Cerritos highlight
High quality-of-life rankings
An affluent, family-oriented community with top-ranked schools, Tree City USA status for 27 consecutive years, and the All-America City Award from the National Civic League.
Cerritos schools consistently exceed expectations. Elementary and middle school grades average A+, with 77% actual proficiency in core subjects compared to 45% projected proficiency. Cerritos Elementary School holds the designations of California Distinguished School, National Blue Ribbon School and California Gold Ribbon School (2016). The city's school system has built a reputation for academic rigor that draws and retains families.
The city has earned sustained recognition for quality of life from civic organizations. The Arbor Day Foundation has designated Cerritos a Tree City USA for 27 consecutive years, recognizing the city's commitment to urban forestry and green space. In 2008 the National Civic League awarded Cerritos the All-America City Award. The city also holds the Playful City USA designation from KABOOM! and has received commendations for its recycled water distribution system from the U.S. Conference of Mayors. According to the 2020 Census, median household income in Cerritos is $135,439—37 percent higher than California's state average and 68 percent higher than the national average.
Quality of life and financial stability go together in family planning. When a city attracts households with strong incomes, stable employment and excellent schools, those families are planning ahead for multiple decades. A life insurance policy that covers the mortgage, the children's years, and the transition to independence is how that planning becomes real.