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.

While big cities like Pomona offer culture, cuisine, and charisma, they also deliver terrible traffic, towering expenses, and a taxing quality of life.

With that in mind, we wanted to uncover the best suburbs around Pomona. These burbs have all of the benefits of being near Pomona without actually having to be in the city.

Of course, not all suburbs of Pomona are created equally, which is precisely why we set out to find the best ones. Using Saturday Night Science, we delve into the factors that matter most, from commutes and housing costs to community vibes, to help you uncover the perfect suburban spots in the Greater Pomona area.


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

RankCityPopulationMedian IncomeAverage Home Price
1South Pasadena, CA26,068$127,175$1,692,677
2Sierra Madre, CA10,940$143,547$1,437,492
3La Palma, CA15,272$117,989$1,203,549
4Villa Park, CA5,748$202,245$2,343,977
5Yorba Linda, CA67,170$157,582$1,419,512
6Eastvale, CA70,633$160,069$949,255
7San Marino, CA12,216$214,167$2,837,216
8La Habra Heights, CA5,478$179,583$1,399,870
9Cerritos, CA47,867$135,439$1,094,900
10El Cerrito, CA25,994$127,876$1,142,478
11Lake Forest, CA86,281$135,175$1,208,686
12Huntington Beach, CA195,240$120,919$1,366,657
13Cypress, CA49,498$130,215$1,085,691
14Brea, CA47,469$131,129$1,140,405
15La Mirada, CA47,180$109,288$887,478
16Claremont, CA36,595$125,647$1,039,337
17Fountain Valley, CA56,258$115,237$1,394,237
18Walnut, CA27,611$129,449$1,197,951
19Lakewood, CA79,850$119,177$882,501
20Arcadia, CA55,170$113,516$1,414,450
21Irvine, CA311,690$136,719$1,557,981
22Placentia, CA52,826$115,929$1,117,227
23Diamond Bar, CA53,355$108,281$1,028,880
24Orange, CA138,266$117,113$1,143,787
25Costa Mesa, CA110,330$111,505$1,413,322
26Seal Beach, CA24,722$85,964$848,898
27Tustin, CA78,981$112,503$1,189,730
28Norco, CA25,054$127,566$918,950
29Glendora, CA50,926$113,569$893,349
30San Dimas, CA33,789$105,321$927,055
31La Verne, CA30,600$103,761$951,547
32Signal Hill, CA11,468$113,298$708,078
33Buena Park, CA82,871$110,550$940,506
34Rancho Cucamonga, CA175,411$111,895$792,764
35Pasadena, CA136,969$105,192$1,209,228
36Chino Hills, CA77,927$126,334$996,262
37Alhambra, CA81,022$88,024$937,892
38Upland, CA79,257$105,830$825,788
39San Gabriel, CA38,392$90,488$1,121,300
40Monrovia, CA37,571$96,021$992,558
41Whittier, CA86,165$97,201$821,843
42Duarte, CA22,184$105,483$801,444
43Downey, CA110,939$90,699$888,710
44Corona, CA159,670$109,242$764,386
45Fullerton, CA140,968$104,286$1,050,944
46La Habra, CA61,970$100,106$911,595
47Los Alamitos, CA11,794$97,155$1,583,957
48West Covina, CA107,037$101,065$852,372
49Covina, CA49,888$98,671$804,340
50Norwalk, CA99,789$100,085$763,282
51Santa Ana, CA312,534$93,999$866,065
52Monterey Park, CA59,132$81,855$934,098
53Glendale, CA190,748$88,393$1,201,879
54Garden Grove, CA170,964$92,174$1,013,182
55Artesia, CA15,889$101,004$878,198
56Pico Rivera, CA60,272$88,201$753,243
57Temple, CA5,901$91,180$284,500
58Chino, CA92,652$104,682$761,425
59Anaheim, CA344,521$95,227$950,503
60Westminster, CA89,860$85,541$1,097,353
61Santa Fe Springs, CA18,871$88,238$783,369
62Rosemead, CA50,013$73,566$913,339
63Long Beach, CA455,548$87,430$857,860
64Grand Terrace, CA13,078$83,628$587,468
65Bellflower, CA76,819$78,722$801,999
66Fontana, CA214,169$102,821$639,031
67La Puente, CA37,142$86,602$723,134
68Loma Linda, CA25,122$82,353$640,816
69Azusa, CA49,031$90,721$715,154
70Hawaiian Gardens, CA13,691$76,341$647,288
71Stanton, CA39,402$84,707$793,737
72Baldwin Park, CA70,138$80,663$722,511
73Jurupa Valley, CA107,011$97,550$672,514
74Riverside, CA319,069$91,045$646,784
75Montebello, CA61,045$79,971$827,434
76Paramount, CA52,050$75,250$648,286
77Midway, CA3,511$63,381$248,338
78Ontario, CA180,547$88,941$672,742
79El Monte, CA106,109$68,030$765,444
80Commerce, CA11,993$77,064$696,479
81South Gate, CA91,483$74,571$700,783
82Bell Gardens, CA38,229$62,298$690,423
83Montclair, CA37,810$77,659$660,566
84Rialto, CA104,143$88,857$588,566
85Lynwood, CA64,578$74,844$688,935
86Bell, CA32,476$61,020$688,069
87Compton, CA92,698$78,465$637,960
88South El Monte, CA19,287$72,990$762,159
89Huntington Park, CA53,108$59,996$675,536
90Maywood, CA24,317$60,943$652,495
91Cudahy, CA22,087$56,615$680,366
92San Bernardino, CA222,724$67,415$487,988
93Colton, CA53,772$71,208$493,149
About Chris Kolmar

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.