CitytisticsShortlist

Cost of living, pay and housing

33.77° N · 118.43° W · GEOID 0655380

Palos Verdes Estates

Los Angeles County, California · part of the Los Angeles, CA metro

CaliforniaPalos Verdes Estates, CAPalos Verdes EstatesPalos Verdes Estates

The short answer

Palos Verdes Estates is home to 12,925 people. Median household income is $242,014 a year and median rent is $3,217 a month, 16.0% of income (a ratio of two medians, not any one household's burden). Rent pressure is lighter than in most places. The median home is valued at $2,000,001, about 8.3x annual median household income.

Palos Verdes Estates is defined by its growth. Home value growth is 0% a year, against 5.3% a year in its closest peers. Also notable: After the median rent, with other prices set to the US average, the median household keeps about $199,600 a year, more than in 98% of places its size.

77OF 100

CTXCitytistics Index

Strong

Palos Verdes Estates scores better than 77% of the 6,612 places we rate, and ranks 28th of 654 in California.

How the CTX is built

Category ratings · 0 to 100, typical place 50

Affordability 20%44
Economy 20%77
Safety 20%83
Amenities 15%50
Education 10%99
Commute 10%15
Growth 5%10
Median gross rent
$3,217
136% above the median place
Median household income
$242,014
201% above the median place
Median home value
$2,000,001
above the median place (median $319,400)
Unemployment
4.7%
3% below the median place

Compared with the median of the 6,645 places we track. The bundle was checked 2026-11-14; each measure may refer to an older release.

What stands out about Palos Verdes Estates

  • Value for moneyRent is light relative to pay, but the county has a FEMA natural hazard risk score of 100 out of 100. Budget for insurance before counting the savings.
01

Moving to Palos Verdes Estates

Los Angeles County loses about 11.4 residents per 1,000 a year to moves between counties.

Moved in177,566
Moved out264,089
Net−86,523

Where people come from and where they go, top counties

Orange County, CA23,95231,420−7,468
San Bernardino County, CA18,69534,872−16,177
Riverside County, CA10,93420,742−9,808
Ventura County, CA6,33210,470−4,138
San Diego County, CA6,9069,296−2,390
Clark County, NV5,43210,100−4,668
Kern County, CA3,6847,772−4,088
Maricopa County, AZ3,1555,844−2,689

Within California, other states or abroad

Arrivals
Leavers
Within CaliforniaOther statesAbroad

Income per tax return

Arrivals$89K
Leavers$94K

People on tax returns who moved between counties, from IRS migration data, 2022 to 2023. Figures are for all of Los Angeles County; flows under 20 returns are not published.

Who moves here
2.7% of residents arrived from another county in the past year, 1.0% from another state. County figure.
Who arrives and who leaves
Households moving into Los Angeles County report $89,400 a year in income on average; those leaving, $94,100, so leavers earn more than newcomers.
Income you would need
$128,700 a year to rent the median home at the 30% line. From your city
Rent or buy
Median rent is $3,217 a month; owners with a mortgage pay $4,001 a month including taxes and insurance, on a median home of $2,000,001.
Getting to work
32 minutes each way on average; 26.1% work from home.
If it is close but not quite
Rye Brook, NY matches it on character for less of your income. Compare the two
Net movers per 1,000 people8
-11.4
below the median place (median -0.6)
Moved here in the past year1
2.7%
52% below the median place
Moved from another state1
1.0%
52% below the median place
All 5 moving measures
MeasurePalos Verdes EstatesAmong 6,645 placesVs median
Moved here in the past year1County figure2.7%52% below
Moved from another state1County figure1.0%52% below
Net movers per 1,000 people8County figure-11.4below (median -0.6)
Income of households moving in8County figure$89,35027% above
Income of households moving out8County figure$94,07134% above
02

What it costs to live here

High pay has not made renting easy. Household income is higher than in 99% of places we track, yet 79% of renters still spend 30% or more of income on rent.

Palos Verdes Estates16.0%
Typical place20.4%

Share of the median household income that goes to the median rent. Above 30% is the usual stress line.

Income needed to rent
$128,680
a year, at the 30% line
Rent to income
16.0%
22% below the median place
Home price to income
8.3x
117% above the median place

Could you afford it?

The median rent would take
16%
comfortably under the 30% line
Left after rent, in US prices
$199,600
a year
Vs the typical household here
Same
as the median household

Uses the median rent in Palos Verdes Estates, $3,217 a month, and local prices for everything else (101.9 against a US average of 100). It runs in your browser and stores nothing.

Like Palos Verdes Estates, but easier on the budget

Places that match Palos Verdes Estates on character (size, age, education, homeownership, household size, housing age, remote work and climate) but where rent takes a clearly smaller share of income. Cost was left out of the match on purpose.

PlaceMatchRent to incomeMore left a year
Rye Brook, NY7612.6% vs 16.0%$5,600Compare
Highland Park, TX759.3% vs 16.0%$27,000Compare
Lake Forest, IL739.3% vs 16.0%$9,800Compare
Town and Country, MO7310.1% vs 16.0%$12,900Compare

Moving from somewhere else? Work out the salary you would need in Palos Verdes Estates.

Sponsored · exampleMoving to Palos Verdes Estates? Compare quotes from licensed movers. No partner is signed yet. Sponsored offers are always labelled and never change the data.
Median home value1
$2,000,001
above the median place (median $319,400)
Renters paying 30%+1
79.4%
57% above the median place
Owner costs with a mortgage1
$4,001
114% above the median place
All 15 cost and housing measures
MeasurePalos Verdes EstatesAmong 6,645 placesVs median
Median gross rent1$3,217136% above
Rent to income116.0%22% below
Home price to income18.3x117% above
Prices vs US average2Metro figure113.613% above
Fair market rent, 2 bedrooms3County figure$2,96484% above
HUD area median income4County figure$108,1001% above
Property tax paid (median)1$10,001206% above
Median home value1$2,000,001above (median $319,400)
Home prices, 1-year change5County figure1.7%47% below
Home prices, 5-year change5County figure43.3%16% below
Homeownership189.7%35% above
Renters paying 30%+179.4%57% above
Owner costs with a mortgage1$4,001114% above
Vacant homes17.9%12% above
Median year built119641% below
03

Work and pay

Commutes by transit is 0.0%, below the median place (median 0.8%).

Commutes by transit1
0.0%
below the median place (median 0.8%)
Income per person1
$133,196
232% above the median place
Median household income1
$242,014
201% above the median place

More on work and pay, against the typical place

Poverty rate2.9% −73%
Works from home26.1% 2.1×
Mean commute32 min +28%
Unemployment4.7% −3%
All 10 work and pay measures
MeasurePalos Verdes EstatesAmong 6,645 placesVs median
Median household income1$242,014201% above
Income per person1$133,196232% above
Unemployment14.7%3% below
Average annual pay6County figure$86,08030% above
Pay growth, 1 year6County figure3.0%19% below
Jobs6County figure4,525,460above (median 150,665)
Poverty rate12.9%73% below
Mean commute132 min28% above
Works from home126.1%110% above
Commutes by transit10.0%below (median 0.8%)
04

Who lives here

No health insurance is 1.0%, 84% below the median place.

No health insurance1
1.0%
84% below the median place
Bachelor's or higher1
79.6%
148% above the median place
Population change since 20207
-6.0%
below the median place (median 1.1%)

More about who lives here, against the typical place

Median age52.4 +34%
High school or higher97.6% +6%
Born abroad20.4% 2.3×
Homes with broadband95.3% +3%
Household size2.6 +4%
All 9 people measures
MeasurePalos Verdes EstatesAmong 6,645 placesVs median
Population112,9253387th largest
Population change since 20207-6.0%below (median 1.1%)
Median age152.434% above
Bachelor's or higher179.6%148% above
High school or higher197.6%6% above
Household size12.64% above
Born abroad120.4%131% above
No health insurance11.0%84% below
Homes with broadband195.3%3% above
05

Life in Palos Verdes Estates

OpenStreetMap shows 0 grocery stores per 10,000 residents, fewer than in 93% of the 2,301 places of 10,000 to 25,000 people we track. It is the lowest of 655 California places we track.

Founded or incorporated in 1939. 3 sites are on the National Register of Historic Places, 25 of them National Historic Landmarks. Its history on Wikipedia

  • Palos Verdes Public Library and Art Gallery listed 1995
  • Mirlo Gate Lodge Tower listed 2019
  • Malaga Cove Plaza listed 2021

Out the door, against the typical place

Parks per 10k residents20.1 +98%
Playgrounds per 10k4.6 −51%
Grocery stores per 10k0.0 −100%
Restaurants, cafes and bars per 10k2.3 −79%
Libraries per 10k1.6 +78%
Named paths and bike trails10 km 4.8×
Bus and rail stops per sq mi0.2 +0%

Mapped by volunteers in OpenStreetMap inside the city limits (Census boundaries), so coverage is fuller in some places than others. Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors, ODbL.

National Park Service sites nearby

  • Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area 25 miles
  • Channel Islands National Park 72 miles
  • Cesar E. Chavez National Monument 100 miles

Businesses per 10,000 residents (county figures)

Restaurants and bars24.2 +16%
Shops29.6 −2%
Arts, recreation and fitness21.8 5.3×
Doctors' offices and clinics31.4 +55%
Child care centers2.0 −13%

Counts businesses with paid staff, so small owner-run shops are not included.

Students per teacher14
22.6
47% above the median place
Public schools14
5
44% below the median place
Public school students14
2,964
39% below the median place
All 18 schools and local life measures
MeasurePalos Verdes EstatesAmong 6,645 placesVs median
Public schools14544% below
Public school students142,96439% below
Students per teacher1422.647% above
Restaurants and bars per 10k9County figure24.216% above
Shops per 10k9County figure29.62% below
Arts, recreation and fitness per 10k9County figure21.8above (median 4.1)
Doctors' offices and clinics per 10k9County figure31.455% above
Child care centers per 10k9County figure2.013% below
Parks per 10k1020.198% above
Playgrounds per 10k104.651% below
Grocery stores per 10k100.0below (median 2.1)
Restaurants, cafes and bars per 10k102.379% below
Libraries per 10k101.678% above
Named paths and bike trails109.5375% above
Transit stops per sq mi100.20% above
Nearest National Park Service site1124.919% below
National Park Service sites within 60 miles11150% below
National Register listings12377% below
06

Safety, weather and risk

Violent crime per 100k is 32, 83% below the median place.

Violent crime per 100k
32
83% below the median place
Property crime per 100k
775
36% below the median place
Months reported
12 of 12
by the city police department to the FBI

Counts only offenses reported by the city police department. Sheriff, state and campus police are not included, and some departments do not report to the FBI at all, so compare with care.

Hurricane risk16
0.0
below the median place (median 70.7)
Good air days17
10.7%
84% below the median place
Natural hazard risk16
100.0
8% above the median place
All 11 weather and risk measures
MeasurePalos Verdes EstatesAmong 6,645 placesVs median
July average high15County figure89°F2% above
January average low15County figure41°F61% above
Average temperature15County figure62°F13% above
Annual precipitation15County figure15.1 in66% below
Natural hazard risk16County figure100.08% above
Hurricane risk16County figure0.0below (median 70.7)
Tornado risk16County figure97.720% above
Wildfire risk16County figure99.963% above
Heat wave risk16County figure99.310% above
Median air quality index17County figure7472% above
Good air days17County figure10.7%84% below
08

Palos Verdes Estates in 2030: where the trends point

If recent trends hold, the median rent will take about 16% of the median income in 2030, about the same as 16% now.

Citytistics projections to 2030: each figure's own trend, blended with the typical trend across the places we rate, eased toward long-run US growth and carried forward from the latest release. The range is where 80% of places landed when we tested the same method on past releases. On projected 2030 affordability, Palos Verdes Estates does better than 45% of places. Its projected home value growth beats 0%.

MeasureLatest2030 projectionLikely rangeAvg. per year
Median rent$3,217/mo (2024)$4,110/mo$3,370 to $5,000/mo+4.1%
Median household income$242,014 (2024)$307,000$259,500 to $363,500+4.1%
Median home value$2,000,001 (2024)$2,645,000$1,920,000 to $3,644,000+4.8%
Population12,559 (2025)12,30011,800 to 12,830−0.4%

The median home would be worth 8.6 years of the median income in 2030, against 8.3 now.

A projection of recent trends, not a prediction of the economy or advice to buy or sell. How we project.

09

Places like Palos Verdes Estates

The closest matches on income, rent, home value, education and age, and the places nearby.

PlaceRentIncome
Saratoga, CA$3,501$250,001Compare
Tiburon, CA$3,501$232,969Compare
Los Altos Hills, CA$3,501$250,001Compare
Alamo, CA$3,501$250,001Compare
Alamo, CALos Altos Hills, CATiburon, CASaratoga, CAPalos Verdes Estates, CAPalos Verdes EstatesSaratogaAlamoPalos Verdes EstatesSaratogaAlamo

Places built like Palos Verdes Estates

Its statistical peers: the closest matches on size, age, education, homeownership, household size, housing age, origin and remote work, in the same part of the country. Cost and outcomes are left out of the match, so the table shows how Palos Verdes Estates performs against places like it.

PlaceRent to incomeIncome growthPop. change
Palos Verdes Estates, CA16.0%4.5%/yr-6.0%
Rolling Hills Estates, CA21.9%5.0%/yr-4.1%Compare
Lucas Valley-Marinwood, CA20.9%7.8%/yrn/aCompare
Alamo, CA16.8%0.9%/yrn/aCompare
Westlake Village, CA23.3%5.0%/yr-6.5%Compare
North Tustin, CA16.7%2.6%/yrn/aCompare
Woodside, CA16.8%0.0%/yr-2.5%Compare

Common questions

Is Palos Verdes Estates a good place to live?

It depends on what you need, so here is what the numbers say. Its Citytistics Index is 77 out of 100, better than 77% of the places we rate and 28th of 654 in California. Rent is light relative to pay, but the county has a FEMA natural hazard risk score of 100 out of 100. Budget for insurance before counting the savings. On cost, space and class size it scores 67 out of 100 for families. See how it ranks with your own weights.

Is Palos Verdes Estates expensive to live in?

The median rent takes 16.0% of the median household income, against 20.4% in the typical place we track. Housing is a lighter load here than usual. The median home is valued at $2,000,001.

What salary do you need to live in Palos Verdes Estates?

To rent the median home without spending more than 30% of income on rent, a household needs about $128,680 a year. Work it out from your current city.

Is Palos Verdes Estates safe?

There were 32 reported violent crimes per 100,000 residents, against 192 in the typical place.

What places are similar to Palos Verdes Estates?

On income, rent, home value, education and age, the closest matches are Saratoga, CA, Tiburon, CA, Los Altos Hills, CA and Alamo, CA.

Sources and methods

The small numbers beside each measure point here. Every dataset is public; links go to the publisher.

  1. American Community Survey 5-year estimates · US Census Bureau · 2020 to 2024 estimatesTables B01002, B01003, B05002, B07003, B08013, B08301, B15003, B17001, B19013, B19301, B23025, B25002, B25003, B25010, B25035, B25064, B25070, B25077, B25088, B25103, B28002, S2701
  2. Regional Price Parities · US Bureau of Economic Analysis · Latest release, retrieved 2026-11-14
  3. Fair Market Rents · US Department of Housing and Urban Development · Fiscal year 2027
  4. Income Limits · US Department of Housing and Urban Development · Fiscal year 2026
  5. House Price Index · Federal Housing Finance Agency · Latest release, retrieved 2026-11-14
  6. Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages · US Bureau of Labor Statistics · 2025 annual averages
  7. Population Estimates · US Census Bureau · Vintage 2025
  8. SOI Tax Stats, county-to-county migration · Internal Revenue Service · Tax years 2022 to 2023Counts tax returns and the people on them; flows under 20 returns are suppressed.
  9. County Business Patterns · US Census Bureau · 2023 data
  10. OpenStreetMap · © OpenStreetMap contributors, available under the Open Database License (ODbL) · Map data as of 2026-11
  11. National Park Service sites · Wikidata (CC0), units operated by the National Park Service · Retrieved 2026-11
  12. National Register of Historic Places · National Park Service · Listings through 2026-05-22
  13. Crime Data Explorer · Federal Bureau of Investigation · 2025 data
  14. Common Core of Data · National Center for Education Statistics · 2024 release
  15. 1991-2020 climate normals · NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information · Series updated 2026-11-05Averages for 1991 to 2020 computed from NOAA's county climate series (nClimDiv).nClimDiv county series
  16. National Risk Index · Federal Emergency Management Agency · Latest release, retrieved 2026-11-14NRI data and maps
  17. Air Quality System, annual AQI by county · US Environmental Protection Agency · 2025 dataAirData download files

Derived by Citytistics from the tables above: rent to income (B25064, B19013); home price to income (B25077, B19013).

What stands out compares Palos Verdes Estates with places of a similar size, using only figures measured for Palos Verdes Estates itself; county and metro figures never count. Survey figures are estimates with margins of error. Formulas and definitions: methodology. API: /api/v1/places/palos-verdes-estates-california

Citytistics. “Palos Verdes Estates, California.” Data as of 2026-11-14. https://www.citytistics.com/city/palos-verdes-estates-california/

This product uses the Census Bureau Data API but is not endorsed or certified by the Census Bureau.