South El Monte is a medium-sized city located in the state of California. With a population of 19,602 people and five associated neighborhoods, South El Monte is the 323rd largest community in California.

Housing costs in South El Monte are among some of the highest in the nation, although real estate prices here don't compare to real estate prices in the most expensive communities in California.

The citizens of South El Monte have a very low rate of college education: just 9.80% of people over 25 have a bachelor's degree or advanced degree, compared to a national average of 21.84% for all cities.

The per capita income in South El Monte in 2018 was $22,248, which is low income relative to California and the nation. This equates to an annual income of $88,992 for a family of four. However, South El Monte contains both very wealthy and poor people as well.

South El Monte is an extremely ethnically-diverse city. The people who call South El Monte home describe themselves as belonging to a variety of racial and ethnic groups. People of Hispanic or Latino origin are the most prevalent group in South El Monte, accounting for 78.83% of the city’s residents (people of Hispanic or Latino origin can be of any race). The greatest number of South El Monte residents report their race to be Asian, followed by White. Important ancestries of people in South El Monte include German, French, Italian, English, and Welsh.

Foreign born people are also an important part of South El Monte's cultural character, accounting for 44.58% of the city’s population.

The most common language spoken in South El Monte is Spanish. Other important languages spoken here include English and Chinese.