Vernon, CA

Vernon sits just five miles south of downtown Los Angeles, and you will notice the difference immediately as residential neighborhoods give way to smokestacks, rail spurs, and massive distribution centers. With barely over two hundred official residents, almost the entire city is dedicated to commercial and industrial operations. The founders planned it that way back in 1905, laying out the area specifically to connect early factories directly to major rail lines. Anyone relocating to the LA area will look elsewhere for housing, but there is a strong chance your commute, your career, or your daily supply chain ties back to this concrete hub.

ATTRRightCowLeftCoast / CC BY-SA 4.0

Before settling into manufacturing, Vernon actually had a brief run as a rowdy entertainment destination. In the early 1900s, crowds regularly packed into the Vernon Avenue Arena for championship boxing bouts or spent weekends cheering on the Vernon Tigers minor league baseball team. Prohibition brought an end to the arena and saloon days in 1919, clearing the way for meatpackers and food processors to take over the local economy. Today, cold storage, logistics, steel, and food manufacturing keep the city running, drawing in tens of thousands of commuters every workday.