It’s now more expensive to rent in Norwalk than Downey

By Eric Pierce

NORWALK -- Rising rental prices have pushed Norwalk past Downey as one of the most expensive cities to rent in Los Angeles County, according to an analysis of real estate rental listings by Zumper, an online rental database. 

The Zumper Los Angeles Metro Report analyzed active listings in October across 18 metro cities to show the most and least expensive cities and cities with the fastest growing rents. The California state median was $1,663 last month.

Listings are aggregated by city to calculate median asking rents.

In Downey, the average rent for a 1-bedroom apartment is $1,350 per month, more expensive than Whittier, Baldwin Park, Hawthorne, Bellflower and Pomona. 

Downey rent, however, lagged behind Norwalk, where residents pay an average of $1,390 for a 1-bedroom unit. Norwalk rental prices grew 13% last month. 

Santa Monica continues to be the most expensive city to rent, with an average rent of $3,180 for a 1-bedroom apartment. 

Pomona and Bellflower tied for the most affordable city in the metro with prices at $1,280.