Population 22,206 · Census ACS 2020–24
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Population and households in Palos Verdes Peninsula
Household size in Palos Verdes Peninsula
| Period | Palos Verdes Peninsula | Torrance | Los Angeles area | California | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 2.76 | 2.71 | 3.14 | 3.04 | 2.68 |
| 2010–14 | 2.76 | 2.81 | 3.20 | 3.10 | 2.73 |
| 2015–19 | 2.73 | 2.79 | 3.16 | 3.09 | 2.71 |
| 2020–24 | 2.74 | 2.71 | 3.01 | 3.01 | 2.65 |
| Change | −0.01 | −0.01 | −0.13 | −0.03 | −0.03 |
Households in Palos Verdes Peninsula average 2.74 people, a bit above the national 2.65, so families with children are somewhat more common here. That is in line with the rest of Torrance. Households are largest in the southeast and smallest in the northwest.
Household size: the average number of people living in each occupied home. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25010).
Median age in Palos Verdes Peninsula
| Period | Palos Verdes Peninsula | Torrance | Los Angeles area | California | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 47.7 | 39.8 | 35.6 | 35.8 | 37.7 |
| 2010–14 | 48.8 | 40.4 | 36.7 | 36.8 | 38.6 |
| 2015–19 | 50.8 | 40.9 | 38.0 | 37.9 | 39.6 |
| 2020–24 | 50.0 | 42.4 | 39.5 | 39.0 | 40.1 |
| Change | +2.3 | +2.7 | +4.0 | +3.1 | +2.3 |
With a median age of 50.0, Palos Verdes Peninsula is noticeably older than the country as a whole (40.1), an age mix that tilts toward empty nesters and retirees. Since 2006–10, the median age has climbed from 47.7, in line with the national trend. The youngest areas are in the east, the oldest in the northwest.
Median age: the age that splits residents into two equal halves. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B01002).
Single-parent households in Palos Verdes Peninsula
| Period | Palos Verdes Peninsula | Torrance | Los Angeles area | California | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 5.4% | 10.5% | 14.3% | 13.5% | 12.3% |
| 2010–14 | 5.0% | 9.6% | 14.1% | 13.5% | 12.3% |
| 2015–19 | 4.4% | 8.7% | 12.5% | 12.3% | 11.6% |
| 2020–24 | 3.4% | 8.5% | 12.3% | 12.3% | 11.6% |
| Change | −2.0 pts | −2.0 pts | −2.0 pts | −1.2 pts | −0.6 pts |
Single parents head only 3.4% of households in Palos Verdes Peninsula, well below the national share of 11.6%. Since 2006–10, the single-parent share has fallen 2.0 points, a much bigger shift than nationally.
Single-parent households: households where one adult with no spouse present lives with children under 18. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B11003).
Housing in Palos Verdes Peninsula
Renters in Palos Verdes Peninsula
| Period | Palos Verdes Peninsula | Torrance | Los Angeles area | California | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 11.2% | 45.6% | 48.8% | 42.6% | 33.3% |
| 2010–14 | 12.1% | 46.8% | 50.8% | 45.2% | 35.6% |
| 2015–19 | 13.6% | 46.9% | 51.4% | 45.2% | 36.0% |
| 2020–24 | 15.3% | 47.7% | 51.6% | 44.1% | 34.8% |
| Change | +4.2 pts | +2.1 pts | +2.8 pts | +1.5 pts | +1.5 pts |
Only 15.3% of households in Palos Verdes Peninsula rent their homes, far below the national share of 34.8%, so most residents are owners who tend to stay put. More than a third of owners (36.4%) have paid off their mortgages, below the national share of 39.8%. The renter share is up 4.2 points from 2006–10, as it has nationally.
Renters: occupied homes that are rented rather than owned. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25003).
Vacant homes in Palos Verdes Peninsula
| Period | Palos Verdes Peninsula | Torrance | Los Angeles area | California | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 5.4% | 6.0% | 7.0% | 8.7% | 11.4% |
| 2010–14 | 5.1% | 7.0% | 6.7% | 8.1% | 11.4% |
| 2015–19 | 8.4% | 7.6% | 6.6% | 7.5% | 11.1% |
| 2020–24 | 9.4% | 7.7% | 6.7% | 7.3% | 9.6% |
| Change | +4.0 pts | +1.7 pts | −0.3 pts | −1.4 pts | −1.8 pts |
About as many homes sit empty in Palos Verdes Peninsula as nationally: 9.4%, against 9.6%. The rate is higher than in Torrance as a whole (7.7%). Vacancy is up 4.0 points from 2006–10, even as the national rate fell.
Vacant homes: homes with no one living in them, including vacation homes and homes for sale or rent. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25002).
Age of homes in Palos Verdes Peninsula
| Period | Palos Verdes Peninsula | Torrance | Los Angeles area | California | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 1964 | 1963 | 1965 | 1972 | 1974 |
| 2010–14 | 1965 | 1963 | 1966 | 1973 | 1975 |
| 2015–19 | 1964 | 1962 | 1966 | 1974 | 1977 |
| 2020–24 | 1966 | 1964 | 1969 | 1976 | 1980 |
| Change | +2 | +1 | +4 | +4 | +6 |
Palos Verdes Peninsula is a place of older homes: half were built before 1966, while the national median is 1980. That means established neighborhoods, and more houses that may need updating. Newer construction is concentrated in the south, while the northeast has the oldest housing.
Age of homes: the year that splits the housing stock into older and newer halves. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25035).
Rent in Palos Verdes Peninsula
| Period | Palos Verdes Peninsula | Torrance | Los Angeles area | California | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | $1,688 | $1,385 | $1,328 | $1,298 | $965 |
| 2010–14 | $1,813 | $1,524 | $1,415 | $1,379 | $1,040 |
| 2015–19 | $2,943 | $1,905 | $1,755 | $1,721 | $1,213 |
| 2020–24 | $3,262 | $2,478 | $2,279 | $2,229 | $1,571 |
| Change | +$1,574 | +$1,093 | +$951 | +$931 | +$606 |
The median renter in Palos Verdes Peninsula pays $3,262 a month for rent and utilities, well above the national median of $1,571. Rents are up $1,574 a month from 2006–10, a 93% jump, faster than rents rose nationally. The typical renter here spends 37.2% of household income on rent, well over the 30% mark often used to define affordable rent, so many renters here are stretched. The priciest rents are in the south; the most affordable are in the north.
Rent: monthly rent plus the utilities renters pay themselves. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25064).
Education in Palos Verdes Peninsula
Bachelor's degrees in Palos Verdes Peninsula
| Period | Palos Verdes Peninsula | Torrance | Los Angeles area | California | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 71.0% | 40.3% | 29.7% | 29.1% | 28.4% |
| 2010–14 | 71.9% | 41.3% | 30.7% | 30.1% | 29.6% |
| 2015–19 | 72.6% | 47.2% | 33.7% | 32.9% | 32.1% |
| 2020–24 | 75.4% | 50.1% | 37.6% | 36.3% | 35.6% |
| Change | +4.4 pts | +9.8 pts | +7.9 pts | +7.1 pts | +7.2 pts |
Palos Verdes Peninsula is highly educated: about three-quarters of adults 25 and older (75.4%) hold at least a bachelor's degree, far above the national share of 35.6%. The share with a degree has risen 4.4 points since 2006–10, mirroring the country.
Bachelor's degrees: adults 25 and older with a bachelor's degree or higher. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B15003).
High school graduates in Palos Verdes Peninsula
| Period | Palos Verdes Peninsula | Torrance | Los Angeles area | California | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 97.7% | 88.8% | 76.7% | 79.9% | 84.9% |
| 2010–14 | 98.1% | 89.8% | 77.7% | 80.7% | 86.1% |
| 2015–19 | 98.8% | 91.6% | 80.0% | 82.6% | 87.7% |
| 2020–24 | 97.8% | 93.0% | 82.1% | 84.2% | 89.3% |
| Change | +0.1 pts | +4.1 pts | +5.4 pts | +4.3 pts | +4.3 pts |
Finishing high school is nearly universal in Palos Verdes Peninsula: 97.8% of adults 25 and older have a diploma or equivalent, well above the national rate of 89.3%. The share with a diploma is little changed from 2006–10, while the national rate rose.
High school graduates: adults 25 and older with a high school diploma, GED or more. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B15003).
Jobs in Palos Verdes Peninsula
| Period | Palos Verdes Peninsula | Torrance | Los Angeles area | California | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 3.5% | 7.4% | 8.5% | 9.2% | 8.1% |
| 2010–14 | 3.3% | 9.3% | 10.6% | 11.3% | 9.4% |
| 2015–19 | 3.4% | 4.5% | 5.8% | 6.3% | 5.6% |
| 2020–24 | 7.0% | 6.2% | 6.7% | 6.6% | 5.4% |
| Change | +3.5 pts | −1.2 pts | −1.7 pts | −2.6 pts | −2.7 pts |
Unemployment runs high in Palos Verdes Peninsula: 7.0% of the labor force was out of work and looking, against 5.4% nationally. Since 2006–10, unemployment has risen 3.5 points, even as the national rate fell. Because the Census pools five years of responses (2020–24), these rates smooth over short swings and lag the current job market.
Unemployment: people looking for work as a share of everyone working or looking. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B23025).
Palos Verdes Peninsula compared with nearby neighborhoods
| Neighborhood | Household size | Median age | Single parents | Renters | Vacant homes | Median year built | Median rent | Bachelor's degree | High school diploma | Unemployment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Palos Verdes Peninsula | 2.74 | 50.0 | 3.4% | 15.3% | 9.4% | 1966 | $3,262 | 75.4% | 97.8% | 7.0% |
| Hollywood Riviera | 2.40 | 48.0 | 3.6% | 38.1% | 12.9% | 1959 | $2,870 | 71.3% | 98.4% | 6.6% |
| Walteria | 2.52 | 47.5 | 7.7% | 43.1% | 12.1% | 1966 | $2,226 | 56.4% | 94.6% | 3.0% |
| West Torrance | 2.56 | 43.6 | 6.1% | 48.1% | 8.1% | 1966 | $2,752 | 56.8% | 96.6% | 5.1% |
| South East Torrance | 2.66 | 47.7 | 6.9% | 33.9% | 5.1% | 1965 | $2,239 | 45.8% | 92.9% | 6.1% |
| Old Town | 2.46 | 40.9 | 6.3% | 56.3% | 8.9% | 1964 | $2,149 | 53.4% | 95.0% | 5.6% |
| North Torrance | 2.83 | 43.0 | 10.6% | 41.2% | 6.4% | 1962 | $2,320 | 44.0% | 90.3% | 6.6% |
| Harbor Gateway | 3.02 | 37.7 | 15.3% | 58.1% | 6.0% | 1964 | $1,893 | 27.6% | 79.2% | 7.9% |
| Alondra Park | 2.93 | 40.7 | 10.6% | 46.1% | 5.2% | 1963 | $2,324 | 27.1% | 79.8% | 7.3% |
| West Side | 3.53 | 39.9 | 19.7% | 44.5% | 7.2% | 1960 | $1,818 | 22.7% | 75.8% | 8.4% |
| West Rancho Domingues | 3.22 | 37.2 | 17.3% | 32.8% | 5.2% | 1957 | $1,494 | 15.4% | 77.3% | 12.1% |
All figures 2020–24.
Neighborhoods with similar populations: Urbanizacion Country Club, San Juan, PR · Hermosa, Chicago, IL · Highland Park, Los Angeles, CA · Historic Filipinotown, Los Angeles, CA · Hollis, Queens, NY · Hunts Point, Bronx, NY · Kalihi Valley, Honolulu, HI · Western Branch North, Chesapeake, VA · West Central, Pasadena, CA · West Baltimore, Baltimore, MD
About these numbers
Every figure on this page is a BestNeighborhood calculation from the Census Bureau's American Community Survey (ACS), built up from the Census block groups that make up Palos Verdes Peninsula. Each ACS 5-year release pools five years of responses; this page shows the last 15 releases, 2006–10 through 2020–24. Neighboring releases share four of their five years, so they move gradually and small changes between them are within the survey's margin of error; in small places the lines can jump from one release to the next for the same reason. The maps show the same measures for each neighborhood, ranked against the whole country.
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