Moving to
Rancho Palos Verdes.

All Rancho Palos Verdes data Compare Rancho Palos Verdes

40,864people live here $179,623median household income▲ 122% above US $3,500+median rent per monthCensus top category $1,609,400median home value▲ 384% above US

The Census tops out at $3,500+ for rent; it doesn't publish exact figures above that.

What it's like to live in Rancho Palos Verdes

Rancho Palos Verdes 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. Rancho Palos Verdes deals with rent well above the national average, home prices well above the national average, commute times longer than most cities, and air quality that falls short of national benchmarks.

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 commute times
Air quality concerns
Shrinking population
High student-teacher ratio

How Rancho Palos Verdes compares

Median household income

Rancho Palos Verdes$179,623

California avg$99,122

US$80,734

Median rent (per month)

Rancho Palos Verdes$3,500+

California avg$2,036

US$1,413

The Census tops out at $3,500+ for rent; it doesn't publish exact figures above that.

Median home value

Rancho Palos Verdes$1,609,400

California avg$734,700

US$332,700

What it takes to move to Rancho Palos Verdes

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

To rent

$7,002

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

Income to keep rent under 30%: $140,040 a year
44% of Rancho Palos Verdes renters spend 30% or more of their income on rent

To buy

$321,880

a 20% down payment on the median home

With 10% down: $160,940
Homes cost 9.0× the typical local household income (US: 4.1×)

Moving costs, closing costs and taxes not included.

The details

Cost of livingCensus top category

$3,500+/mo median rent

Rent is expensive here, at $3,500+ 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 $1,609,400. Renting first to get a feel for the city before buying is often the more practical route.

Median home value $1,609,400 · 44% of renters cost-burdened

Job market▲ 16% above US

5.0% unemployment

Unemployment here is 5.0%, somewhat above the national average of 4.3%. Lining up work before the move is the safer route.

City-level (BLS)

Safety▼ 62% below US

124 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 799/100k · Rancho Palos Verdes Police Department · 2025 data

Getting around▲ 26% above US

33 min average commute

Traffic is a real factor here. The 32.8 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; 28% work from home.

How workers get to work

Drive alone

64%

Work from home

28%

Carpool

3.9%

Public transit

1.3%

Walk

1.3%

Other

1.2%

Climate

Summers are comfortable, with highs around 76°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▲ 96% above US

71% 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

10 public schools inside the boundary

There are 10 public schools inside the boundary and 5 private schools. The student-to-teacher ratio is 23:1, above the national average of 16:1.

Parks & recreation

The nearest national park or historic site is Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area (33 miles away). There are 4 national parks and sites within a day's drive.

Bottom line

Rancho Palos Verdes'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. It tends to suit anyone prioritizing low crime, remote workers (28% of workers here already work from home), and college-educated professionals. It may be a harder fit for renters on a tight budget and people who dread long commutes.

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