Apartment buildings in 90242, Downey
By Shaya Lowenstein, Senior Associate at Lyon Stahl Investment Real Estate, CA DRE #01942326. From the 2025 LA County assessor roll, transfers through January 17, 2025.
ZIP code 90242 in Downey has 812 parcels with two or more units, 5,645 units in all, on the 2025 Los Angeles County assessor roll. Half of them were built in 1954 or earlier, and 734, or 90%, in 1978 or earlier. 225 parcels, 28%, have not been reassessed on a sale since 1995 or earlier, and 56 last changed hands in 2024.
- Parcels with 2 or more units
- 812
- Units in those parcels
- 5,645
- Median year built
- 1954
- Built in 1978 or earlier
- 734
- Median Prop 13 base year
- 2004
- Base year 1995 or earlier
- 225
- Last transfer in 2024
- 56
What the buildings in 90242 Downey look like.
Most of the apartment stock in 90242 Downey is small. 604 of the 812 parcels hold two to four units, the duplexes, triplexes and fourplexes that are often bought by owner users and first-time investors.
The average parcel here holds 7 units. 9 parcels hold 50 units or more. The largest ones are listed further down this page, each with its own public record.
| Size | Parcels | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Two to four units | 604 | 74% |
| Five to nine units | 80 | 10% |
| 10 to 19 units | 59 | 7% |
| 20 to 49 units | 60 | 7% |
| 50 units or more | 9 | 1% |
How old they are.
Half the apartment parcels in 90242 Downey were built in 1954 or earlier. 734 of 812, about 90%, went up in 1978 or before.
Across the 255 ZIP codes on this site that share is 89%, so 90242 Downey has about the same share of older buildings as the average. Older buildings tend to carry the questions a buyer will ask about, like plumbing, electrical, the roof and whether the building needs a seismic retrofit.
Rent control in 90242 Downey.
The City of Los Angeles rent ordinance does not cover 90242 Downey. 734 of the parcels here were built in 1978 or earlier, and age is usually the first thing a local rent rule looks at.
Where a city has no rent rule of its own, the state cap in AB 1482 covers most buildings more than 15 years old. Check with Downey before you underwrite a rent roll, because local rules change.
How long owners hold.
The median Prop 13 base year for apartment parcels in 90242 Downey is 2004. A base year resets when a building sells, so an old one usually means the same owner or the same family has held it a long time.
225 parcels, 28%, still carry a base year of 1995 or earlier. The figure for all 255 ZIP codes here is 28%, so owners in 90242 Downey have held about as long as the average.
Long-held buildings often pay property tax on a value set decades ago. When they sell, the new owner is taxed on the price, which is part of why rents and expenses on these buildings need a close look before anyone sets a price.
How often buildings sell.
By last recorded transfer, 45 apartment parcels in 90242 Downey changed hands in 2022, 49 in 2023 and 56 in 2024.
That is 6.9% of the parcels here, against 7.3% across all 255 ZIP codes, so buildings here turned over at about the same rate as the average.
A building that sold twice in those years shows up once, in its later year, and a transfer is not always a sale at market. A move into a trust or between family members is recorded too.
| Year | Parcels |
|---|---|
| 2022 | 45 |
| 2023 | 49 |
| 2024 | 56 |
The largest apartment buildings in 90242 Downey.
- 10000 Imperial Hwy, Downey 90242460 units, built 1971
- 12542 Paramount Blvd, Downey 90242103 units, built 1991
- 8721 Imperial Hwy, Downey 90242100 units, built 1964
- 9999 Imperial Hwy, Downey 9024292 units, built 1973
- 8547 Imperial Hwy, Downey 9024277 units, built 1961
- 9060 Imperial Hwy, Downey 9024268 units, built 1959
- 12520 Lakewood Blvd, Downey 9024258 units, built 1962
- 8629 Imperial Hwy, Downey 9024252 units, built 1969
- 12450 Lakewood Blvd, Downey 9024250 units, built 1966
- 12441 River Rd, Downey 9024249 units, built 1969
- 10025 Imperial Hwy, Downey 9024248 units, built 1985
- 12130 Old River School Rd, Downey 9024248 units, built 1964
See every apartment building in 90242 Downey with units, square footage, year built and assessed value for each one.
Questions owners ask about 90242 Downey.
How many apartment buildings are in 90242 Downey?
The 2025 Los Angeles County assessor roll lists 812 parcels with two or more units in ZIP code 90242 in Downey, with 5,645 units between them. 604 hold two to four units and 208 hold five or more.
How old are the apartment buildings in 90242 Downey?
The median build year is 1954. 734 of the 812 parcels, about 90%, were built in 1978 or earlier.
Are apartments in 90242 Downey under rent control?
The City of Los Angeles rent ordinance does not cover 90242 Downey. 734 of the parcels here were built in 1978 or earlier, and age is usually the first thing a local rent rule looks at. Where a city has no rent rule of its own, the state cap in AB 1482 covers most buildings more than 15 years old. Check with Downey before you underwrite a rent roll, because local rules change.
How often do apartment buildings sell in 90242 Downey?
45 parcels show a last recorded transfer in 2022, 49 in 2023 and 56 in 2024. A building that sold twice counts once, in its later year.
How long do owners hold apartment buildings in 90242 Downey?
The median Prop 13 base year is 2004, and 225 parcels, 28%, have a base year of 1995 or earlier. That usually means the same owner or family for 30 years or more.
What is my apartment building in 90242 Downey worth?
It depends on the rents, the expenses, the condition and which rent rules apply, so a number from a website is a guess. Send me the address and I will give you a value based on recent sales nearby and what your building actually earns. There is no charge.
Type your address. You get the county record for it right here, and I will send you a value based on recent sales nearby if you want one.
Thinking about selling? Read how I sell apartment buildings in Los Angeles or ask for a free valuation.
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Where these numbers come from.
- Every count is from the 2025 Los Angeles County assessor roll and counts parcels the assessor lists with two or more units. A parcel can hold more than one building.
- The sale years are the most recent recorded transfer on each parcel, through January 17, 2025. A transfer into a trust or between family members is recorded the same way as a sale.
- The base year is the year Prop 13 last set the parcel's land value, which happens when it changes hands. Values set before 1975 show as 1975.
- Rent control and soft-story figures cover the City of Los Angeles only and come from the city's zoning map and permit data. Rent control is worked out from the build year, not taken from the Housing Department's list.
- The numbers were taken from the roll on October 27, 2026. Download every area as a CSV file.
/// HOW TO CITE THIS
Shaya Lowenstein, "Apartment buildings in 90242, Downey," Shaya Lowenstein, October 27, 2026, https://www.shayarealestate.com/apartment-buildings/90242. Figures from the 2025 Los Angeles County assessor roll.
Shaya Lowenstein, CA DRE #01942326, Lyon Stahl Investment Real Estate. Public record figures, offered as research and not as an appraisal of any one building.