The 10 Best Torrance Suburbs To Live In For 2023


The best Torrance suburbs are Hermosa Beach and Manhattan Beach for 2023 based on Saturday Night Science.

While big cities like Torrance 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 Torrance. These burbs have all of the benefits of being near Torrance without actually having to be in the city.

Of course, not all suburbs of Torrance 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 Torrance area.

What’s the best suburb of Torrance? Hermosa Beach ranks as the best suburb of Torrance for 2023 based on the most recent Census and FBI data. If you happen to be a resident of Hermosa Beach, you’re probably not too surprised to find it on the top our list.

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

Feel free to check out some more reading about California:


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


The 10 Best Torrance Suburbs To Live For 2023

Hermosa Beach, CA

Source: Wikipedia User The original uploader was Estrategy at English Wikipedia | GFDL
Overall SnackAbility

9.5
/10

Population: 19,787
Median Income: $144,388
Unemployment Rate: 4.2%
Poverty Rate: 4.5%
More on Hermosa Beach: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Real Estate

Hermosa Beach is always mentioned as one of the best suburbs in the Torrance area. We’ll tell you the good about “Awesome Hermosa Beach.”

Everyone here is rich; families average $144,388 a year, which is the 9th highest in the Torrance region. And only 4.24% are out of work. Homes average more than $1,674,500 each.

Manhattan Beach, CA

Source: Public domain
Overall SnackAbility

9.5
/10

Population: 35,585
Median Income: $169,586
Unemployment Rate: 4.4%
Poverty Rate: 3.1%
More on Manhattan Beach: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Real Estate

Manhattan Beach is the second best ‘burb we looked at near Torrance for 2023.

It ranks 6th for incomes in the area and only 1.81% of residents lack insurance, good for 3rd best.

Palos Verdes Estates, CA

Source: Wikipedia User | CC SA 1.0
Overall SnackAbility

10
/10

Population: 13,403
Median Income: $202,569
Unemployment Rate: 3.3%
Poverty Rate: 4.3%
More on Palos Verdes Estates: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Real Estate

Here in Palos Verdes Estates, it’s really safe, and residents are just about as rich as you’ll see in the Torrance 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 Palos Verdes Estates.

Redondo Beach, CA

Source: Public domain
Overall SnackAbility

9.5
/10

Population: 70,998
Median Income: $123,874
Unemployment Rate: 4.9%
Poverty Rate: 5.1%
More on Redondo Beach: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Real Estate

Redondo Beach ranks as the 4th best suburb of Torrance for 2023.

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

San Marino, CA

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

9.5
/10

Population: 12,620
Median Income: $174,722
Unemployment Rate: 3.5%
Poverty Rate: 6.1%
More on San Marino: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Real Estate

Coming in as the fifth best is San Marino.

San Marino gets kudos for having the 3rd most expensive homes in the Torrance area, where houses sell for an average of $2,000,001. However, the cost of living here is among the highest in the area.

Rancho Palos Verdes, CA

Source: Public domain
Overall SnackAbility

10
/10

Population: 42,316
Median Income: $158,996
Unemployment Rate: 5.1%
Poverty Rate: 3.9%
More on Rancho Palos Verdes: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Real Estate

Rancho Palos Verdes 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 5.11%.

According to online reports, Rancho Palos Verdes is quickly becoming one of the more affluent suburbs in the Torrance area, meaning you need to get in soon.

Overall SnackAbility

9.5
/10

Population: 2,182
Median Income: $250,001
Unemployment Rate: 4.5%
Poverty Rate: 8.5%
More on Hidden Hills: Data | Real Estate

The 7th best suburb on our list goes to Hidden Hills.

Hidden Hills 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 29.2 miles to downtown, which is a good thing.

Malibu, CA

Source: Wikipedia User The original uploader was Tillman at English Wikipedia | CC BY-SA 2.0
Overall SnackAbility

8.5
/10

Population: 10,915
Median Income: $178,594
Unemployment Rate: 4.8%
Poverty Rate: 8.6%
More on Malibu: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Real Estate

Malibu 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 1.07% of people lack insurance, good for 2nd in the area.

South Pasadena, CA

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

9.5
/10

Population: 26,837
Median Income: $115,088
Unemployment Rate: 5.0%
Poverty Rate: 6.1%
More on South Pasadena: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Real Estate

Is ‘Everything Better In South Pasadena?’

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.

Sierra Madre, CA

Source: Wikipedia User Telecineguy | GFDL
Overall SnackAbility

9.5
/10

Population: 11,253
Median Income: $116,884
Unemployment Rate: 4.7%
Poverty Rate: 5.7%
More on Sierra Madre: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Real Estate

And rounding out the top ten for 2023 is Sierra Madre.

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 Torrance for 2023

Figuring out the best suburbs around Torrance 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 2017-2021 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 Torrance.

Additionally, we limited the analysis to places that have over 2,000 people. This left us with a grand total of 80 suburbs to evaluate around Torrance.

We ranked each place with scores from 1 to 80 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 Torrance.” We’re lookin’ at you, Hermosa Beach.

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 2023. This report is our tenth time ranking the best Torrance suburbs. Skip to the end to see the list of all the suburbs ranked from best to worst.

Summary: Welcome to the Best Torrance ‘Burbs of 2023

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.

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

For more California reading, check out:

Detailed List Of The Best Torrance Suburbs

Rank City Population Median Income
1 Hermosa Beach, CA 19,787 $144,388
2 Manhattan Beach, CA 35,585 $169,586
3 Palos Verdes Estates, CA 13,403 $202,569
4 Redondo Beach, CA 70,998 $123,874
5 San Marino, CA 12,620 $174,722
6 Rancho Palos Verdes, CA 42,316 $158,996
7 Hidden Hills, CA 2,182 $250,001
8 Malibu, CA 10,915 $178,594
9 South Pasadena, CA 26,837 $115,088
10 Sierra Madre, CA 11,253 $116,884
11 La Palma, CA 15,650 $106,473
12 Rolling Hills Estates, CA 8,305 $160,724
13 La Habra Heights, CA 5,651 $181,591
14 El Segundo, CA 17,243 $126,683
15 Cypress, CA 50,279 $109,180
16 Cerritos, CA 49,630 $115,600
17 Santa Monica, CA 92,828 $99,847
18 Huntington Beach, CA 198,735 $104,728
19 Lakewood, CA 82,419 $102,163
20 Arcadia, CA 56,697 $99,588
21 Placentia, CA 51,951 $103,041
22 La Mirada, CA 47,957 $97,672
23 Fountain Valley, CA 57,139 $92,765
24 Brea, CA 46,912 $108,721
25 Beverly Hills, CA 32,903 $103,944
26 West Hollywood, CA 35,678 $78,719
27 Calabasas, CA 23,410 $132,838
28 Lomita, CA 20,884 $85,852
29 Seal Beach, CA 25,216 $75,821
30 Orange, CA 139,195 $102,125
31 Costa Mesa, CA 112,148 $96,391
32 Buena Park, CA 83,974 $90,503
33 Burbank, CA 107,364 $82,246
34 Alhambra, CA 83,174 $73,035
35 Whittier, CA 87,184 $80,306
36 Pasadena, CA 138,771 $89,661
37 West Covina, CA 109,396 $89,834
38 Norwalk, CA 103,330 $83,217
39 Downey, CA 114,293 $77,972
40 San Gabriel, CA 39,673 $76,918
41 Los Alamitos, CA 11,780 $91,051
42 Fullerton, CA 142,964 $92,718
43 Monterey Park, CA 61,153 $68,497
44 Artesia, CA 16,390 $83,321
45 Signal Hill, CA 11,780 $79,309
46 Temple, CA 5,093 $77,509
47 La Habra, CA 63,287 $88,002
48 Carson, CA 95,104 $92,548
49 Glendale, CA 196,512 $74,488
50 Pico Rivera, CA 62,383 $78,056
51 Gardena, CA 60,917 $68,413
52 Rosemead, CA 51,698 $64,224
53 Santa Fe Springs, CA 18,817 $75,086
54 Garden Grove, CA 172,708 $78,046
55 Midway, CA 3,402 $55,947
56 Santa Ana, CA 313,818 $77,283
57 Lawndale, CA 32,035 $72,246
58 Long Beach, CA 466,565 $71,150
59 Hawthorne, CA 87,863 $63,847
60 La Puente, CA 38,447 $73,827
61 Bellflower, CA 79,070 $70,236
62 Baldwin Park, CA 72,813 $72,554
63 Westminster, CA 91,267 $71,108
64 Montebello, CA 62,828 $66,584
65 Los Angeles, CA 3,902,440 $69,778
66 Inglewood, CA 108,206 $62,845
67 Paramount, CA 53,904 $60,456
68 Stanton, CA 38,167 $68,821
69 Hawaiian Gardens, CA 14,178 $66,578
70 Maywood, CA 25,477 $54,535
71 El Monte, CA 110,144 $56,524
72 South El Monte, CA 19,860 $60,244
73 South Gate, CA 93,308 $59,647
74 Bell, CA 33,915 $51,183
75 Bell Gardens, CA 39,870 $50,311
76 Lynwood, CA 67,497 $61,612
77 Compton, CA 96,083 $62,297
78 Huntington Park, CA 55,439 $51,065
79 Cudahy, CA 23,003 $47,050
80 Commerce, CA 12,459 $58,226
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.