Los Angeles neighborhood guide
Vermont Square
Vertical tick marks the LA neighborhood median.
Rent in Vermont Square
Why two numbers? Long-term tenants (often in rent-stabilized units) pay less than today's asking prices. Budget from the asking rent, not the resident median.
Rent control: City of Los Angeleshas a Rent Stabilization Ordinance (RSO). Most buildings first occupied before October 1978 limit annual increases for sitting tenants; newer buildings at least 15 years old fall under California's statewide cap (AB 1482). Check a specific address with the LA Housing Department's ZIMAS tool before signing.
General information, not legal advice.
How Vermont Square scores for you
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Vermont Square is a South Los Angeles neighborhood centered around the historic Vermont Square park and branch library, a designated Historic-Cultural Monument. The area has a distinctly urban character with a mix of residential blocks and local commercial strips. It ranks 11th most affordable of 114 LA neighborhoods by current resident rent, though new leases today run about $2,257 per month, up 5.4% year-over-year.
Living here
Day-to-day, you can walk to errands for some needs (within a short walk you'll find about 3 restaurants and 1 grocery store), but a car is useful for others. The neighborhood has moderate walkability, ranking 39th of 114 LA areas. Parks are accessible, including Julian C. Dixon Park and Vermont Square itself, though tree cover is very limited at 1.1% compared to the LA average of 6.2%, making summers feel hotter and the streetscape more concrete than green. Air quality ranks 27th of 114 (better than average for the region), but traffic exposure is above-average, ranking 32nd of 114 LA neighborhoods.
Who it's for
Vermont Square works best for renters looking for affordability in an established urban neighborhood who don't mind limited greenery and don't rely heavily on public transit. The area suits people working nearby or with their own transportation, especially those with tighter budgets seeking South LA's community character and proximity to USC, Exposition Park, and the Metro E Line stations just under a kilometer away.
Environment & livability
Air quality: below the California median for diesel PM exposure.
Air quality here is better than average for the state. Worth noting if you have respiratory sensitivities.
Traffic exposure: above-average traffic corridor exposure.
Higher traffic proximity correlates with elevated noise, diesel emissions, and reduced pedestrian comfort on nearby streets.
Tree cover: very limited tree cover, predominantly concrete.
Low canopy areas tend to run hotter and feel more exposed. Research links tree cover to lower ambient temperatures and improved pedestrian comfort.
Walkability: walkable for some errands, car useful for others.
A mixed walkability area. Good for quick trips on foot, but some destinations will require driving or transit.
Transit: minimal transit access, car strongly recommended.
Very infrequent or no meaningful transit nearby. Car dependency is high in this area.
Environmental data from CalEnviroScreen 4.0 and the EPA Smart Location Database. Informational only, not professional advice for a housing decision.
Metro rail
No stations inside Vermont Square, but these are close to its edge.
Who lives in Vermont Square
Population
33,396
Renters
65%
of households rent
Median age
34
Median income
$63k
per household
Census ACS 5-year estimates.
Schools in Vermont Square
14 public schools sit inside this area · 13 with published results. Figures are the share of students who met or exceeded state standards.
| School | Grades | English | Math |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dr. James Edward Jones Primary Center Elementary | K-2 | — | — |
| Fifty-Second Street Elementary Elementary | K-5 | 19% | 20% |
| Forty-Second Street Elementary Elementary | K-5 | 27% | 27% |
| ICEF Innovation Los Angeles CharterCharter Elementary | K-5 | 29% | 33% |
| KIPP Vida Preparatory AcademyCharter Elementary | K-4 | 39% | 38% |
| Marguerite Poindexter LaMotte Elementary Elementary | K-5 | 24% | 17% |
| Martin Luther King Jr. Elementary Elementary | K-5 | 24% | 20% |
| Menlo Avenue Elementary Elementary | K-8 | 43% | 32% |
| New Heights CharterCharter Elementary | K-8 | 46% | 39% |
| Normandie Avenue Elementary Elementary | K-5 | 22% | 23% |
| Western Avenue Technology Magnet Elementary | K-8 | 31% | 21% |
| Barack Obama Global Preparation Academy Intermediate/Middle/Junior High | 6-8 | 23% | 11% |
| Libertas College Preparatory CharterCharter Intermediate/Middle/Junior High | 4-8 | 41% | 35% |
| Ednovate - USC Hybrid High College PrepCharter High School | 9-12 | 78% | 38% |
Source: California Dept. of Education (directory) and CAASPP Smarter Balanced, 2025. We publish these figures as the state reports them and show the same table for every neighborhood. Saktoo does not rate schools, and school data is never part of a neighborhood match score. Attendance boundaries change — confirm the assigned school with the district before relying on it.
Around Vermont Square
Best Donuts · Burger King · Carl's Jr. · Jack in the Box
Julian C. Dixon Park · Vermont Square · Vermont Square Park
Check your commute from Vermont Square
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Similar neighborhoods
Next to Vermont Square
What the census says about Vermont Square
Facts about the neighborhood from the American Community Survey. These describe Vermont Square; none of them feed the scores above.
- Typical commute
- 39 min
- one way, residents who work
- Settled households
- 80%
- moved in before 2018
- Housing built
- ~1943
- average year of construction
- Above 1 per room
- 20%
- a measure of housing pressure
- Vacant units
- 4%
- of all housing units
- Broadband
- 88%
- of households subscribe
- Detached houses
- 47%
- the rest are attached or apartments
- Typical size
- 2 bed
- median across all homes here
- Homes here
- 4,243
- total housing units
Averaged across 9 areas of about a kilometre each. ACS 5-year estimates.
Vermont Square in the regional index
How Vermont Square places when every neighborhood in LA and Orange County is scored the same way.
- Where rent goes furthest
Ranks #11 of 263 neighborhoods on this weighting.
- Low rent and clean air together
Ranks #13 of 263 neighborhoods on this weighting.
- Cheap rent without needing a car
Ranks #14 of 263 neighborhoods on this weighting.
Finding a place in Vermont Square
Found a place you like? Score it against your priorities to see how well any address fits your budget and commute.
Frequently asked questions
How is the transit access?+
Vermont Square has minimal transit compared to the LA average. Three Metro E Line stations are within 0.8 km: Expo Park / USC Station, Expo / Vermont Station, and Expo / Western Station. A car is strongly recommended for most daily needs.
What's the rent here?+
New leases are running about $2,257 per month as of May 2026. Current residents pay a median of $1,387 (which includes long-term and stabilized tenants), but that's not what you should budget. Studio apartments average around $1,138, one-bedrooms about $1,204, two-bedrooms around $1,502, and three-bedrooms about $1,871.
Do I need a car?+
Yes. The neighborhood is walkable for some errands, but a car is useful (and often necessary) for others. Minimal public transit means you'll rely on your own transportation for most trips.
What's the tree cover like?+
Vermont Square has very limited tree coverage at about 1.1%, mostly concrete and urban development. It ranks 102nd of 114 LA neighborhoods for canopy, so expect hotter streets and less natural shade compared to other LA areas.
Is Vermont Square walkable?+
Vermont Square ranks #54 of 346 LA neighborhoods for walkability. In practice, walkable for some errands, car useful for others.
What is the average rent in Vermont Square?+
A new lease in Vermont Square typically asks around $2,257 per month (Zillow Observed Rent Index, all unit sizes blended). Current residents pay a median of about $1,387 (Census ACS), which includes long-term and rent-stabilized tenants, so expect asking prices closer to the first number.
Does Vermont Square have Metro rail access?+
Not within the neighborhood itself, but Expo Park / USC (Metro E Line) is about 0.8 km from the Vermont Square boundary.
How is the air quality in Vermont Square?+
Vermont Square has below the California median for diesel PM exposure, based on CalEnviroScreen 4.0 diesel particulate data (percentile 44 of 100, lower is cleaner).
Which LA neighborhoods are similar to Vermont Square?+
Based on walkability, rent levels, amenities, and environment, the most similar neighborhoods to Vermont Square are Huntington Park, Vermont-Slauson, Jefferson Park and Green Meadows.