The 10 Best Pomona Suburbs To Live In For 2026

The best Pomona suburbs are South Pasadena and Sierra Madre for 2026 based on Saturday Night Science.

Pomona has plenty to offer, but the price of admission usually comes with traffic, sky-high rent, and a calendar that fills itself.

If you want the upside of Pomona without the daily grind, the answer is almost always a good suburb. The catch: not every suburb is worth the move.

So we ranked them. Using Saturday Night Science, we pulled the numbers on every place within commuting distance of Pomona: incomes, home prices, unemployment, schools, the works. The result is a no-nonsense ranking of where you actually want to live.


Table Of Contents: Top Ten | Methodology | Summary | Table


What’s the best suburb of Pomona? South Pasadena ranks as the best suburb of Pomona for 2026 based on the most recent Census and FBI data. If you happen to be a resident of South Pasadena, you’re probably not too surprised to find it on the top our list.

We’ll tell you what makes each of these 10 Pomona ‘burbs better than the rest–but first, a bit about our methodology.

Feel free to check out some more reading about California:

The 10 Best Pomona Suburbs To Live For 2026

South Pasadena, CA

Source: Wikipedia User The original uploader was Geographer at English Wikipedia | CC BY 2.5
Overall SnackAbility

9.5
/10

Population: 26,068
Median Income: $127,175
Unemployment Rate: 5.1%
Poverty Rate: 4.9%
More on South Pasadena: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Movers

South Pasadena is always mentioned as one of the best suburbs in the Pomona area. We’ll tell you the good about “Awesome South Pasadena.”

Everyone here is rich; families average $127,175 a year, which is the 15th highest in the Pomona region. And only 5.09% are out of work. Homes average more than $1,692,677 each.

Sierra Madre, CA

Source: Wikipedia User Telecineguy | GFDL
Overall SnackAbility

9.5
/10

Population: 10,940
Median Income: $143,547
Unemployment Rate: 2.6%
Poverty Rate: 4.6%
More on Sierra Madre: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Movers

Sierra Madre is the second best ‘burb we looked at near Pomona for 2026.

It ranks 6th for incomes in the area and only 3.34% of residents lack insurance, good for 9th best.

La Palma, CA

Source: Wikipedia User Mike Greene | CC BY-SA 2.0
Overall SnackAbility

9.5
/10

Population: 15,272
Median Income: $117,989
Unemployment Rate: 3.9%
Poverty Rate: 5.0%
More on La Palma: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Movers

Here in La Palma, it’s really safe, and residents are just about as rich as you’ll see in the Pomona metro area.

The bad side? Schools are more crowded, and the cost of living puts a large part of the city out of reach for most families.

But price is based on demand and a lot of people want to live in La Palma.

Villa Park, CA

Source: Wikipedia User Jeaniac | CC BY-SA 3.0
Overall SnackAbility

6
/10

Population: 5,748
Median Income: $202,245
Unemployment Rate: 2.9%
Poverty Rate: 7.8%
More on Villa Park: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Movers

Villa Park ranks as the 4th best suburb of Pomona for 2026.

You won’t find many better places to raise your kids in the region than in Villa Park and the schools are some of the best around.

Yorba Linda, CA

Source: Wikipedia User Orange County Archives from Orange County, California, United States of America | CC BY 2.0
Overall SnackAbility

10
/10

Population: 67,170
Median Income: $157,582
Unemployment Rate: 4.7%
Poverty Rate: 5.8%
More on Yorba Linda: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Movers

Coming in as the fifth best is Yorba Linda.

Yorba Linda gets kudos for having the 7th most expensive homes in the Pomona area, where houses sell for an average of $1,419,512. However, the cost of living here is among the highest in the area.

Eastvale, CA

Source: Wikipedia User Photograph by Brien Clark | CC BY-SA 2.5
Overall SnackAbility

9
/10

Population: 70,633
Median Income: $160,069
Unemployment Rate: 4.7%
Poverty Rate: 4.8%
More on Eastvale: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Movers

Eastvale is proud of its 6th place finish on this list. And here’s why.

Most residents have great jobs and the unemployment rate sits at 4.68%.

According to online reports, Eastvale is quickly becoming one of the more affluent suburbs in the Pomona area, meaning you need to get in soon.

San Marino, CA

Source: Wikipedia User Los Angeles | CC BY-SA 3.0
Overall SnackAbility

9.5
/10

Population: 12,216
Median Income: $214,167
Unemployment Rate: 5.3%
Poverty Rate: 6.7%
More on San Marino: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Movers

The 7th best suburb on our list goes to San Marino.

San Marino schools are some of the best in the region, and crime is really low. The cost of living makes it a lot more desirable for many families, especially first-time home buyers.

And, it’s only 20.6 miles to downtown, which is a good thing.

La Habra Heights, CA

Source: Flickr User sergei.gussev | CC BY 2.0
Overall SnackAbility

9
/10

Population: 5,478
Median Income: $179,583
Unemployment Rate: 2.8%
Poverty Rate: 4.9%
More on La Habra Heights: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Movers

La Habra Heights is growing quickly, and for a good reason. Crime is far below average, and most residents are gainfully employed. Even the cost of living is reasonable.

A solid 4.82% of people lack insurance, good for 27th in the area.

Cerritos, CA

Source: Wikipedia User The original uploader was AllyUnion at English Wikipedia | Attribution
Overall SnackAbility

9
/10

Population: 47,867
Median Income: $135,439
Unemployment Rate: 5.1%
Poverty Rate: 5.3%
More on Cerritos: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Movers

Is ‘Everything Better In Cerritos?’

Almost.

It placed 9th on our list thanks to the fact that it’s really expensive to live here, but the schools are great, so you get what you pay for in that regard.

El Cerrito, CA

Source: Public domain
Overall SnackAbility

8.5
/10

Population: 25,994
Median Income: $127,876
Unemployment Rate: 5.8%
Poverty Rate: 6.9%
More on El Cerrito: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Movers

And rounding out the top ten for 2026 is El Cerrito.

This city is far above average in every category, and the best part? It’s far more affordable than the other cities listed above. So, you get a big bang for your buck here.

Methodology: How We Determined The Best Suburbs Around Pomona for 2026

Figuring out the best suburbs around Pomona was simple. We used Saturday Night Science to find things people like about living in the suburbs and then locate the suburbs with those things.

We analyzed the newest American Community Survey data for 2020-2024 to research each suburb. We decided upon the following criteria:

  • Low unemployment rate
  • High median household incomes
  • Population density (lots of things to do)
  • High home values
  • A lot of college-educated people
  • Low poverty
  • High rate of insured families

We defined a suburb as being within 30 miles of Pomona.

Additionally, we limited the analysis to places that have over 3,000 people. This left us with a grand total of 93 suburbs to evaluate around Pomona.

We ranked each place with scores from 1 to 93 in each category, where 1 was the “best.

Next, we averaged the rankings for each place to create a quality-of-life index.

Finally, we crowned the city with the best quality of life index, the “Best Suburb near Pomona.” We’re lookin’ at you, South Pasadena.

This result may differ from our state-wide data as we did not include commute times and crime for this analysis to allow for a more extensive selection of suburbs.

We updated the data for 2026. This report is our eleventh time ranking the best Pomona suburbs. Skip to the end to see the list of all the suburbs ranked from best to worst.

Summary: Welcome to the Best Pomona ‘Burbs of 2026

We said it once, and we’ll say it again–life in the big city isn’t for everyone. At least not all the time.

The best suburbs of Pomona are .

So if you’re craving the amenities of a larger city like Pomona but don’t want to deal with the drawbacks, one of these suburbs might be for you.

For more California reading, check out:

Table: Best Pomona Suburbs

Rank City Population Median Income Average Home Price
1 South Pasadena, CA 26,068 $127,175 $1,692,677
2 Sierra Madre, CA 10,940 $143,547 $1,437,492
3 La Palma, CA 15,272 $117,989 $1,203,549
4 Villa Park, CA 5,748 $202,245 $2,343,977
5 Yorba Linda, CA 67,170 $157,582 $1,419,512
6 Eastvale, CA 70,633 $160,069 $949,255
7 San Marino, CA 12,216 $214,167 $2,837,216
8 La Habra Heights, CA 5,478 $179,583 $1,399,870
9 Cerritos, CA 47,867 $135,439 $1,094,900
10 El Cerrito, CA 25,994 $127,876 $1,142,478
11 Lake Forest, CA 86,281 $135,175 $1,208,686
12 Huntington Beach, CA 195,240 $120,919 $1,366,657
13 Cypress, CA 49,498 $130,215 $1,085,691
14 Brea, CA 47,469 $131,129 $1,140,405
15 La Mirada, CA 47,180 $109,288 $887,478
16 Claremont, CA 36,595 $125,647 $1,039,337
17 Fountain Valley, CA 56,258 $115,237 $1,394,237
18 Walnut, CA 27,611 $129,449 $1,197,951
19 Lakewood, CA 79,850 $119,177 $882,501
20 Arcadia, CA 55,170 $113,516 $1,414,450
21 Irvine, CA 311,690 $136,719 $1,557,981
22 Placentia, CA 52,826 $115,929 $1,117,227
23 Diamond Bar, CA 53,355 $108,281 $1,028,880
24 Orange, CA 138,266 $117,113 $1,143,787
25 Costa Mesa, CA 110,330 $111,505 $1,413,322
26 Seal Beach, CA 24,722 $85,964 $848,898
27 Tustin, CA 78,981 $112,503 $1,189,730
28 Norco, CA 25,054 $127,566 $918,950
29 Glendora, CA 50,926 $113,569 $893,349
30 San Dimas, CA 33,789 $105,321 $927,055
31 La Verne, CA 30,600 $103,761 $951,547
32 Signal Hill, CA 11,468 $113,298 $708,078
33 Buena Park, CA 82,871 $110,550 $940,506
34 Rancho Cucamonga, CA 175,411 $111,895 $792,764
35 Pasadena, CA 136,969 $105,192 $1,209,228
36 Chino Hills, CA 77,927 $126,334 $996,262
37 Alhambra, CA 81,022 $88,024 $937,892
38 Upland, CA 79,257 $105,830 $825,788
39 San Gabriel, CA 38,392 $90,488 $1,121,300
40 Monrovia, CA 37,571 $96,021 $992,558
41 Whittier, CA 86,165 $97,201 $821,843
42 Duarte, CA 22,184 $105,483 $801,444
43 Downey, CA 110,939 $90,699 $888,710
44 Corona, CA 159,670 $109,242 $764,386
45 Fullerton, CA 140,968 $104,286 $1,050,944
46 La Habra, CA 61,970 $100,106 $911,595
47 Los Alamitos, CA 11,794 $97,155 $1,583,957
48 West Covina, CA 107,037 $101,065 $852,372
49 Covina, CA 49,888 $98,671 $804,340
50 Norwalk, CA 99,789 $100,085 $763,282
51 Santa Ana, CA 312,534 $93,999 $866,065
52 Monterey Park, CA 59,132 $81,855 $934,098
53 Glendale, CA 190,748 $88,393 $1,201,879
54 Garden Grove, CA 170,964 $92,174 $1,013,182
55 Artesia, CA 15,889 $101,004 $878,198
56 Pico Rivera, CA 60,272 $88,201 $753,243
57 Temple, CA 5,901 $91,180 $284,500
58 Chino, CA 92,652 $104,682 $761,425
59 Anaheim, CA 344,521 $95,227 $950,503
60 Westminster, CA 89,860 $85,541 $1,097,353
61 Santa Fe Springs, CA 18,871 $88,238 $783,369
62 Rosemead, CA 50,013 $73,566 $913,339
63 Long Beach, CA 455,548 $87,430 $857,860
64 Grand Terrace, CA 13,078 $83,628 $587,468
65 Bellflower, CA 76,819 $78,722 $801,999
66 Fontana, CA 214,169 $102,821 $639,031
67 La Puente, CA 37,142 $86,602 $723,134
68 Loma Linda, CA 25,122 $82,353 $640,816
69 Azusa, CA 49,031 $90,721 $715,154
70 Hawaiian Gardens, CA 13,691 $76,341 $647,288
71 Stanton, CA 39,402 $84,707 $793,737
72 Baldwin Park, CA 70,138 $80,663 $722,511
73 Jurupa Valley, CA 107,011 $97,550 $672,514
74 Riverside, CA 319,069 $91,045 $646,784
75 Montebello, CA 61,045 $79,971 $827,434
76 Paramount, CA 52,050 $75,250 $648,286
77 Midway, CA 3,511 $63,381 $248,338
78 Ontario, CA 180,547 $88,941 $672,742
79 El Monte, CA 106,109 $68,030 $765,444
80 Commerce, CA 11,993 $77,064 $696,479
81 South Gate, CA 91,483 $74,571 $700,783
82 Bell Gardens, CA 38,229 $62,298 $690,423
83 Montclair, CA 37,810 $77,659 $660,566
84 Rialto, CA 104,143 $88,857 $588,566
85 Lynwood, CA 64,578 $74,844 $688,935
86 Bell, CA 32,476 $61,020 $688,069
87 Compton, CA 92,698 $78,465 $637,960
88 South El Monte, CA 19,287 $72,990 $762,159
89 Huntington Park, CA 53,108 $59,996 $675,536
90 Maywood, CA 24,317 $60,943 $652,495
91 Cudahy, CA 22,087 $56,615 $680,366
92 San Bernardino, CA 222,724 $67,415 $487,988
93 Colton, CA 53,772 $71,208 $493,149
Chris Kolmar
About the author

Chris Kolmar has been in the real estate business for almost ten years now. He originally worked for Movoto Real Estate as the director of marketing before founding HomeSnacks.

He believes the key to finding the right place to live comes down to looking at the data, reading about things to do, and, most importantly, checking it out yourself before you move.

If you've been looking for a place to live in the past several years, you've probably stumbled upon his writing already.

You can find out more about him on LinkedIn or his website.

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