The Town Files

Rancho Palos Verdes, California

City in Los Angeles County · population 42,287 (2020 Census)

Map: where Rancho Palos Verdes is in CaliforniaRancho Palos Verdes
Median home
$1,609,400
Household income
$179,623
Jan low / Jul high
47° / 77°
Snow a year
0 in
Tornadoes ≤10 mi since 1950
2
Median age
49.1

Rancho Palos Verdes is a city of 42,287 people in Los Angeles County, California. The median home is worth $1,609,400, above the typical California town ($596,900). It ranks more upscale than 93% of California towns, better for families than 91% of California towns, more seaside character than 91% of California towns.

How Rancho Palos Verdes ranks

Percentile among California towns with at least 500 people on The Town Files lifestyle rankings. 50 is typical for the state; 90 means better than 90% of California towns.

Rancho Palos Verdes lifestyle rankings vs other California townsRetirement78th pctFamilies91st pctQuiet42nd pctWalkability68th pctFirst-time buyersbottomYoung professionals78th pctVibrancy65th pctHip & trendy70th pctCollege town85th pctUpscale93rd pctVacation homesbottomSeaside character91st pctCycling57th pctTransit55th pctDriving31st pcttypical
The Town Files lifestyle rankings, built from federal demographic, school, crime and housing data (2025).

Homes and cost of living

The median home in Rancho Palos Verdes is worth $1,609,400, above the typical California town ($596,900). Homes cost about 9.0 times the median household income of $179,623, which is more affordable than 16% of California towns. Median rent is $3,501 a month. 80.4% of households own their home.

Rancho Palos Verdes vs Los Angeles County vs typical California townRancho Palos VerdesLos Angeles CountyTypical California townHome value$1,609,400$834,200$596,900Household income$179,623$90,112$91,557Monthly rent$3,501$1,954$1,827
Census ACS 5-year estimates, 2020–2024. "Typical town" = median of California towns with 500+ people.
HousingRancho Palos VerdesTypical California town
Median home value$1,609,400$596,900
Median rent$3,501$1,827
Median household income$179,623$91,557
Home value ÷ income9.0×6.4×
Homeownership80.4%67.4%
Median year built19671977
Seasonal / vacation homes4.5%—

Who lives in Rancho Palos Verdes

PeopleRancho Palos VerdesTypical California town
Median age49.140.2
Age 65 and over26.8%17.7%
Under 1822.2%—
Bachelor's degree or higher70.5%27.7%
Below the poverty line4.2%10.3%
Veterans4.2%—
Born outside the U.S.28.3%—
Work from home28.3%13.4%
Average commute32.8 min27.5 min
Homes with broadband96.8%93.3%

Weather in Rancho Palos Verdes

July highs average 76.9°F and January lows 47.0°F. About 13.6 inches of rain and melted snow fall a year, with 0.0 inches of snow (typical California town: 0.0 in). Expect about 6 days a year at 90°F or hotter and 1 nights at or below freezing.

Rancho Palos Verdes monthly temperatures and precipitation40°50°60°70°80°67°47°Jan66°48°Feb68°50°Mar70°52°Apr72°55°May74°59°Jun77°62°Jul78°62°Aug78°61°Sep76°57°Oct71°51°Nov66°46°DecPrecipitation (in)3.43.72.00.60.30.10.10.00.10.50.82.2
NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals: average daily high and low by month; precipitation and snowfall in inches. Temperatures from the Torrance Ap station (4.7 mi away); snow from Palos Verdes Es Fc43D (4.4 mi).

Tornadoes, storms and disasters

2 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of Rancho Palos Verdes since 1950, compared with 2 for the typical California town. 1 rated (E)F2 or stronger. The strongest, an F2, struck on November 7, 1966 about 8.0 miles from the town center. The most recent was on November 7, 1966.

Tornadoes within 10 miles of Rancho Palos Verdes by decade01950s21960s01970s01980s01990s02000s02010s02020s
NOAA Storm Events Database, tornado tracks (start to end point) passing within 10 miles of the town center, 1950–2026.

Hail of 1 inch or larger has been reported within 10 miles 2 times; the largest was 1.50 inches on January 31, 1979.

Severe weather in Los Angeles County since 1996

Storm events in Los Angeles County since 1996 by typeHail23Flood24Tornado18Wildfire34High Wind171Lightning10Heavy Rain9Debris Flow24
NOAA Storm Events Database, Los Angeles County, 1996–2026 (all event types recorded since 1996). 74 deaths recorded.

Los Angeles County has been included in 88 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1953, most often for fire, flood, freezing.

DeclaredIncidentDeclaration
August 8, 2025FireFM-5605: Canyon Fire
January 8, 2025FireDR-4856: Wildfires And Straight-Line Winds
January 8, 2025FireFM-5550: Eaton Fire
January 8, 2025FireFM-5551: Hurst Fire
January 7, 2025FireFM-5549: Palisades Fire

Jobs and pay in Los Angeles County

Los Angeles County had 4,525,711 jobs in 2024, paying an average of $83,554 a year. Unemployment was 5% in 2023; in Rancho Palos Verdes itself the ACS puts it at 5.5%.

Largest industries in Los Angeles CountyHealth care & social assistan…818,122 jobs · $57,296Hotels & restaurants436,540 jobs · $36,750Retail398,015 jobs · $50,556Manufacturing311,242 jobs · $95,918Professional & technical serv…305,604 jobs · $133,862Administrative & support271,747 jobs · $57,712
BLS Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024, private-sector jobs and average annual pay.
Unemployment rate in Los Angeles County, 2000–20230%4%8%12%2000200420082012201620202023Los Angeles 5%
Annual average unemployment rate (BLS Local Area Unemployment Statistics via USDA ERS).

Public schools in Rancho Palos Verdes

11 public schools with 6,189 students, about 22.9 students per teacher.

SchoolGradesStudentsPer teacher
Rudecinda Sepulveda Dodson Middle6-81,29520.9
Ridgecrest Intermediate6-891726.2
Miraleste Intermediate6-874621.9
Silver Spur ElementaryK-553923.4
Soleado ElementaryK-545225.1
South Shores/CSUDH Visual and Performing ArtsK-543724.3
Cornerstone at Pedregal ElementaryK-543622.9
Vista Grande ElementaryK-537124.7
Mira Catalina ElementaryK-537023.1
Point Vicente ElementaryK-533519.7
Crestwood Street STEAM MagnetK-529122.4

Towns near Rancho Palos Verdes

Rancho Palos Verdes questions

Is Rancho Palos Verdes, California a good place to retire?

On The Town Files lifestyle rankings, Rancho Palos Verdes scores better for retirees than 78% of California towns and quieter than 42%. 26.8% of residents are 65 or older (median age 49.1).

How much does a house cost in Rancho Palos Verdes?

The median owner-occupied home in Rancho Palos Verdes is valued at $1,609,400 (Census ACS 2020–2024), against a median household income of $179,623, so homes cost about 9.0 times income. Median rent is $3,501 a month.

What is the weather like in Rancho Palos Verdes?

July highs average 76.9°F and January lows 47.0°F (NOAA 1991–2020 normals). It gets about 13.6 inches of precipitation a year and 0.0 inches of snow.

Does Rancho Palos Verdes get tornadoes?

2 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of Rancho Palos Verdes since 1950 (NOAA Storm Events); the strongest was a F2 on November 7, 1966. The typical California town has had 2.

How this page is made. Every number comes from public data, matched to Rancho Palos Verdes's Census boundary (GEOID 0659514). Comparisons use the median of California towns with at least 500 people. Weather comes from the nearest NOAA normals station; storm counts use NOAA tornado tracks within 10 miles of the town center. Data snapshot 2026-11-12.