and towns that surround Anaheim.

So the question arises, do the suburbs maintain a semblance of the larger-than-life appeal of their more famous neighbor?

Today, we’ll use science and data to determine which Anaheim ‘burbs need a little tender loving care – the sore thumbs of the Anaheim area if you will. Realistically, you can’t expect all the suburbs to live up to Anaheim proper, although Newport Beach certainly tries.

Of course, not all suburbs of Anaheim are created equally, which is precisely why we set out to find the best ones. So without further ado…

We examined the 101 biggest suburbs of Anaheim to find out the worst places to live. And while you won’t necessarily find them on the worst places to live in California lists, these ten places are a little too far downwind of Anaheim in terms of quality of life.

Here are the 10 worst suburbs around Anaheim for 2018:

1. Commerce (Photos)
2. Jurupa Valley
3. Cudahy
4. Rialto (Photos)
5. Colton (Photos)
6. Huntington Park (Photos)
7. Compton (Photos)
8. Bell Gardens (Photos)
9. Bell (Photos)
10. Pomona (Photos)

Read on to see how we determined the places around Anaheim that need a pick-me-up. And remember, don’t blame the messenger.

Or, if you’re thinking of moving to elsewhere in California check out the best places in California overall or the worst.

And remember, there are some good places to live around Anaheim too.

Editor’s Note: If you see a slight difference between the worst in state rankings and this suburb ranking, it’s because of the methodology. We needed a way to include more places, so we eliminated crime and commute times as criteria for this analysis.

For more California reading, check out:

• 10 Best Places To Live In California
• 10 Cheapest Places To Live In California
• 10 Most Dangerous Cities In California

Determining The Worst Suburbs Around Anaheim for 2018

To figure out how bad a place is to live in, we only needed to know what kinds of things people like and then decide what cities have the least amount of those things.

We threw a lot of criteria at this one in order to get the best, most complete results possible. Using the most recent American Community Survey data, this is the criteria we used:

• High unemployment rate
• Low median household incomes
• Low population density (no things to do)
• Low home values
• A lot of high school drop outs
• High poverty
• High rate of uninsured families

FYI: We defined a suburb as being within 30 miles of Anaheim.

Additionally, we limited the analysis to places that have over 5,000 people. This left us with a grand total of 101 suburbs to evaluate around Anaheim.

We ranked each place with scores from 1 to 101 in each category, where 1 was the “worst”.

Next, we averaged the rankings for each place to create a quality of life index.

And finally, we crowned the city with the worst quality of life index the “Worst Suburb near Anaheim.” We’re lookin’ at you, Commerce.

Read on below to learn more about what it’s like to live in the worst of the worst. Or skip to the end to see the list of all the suburbs ranked from worst to best.

1. Commerce

Population: 12,997
Unemployment Rate: 11.4%
Median Home Price: $343,200
Median Income: $42,235
More on Commerce: Data | Jobs

We’ll get the ball rolling with Commerce, the absolute worst place to live around Anaheim according to the data.

And in the world of worst rankings, Commerce beat the competition pretty handily thanks to scoring in the bottom 15% in three major categories. Income is the 10th worst in the Anaheim area, and to make matters worse, the city ranks 28th worst when it comes to home values.

But hey, at least it’s cheap to live there. But there’s a reason for that… it’s Commerce.

You won’t feel bad about not having a great income for the area, there aren’t a bunch of places to spend your money anyway.

2. Jurupa Valley

Population: 100,737
Unemployment Rate: 12.7%
Median Home Price: $270,700
Median Income: $58,849
More on Jurupa Valley: Data | Jobs

Welcome to Jurupa Valley. Home to KMart, Big Lots, and a lot of gas stations.

This city is 19.6 miles to Anaheim. Income levels here are the 37th lowest in the metro area, where families bring in about $58,849 a year, which doesn’t go a long ways even on a shoestring budget.

But on the bright side, there are a lot of fast food joints in the area.

3. Cudahy

Population: 24,106
Unemployment Rate: 11.9%
Median Home Price: $285,900
Median Income: $39,058
More on Cudahy: Data | Jobs

Back up the highway we go for the third worst Anaheim suburb you can live in. You might have expected to see Cudahy on here. While the cost of living is low, your entertainment and work options are limited. And that’s an understatement.

In terms of numbers, it’s in the worst 15% for insurance, and the adult high school drop out rate is poor compared to other Anaheim suburbs.

But at least there are nice parks to bring the kids during the day.

4. Rialto

Population: 102,418
Unemployment Rate: 13.8%
Median Home Price: $236,100
Median Income: $52,347
More on Rialto: Data | Jobs

If you live in Rialto, most likely you struggle to make ends meet every month. It ranks as the 23rd lowest Anaheim suburb when it comes to residents making money.

Not only that, but this is the 2nd worst unemployed suburb you can live in if you choose to live near Anaheim. Remember, we looked at 101 cities for this study.

Rialto is about 27.7 miles to downtown.

5. Colton

Population: 53,856
Unemployment Rate: 9.8%
Median Home Price: $189,500
Median Income: $43,966
More on Colton: Data | Jobs

Colton has the distinction of being a Anaheim suburb. Which means that’s about all it has going for it.

All snarkiness aside, Colton has the 2nd lowest home values in the metro Anaheim area, where the median price is $189,500. To put that into perspective, in Newport Beach, the median income is $139,792, which is the best in the area.

Colton has an unemployment rate of 9.8% which ranks 21st worst.

6. Huntington Park

Population: 58,921
Unemployment Rate: 11.1%
Median Home Price: $322,300
Median Income: $35,629
More on Huntington Park: Data | Jobs

Huntington Park has 58,921 residents that probably know it’s a pretty crummy place to live when you look at the data. (Or, if you’ve ever been there, you don’t need to look at the data.)

Incomes are towards the bottom and the poverty rate sits at 28.9%.

7. Compton

Population: 97,740
Unemployment Rate: 13.9%
Median Home Price: $264,300
Median Income: $45,406
More on Compton: Data | Jobs

Ah, Compton. You rank as the 7th worst place to live around Anaheim.

It’s the place with the 1st most out of work residents in the Anaheim metro area (13.9%).

8. Bell Gardens

Population: 42,805
Unemployment Rate: 10.6%
Median Home Price: $318,700
Median Income: $37,183
More on Bell Gardens: Data | Jobs

Bell Gardens is a city about 23.8 miles from Anaheim, but Anaheim probably wishes it was further away. It ranks as the 8th worst burb for 2018.

You’d be hard pressed to find a worse place to live. Bell Gardens has the 3rd most uninsured people, 4th worst incomes, and has the 13th highest unemployment rate (10.6%) in the entire Anaheim metro area.

Homes only cost $318,700 for a reason. That’s cheap for Anaheim standards.

9. Bell

Population: 35,927
Unemployment Rate: 11.4%
Median Home Price: $322,900
Median Income: $38,823
More on Bell: Data | Jobs

If you absolutely have to live near Anaheim, then Bell might be a place for you to consider as it’s only the 9th worst Anaheim suburb.

About 11.4% of residents are out of work.

10. Pomona

Population: 151,807
Unemployment Rate: 11.0%
Median Home Price: $310,100
Median Income: $50,360
More on Pomona: Data | Jobs

Rounding out the ten worst Anaheim suburbs to call home is Pomona.

Located 14.0 miles outside the city, Pomonas is a real pit when you look at the data. Its residents have the 10th highest unemployment rate (11.0%), and poverty is far above the area average.

The areas around Anaheim where the dream is more of a nightmare for 2018

Well there you have it — the worst of the ‘burbs surrounding Anaheim with Commerce casting itself ahead of the pack.

As we mentioned earlier, the suburbs around Anaheim aren’t all bad. Newport Beach takes the cake as the best place to live around Anaheim.

For more California reading, check out:

• 10 Most Ghetto Cities In California
• These Are The 10 Richest Cities In California
• 10 Safest Places In California
• 10 Worst Places To Live In California

Detailed List Of The Worst Anaheim Suburbs

Rank	City	Population	Unemployment Rate	Median Home Price	Median Income
1	Commerce	12,997	11.4%	$343,200	$42,235
2	Jurupa Valley	100,737	12.7%	$270,700	$58,849
3	Cudahy	24,106	11.9%	$285,900	$39,058
4	Rialto	102,418	13.8%	$236,100	$52,347
5	Colton	53,856	9.8%	$189,500	$43,966
6	Huntington Park	58,921	11.1%	$322,300	$35,629
7	Compton	97,740	13.9%	$264,300	$45,406
8	Bell Gardens	42,805	10.6%	$318,700	$37,183
9	Bell	35,927	11.4%	$322,900	$38,823
10	Pomona	151,807	11.0%	$310,100	$50,360
11	Hawaiian Gardens	14,468	10.5%	$288,200	$36,026
12	Maywood	27,672	9.5%	$325,600	$36,696
13	Lynwood	71,233	10.2%	$312,100	$43,848
14	Ontario	169,389	9.3%	$293,000	$54,896
15	Lakeland	102,714	9.5%	$109,300	$40,918
16	South Gate	95,219	11.7%	$329,000	$45,522
17	Lake Elsinore	60,230	12.8%	$259,700	$63,306
18	Paramount	54,941	9.1%	$283,400	$46,364
19	Montclair	38,294	9.3%	$281,100	$50,374
20	Riverside	318,678	11.0%	$286,600	$58,979
21	El Monte	115,665	9.2%	$374,900	$40,654
22	South El Monte	20,566	7.0%	$363,100	$42,460
23	Fontana	205,228	10.2%	$289,400	$65,995
24	Stanton	38,594	8.0%	$322,200	$48,332
25	Duarte	21,792	10.4%	$385,600	$65,571
26	Baldwin Park	76,511	8.8%	$333,500	$53,651
27	Santa Ana	333,605	7.1%	$383,900	$54,062
28	La Puente	40,384	8.1%	$343,000	$57,174
29	Azusa	48,498	8.1%	$342,000	$56,569
30	Montebello	63,416	8.1%	$413,900	$47,518
31	Rosemead	54,507	8.2%	$455,100	$45,510
32	Pico Rivera	63,724	8.6%	$351,300	$57,203
33	Chino	83,670	9.0%	$365,500	$72,832
34	Bellflower	77,687	8.3%	$367,300	$50,704
35	Long Beach	469,793	9.4%	$448,800	$55,151
36	Norwalk	106,360	8.0%	$350,600	$61,050
37	Grand Terrace	12,393	9.6%	$249,700	$64,188
38	Carson	92,780	10.8%	$366,700	$73,829
39	La Habra	61,660	10.0%	$436,200	$65,799
40	Santa Fe Springs	17,436	4.9%	$371,400	$58,147
41	Garden Grove	174,676	7.6%	$445,700	$60,522
42	Signal Hill	11,404	7.0%	$446,000	$70,286
43	Westminster	91,635	7.4%	$499,400	$55,287
44	Corona	161,614	7.8%	$378,500	$72,309
45	Monterey Park	61,001	7.5%	$532,700	$54,008
46	San Juan Capistrano	36,006	7.1%	$590,500	$79,393
47	West Covina	107,634	9.9%	$430,800	$71,217
48	Fullerton	139,491	8.6%	$551,300	$67,110
49	Covina	48,539	9.7%	$415,300	$65,451
50	Monrovia	37,090	9.6%	$583,300	$67,167
51	Downey	113,223	6.8%	$449,900	$65,332
52	San Gabriel	40,200	6.9%	$605,600	$54,015
53	Glendora	51,285	10.1%	$481,800	$78,448
54	Norco	26,809	8.5%	$445,700	$87,067
55	Artesia	16,789	5.2%	$419,500	$58,651
56	Upland	75,851	5.9%	$444,200	$62,369
57	Alhambra	84,866	6.0%	$518,800	$53,138
58	Rancho Cucamonga	173,309	8.9%	$414,200	$79,973
59	Orange	139,919	7.3%	$565,800	$79,192
60	Whittier	86,630	6.7%	$458,500	$67,431
61	Buena Park	82,771	5.7%	$448,900	$70,341
62	Tustin	79,396	6.8%	$543,200	$70,822
63	Seal Beach	24,510	6.3%	$308,400	$60,222
64	Laguna Woods	16,347	5.1%	$228,700	$39,201
65	Costa Mesa	112,439	6.5%	$637,200	$70,438
66	Los Alamitos	11,661	7.8%	$680,100	$80,926
67	San Dimas	34,109	7.0%	$481,000	$79,081
68	Eastvale	58,217	9.6%	$460,100	$104,940
69	La Verne	32,078	7.0%	$500,300	$78,385
70	Placentia	52,168	6.8%	$554,500	$80,668
71	La Mirada	49,130	6.9%	$448,400	$81,956
72	Chino Hills	77,266	7.0%	$537,800	$97,222
73	Claremont	35,827	6.8%	$581,100	$94,005
74	Diamond Bar	56,456	7.3%	$593,100	$89,845
75	Lakewood	81,054	6.3%	$445,800	$82,175
76	Brea	41,351	6.4%	$579,600	$85,555
77	Laguna Hills	31,127	6.2%	$628,800	$92,690
78	La Palma	15,834	6.4%	$602,000	$83,760
79	Fountain Valley	56,670	6.6%	$626,600	$84,763
80	Walnut	30,026	6.6%	$679,700	$97,345
81	Lake Forest	80,658	5.2%	$550,600	$92,415
82	Arcadia	57,755	6.5%	$920,700	$83,958
83	Dana Point	34,009	6.1%	$780,300	$83,913
84	Irvine	246,992	6.2%	$718,800	$93,823
85	El Cerrito	24,646	6.6%	$636,600	$92,670
86	Cypress	48,978	5.2%	$540,900	$84,469
87	Huntington Beach	198,724	6.0%	$659,700	$85,312
88	Laguna Beach	23,204	6.8%	$1,390,500	$100,506
89	Villa Park	5,922	8.7%	$1,030,800	$131,386
90	Cerritos	49,797	6.6%	$620,500	$95,373
91	San Clemente	65,082	5.5%	$801,100	$97,210
92	South Pasadena	25,936	6.2%	$876,900	$84,593
93	La Habra Heights	5,406	4.9%	$893,200	$110,329
94	Laguna Niguel	64,984	6.4%	$712,000	$97,894
95	Yorba Linda	67,362	6.5%	$728,300	$119,697
96	Mission Viejo	96,178	6.0%	$608,100	$104,886
97	Rancho Santa Margarita	49,038	3.6%	$584,000	$104,556
98	Aliso Viejo	50,219	5.9%	$539,000	$103,261
99	San Marino	13,324	4.3%	$1,518,400	$139,792
100	Sierra Madre	11,067	5.3%	$861,200	$95,256