Moving to
Palos Verdes Estates.

All Palos Verdes Estates data Compare Palos Verdes Estates

12,925people live here $242,014median household income▲ 200% above US $3,217median rent per month▲ 128% above US $2,000,000+median home valueCensus top category

The Census tops out at $2,000,000+ for home value; it doesn't publish exact figures above that.

What it's like to live in Palos Verdes Estates

Palos Verdes Estates is a small city in California with household incomes running above the national average, crime rates well below the national average, and a highly educated workforce. Those factors carry real weight for anyone weighing where to move next.

The tradeoffs are worth naming plainly. Palos Verdes Estates deals with rent well above the national average, home prices well above the national average, county unemployment above the national average, and commute times longer than most cities.

The good

Higher-than-average incomes
Low crime rates
Highly educated workforce

The not so good

Rent well above the national average
High home prices
Above-average unemployment in the county
Above-average commute times
Air quality concerns
Shrinking population

How Palos Verdes Estates compares

Median household income

Palos Verdes Estates$242,014

California avg$99,122

US$80,734

Median rent (per month)

Palos Verdes Estates$3,217

California avg$2,036

US$1,413

Median home value

Palos Verdes Estates$2,000,000+

California avg$734,700

US$332,700

The Census tops out at $2,000,000+ for home value; it doesn't publish exact figures above that.

What it takes to move to Palos Verdes Estates

Based on Palos Verdes Estates's median rent, home value and household income

To rent

$6,434

up front: first month plus a typical one-month deposit

Income to keep rent under 30%: $128,680 a year
67% of Palos Verdes Estates renters spend 30% or more of their income on rent

To buy

$400,000

a 20% down payment on the median home

With 10% down: $200,000
Homes cost 8.3× the typical local household income (US: 4.1×)

Moving costs, closing costs and taxes not included.

The details

Cost of living▲ 128% above US

$3,217/mo median rent

Rent is expensive here, at $3,217 a month median and well above the national average. This is the kind of city where housing costs deserve serious budgeting before committing to a move. Home prices are steep, with a median around $2,000,000+. Renting first to get a feel for the city before buying is often the more practical route.

Median home value $2,000,000+ · 67% of renters cost-burdened

Job market

5.7% county unemployment

Unemployment in Los Angeles County is 5.7%, somewhat above the national average of 4.3%. Lining up work before the move is the safer route. That's the county-wide rate; BLS doesn't measure a place this size on its own.

Los Angeles County (county-wide)

Safety▼ 90% below US

32 violent crimes per 100k

Safety is genuinely one of the selling points here. Both violent and property crime run well below the national average, the kind of numbers that fade into the background after a week of living somewhere.

Property crime 775/100k · Palos Verdes Estates Police Department · 2025 data

Getting around▲ 23% above US

32 min average commute

Traffic is a real factor here. The 31.9 minute average means plenty of commuters are pushing 45 to 60 minutes on a bad day. Proximity to work matters more here than it might elsewhere. 7 in 10 workers drive to work; 26% work from home.

How workers get to work

Drive alone

70%

Work from home

26%

Carpool

2.2%

Other

1.2%

Walk

0.5%

Climate

Summers are comfortable, with highs around 75°F, and winters are mild, with lows rarely dropping below 47°F. It's a dry climate with limited rainfall.

Average month

High °FLow °FPrecip (in)

30-year averages, 1991–2020

Education & workforce▲ 121% above US

80% bachelor's degree or higher

This is a highly educated city, with over half the adult population holding a college degree. That tends to shape the job market and the broader culture, and it's a solid indicator of a strong professional scene.

Schools

5 public schools inside the boundary

There are 5 public schools inside the boundary. The student-to-teacher ratio is 22:1, above the national average of 16:1.

Parks & recreation

The nearest national park or historic site is Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area (29 miles away). There are 4 national parks and sites within a day's drive.

Bottom line

Palos Verdes Estates's strongest points are household incomes running above the national average and crime rates well below the national average; the main tradeoffs are rent well above the national average and home prices well above the national average. A year of median rent ($3,217/mo) equals 16% of the median household income here, less than the 21% typical nationwide. It tends to suit anyone prioritizing low crime, remote workers (26% of workers here already work from home), and college-educated professionals. It may be a harder fit for renters on a tight budget and anyone moving without a job lined up.

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