Big city living isn’t for everyone–but at the same time, urban areas certainly have their perks.
There’s the culture, the food, the arts, the food, the energy, and you know, the food. But there are drawbacks. There’s traffic, expensive parking, expensive housing–pretty much, expensive everything, depending on which big city you’re looking at.
But that’s where the suburbs come in–they have all of the benefits of being near big cities, without actually having to be big cities.
Of course, not all suburbs of Torrance are created equally, which is precisely why we set out to find the best ones. So without further ado…
Here are the 10 best suburbs around Torrance for 2019:
- Hermosa Beach (Photos | Homes For Sale)
- Manhattan Beach (Photos | Homes For Sale)
- Palos Verdes Estates (Photos | Homes For Sale)
- Redondo Beach (Photos | Homes For Sale)
- San Marino (Photos | Homes For Sale)
- Rancho Palos Verdes (Photos | Homes For Sale)
- Rolling Hills Estates (Photos | Homes For Sale)
- Calabasas (Photos | Homes For Sale)
- Malibu (Photos | Homes For Sale)
- Sierra Madre (Photos | Homes For Sale)
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.
Or feel free to check out some more reading about California:
Editor’s Note: If you see a slight difference between the best in state rankings and this suburb ranking, it’s because of the methodology. We needed a way to include more places, so we eliminated crime and commute times as criteria for this analysis.
How We Determined The Best Suburbs Around Torrance for 2019
Figuring out the best ‘burbs around Torrance was pretty simple; we just needed to list several things that people like, and then find out which cities have the most of those things.
We threw a lot of criteria at this one in order to get the best, most complete results possible:
- 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
Then we used the newest American Community Survey data (2013-2017) to research each suburb.
FYI: We defined a suburb as being within 30 miles of Torrance.
Additionally, we limited the analysis to places that have over 3,000 people. This left us with a grand total of 79 suburbs to evaluate around Torrance.
We ranked each place with scores from 1 to 79 in each category, where 1 was the “best.
Next, we averaged the rankings for each place to create a quality of life index.
And finally, we crowned the city with the best quality of life index the “Best Suburb near Torrance.” We’re lookin’ at you, Hermosa Beach.
Read on below to learn more about what it’s like to live in the best of the best. Or skip to the end to see the list of all the suburbs ranked from best to worst.
/10
Population: 19,750
Rank Last Year: 1 (No Change)
Median Income: $124,849
Unemployment Rate: 3.7%
Poverty Rate: 4.7%
More on Hermosa Beach: Real Estate | Data | Photos
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 $124,849 a year, which is the 6th highest in the Torrance region. And only 3.7% are out of work. Homes average more than $1,220,500 each.
/10
Population: 35,698
Rank Last Year: 2 (No Change)
Median Income: $148,899
Unemployment Rate: 5.2%
Poverty Rate: 3.8%
More on Manhattan Beach: Real Estate | Data | Photos
Manhattan Beach is the second best ‘burb we looked at near Torrance for 2019.
It ranks 3rd for incomes in the area and only 2.3% of residents lack insurance, good for 2nd best.
/10
Population: 13,591
Rank Last Year: 3 (No Change)
Median Income: $180,815
Unemployment Rate: 3.3%
Poverty Rate: 4.7%
More on Palos Verdes Estates: Real Estate | Data | Photos
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.
/10
Population: 67,950
Rank Last Year: 4 (No Change)
Median Income: $104,548
Unemployment Rate: 5.2%
Poverty Rate: 4.8%
More on Redondo Beach: Real Estate | Data | Photos
Redondo Beach ranks as the 4th best suburb of Torrance for 2019.
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.
/10
Population: 13,331
Rank Last Year: 7 (Up 2)
Median Income: $152,527
Unemployment Rate: 3.7%
Poverty Rate: 6.8%
More on San Marino: Real Estate | Data | Photos
Coming in as the fifth best is San Marino.
San Marino gets kudos for having the 5th most expensive homes in the Torrance area, where houses sell for an average of $1,550,100. However, the cost of living here is among the highest in the area.
/10
Population: 42,463
Rank Last Year: 5 (Down 1)
Median Income: $124,552
Unemployment Rate: 4.1%
Poverty Rate: 4.5%
More on Rancho Palos Verdes: Real Estate | Data | Photos
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 4.1% which is 6th best in the area.
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.
/10
Population: 8,229
Rank Last Year: 6 (Down 1)
Median Income: $131,471
Unemployment Rate: 4.2%
Poverty Rate: 4.5%
More on Rolling Hills Estates: Real Estate | Data | Photos
The 7th best suburb on our list goes to Rolling Hills Estates.
Rolling Hills Estates 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 3.8 miles to downtown, which is a good thing.
/10
Population: 24,169
Rank Last Year: 9 (Up 1)
Median Income: $114,143
Unemployment Rate: 5.2%
Poverty Rate: 7.7%
More on Calabasas: Real Estate | Data | Photos
Calabasas 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 4.0% of people lack insurance, good for 6th in the area.

Stuck up ppl with nothing to do. High school kids are superficial with lots of drug activity
Many ppl badmouth Calabasas
/10
Population: 12,871
Rank Last Year: 12 (Up 3)
Median Income: $134,282
Unemployment Rate: 4.8%
Poverty Rate: 10.2%
More on Malibu: Real Estate | Data | Photos
Is ‘Everything Better In Malibu?’
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.
/10
Population: 11,061
Rank Last Year: 8 (Down 1)
Median Income: $98,547
Unemployment Rate: 6.3%
Poverty Rate: 5.1%
More on Sierra Madre: Real Estate | Data | Photos
And rounding out the top ten for 2019 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.
Welcome to the Best Torrance ‘Burbs of 2019
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 hankering for some of the amenities of a larger city like Torrance, but don’t want to deal with the drawbacks, one of these suburbs might just be for you.
For more California reading, check out:
- These Are The 10 Best Places To Retire In California
- These Are The 10 Richest Cities In California
- 10 Safest Places In California
Detailed List Of The Best Torrance Suburbs
Rank | City | Population |
---|---|---|
1 | Hermosa Beach | 19,750 |
2 | Manhattan Beach | 35,698 |
3 | Palos Verdes Estates | 13,591 |
4 | Redondo Beach | 67,950 |
5 | San Marino | 13,331 |
6 | Rancho Palos Verdes | 42,463 |
7 | Rolling Hills Estates | 8,229 |
8 | Calabasas | 24,169 |
9 | Malibu | 12,871 |
10 | Sierra Madre | 11,061 |
11 | Beverly Hills | 34,506 |
12 | South Pasadena | 25,974 |
13 | La Habra Heights | 5,425 |
14 | Cypress | 49,108 |
15 | La Palma | 15,814 |
16 | Arcadia | 58,156 |
17 | Huntington Beach | 200,415 |
18 | Santa Monica | 92,495 |
19 | West Hollywood | 36,148 |
20 | El Segundo | 16,929 |
21 | Fountain Valley | 56,640 |
22 | Brea | 41,921 |
23 | Cerritos | 50,145 |
24 | Lakewood | 81,106 |
25 | Placentia | 52,294 |
26 | La Mirada | 49,162 |
27 | Los Alamitos | 11,639 |
28 | Pasadena | 141,231 |
29 | Seal Beach | 24,510 |
30 | Whittier | 86,852 |
31 | Lomita | 20,707 |
32 | Costa Mesa | 112,930 |
33 | Orange | 140,289 |
34 | Alhambra | 85,168 |
35 | Burbank | 104,765 |
36 | Buena Park | 83,020 |
37 | Artesia | 16,853 |
38 | Downey | 113,358 |
39 | West Covina | 107,786 |
40 | Fullerton | 139,976 |
41 | San Gabriel | 40,315 |
42 | Westminster | 91,785 |
43 | Signal Hill | 11,508 |
44 | Monterey Park | 61,056 |
45 | Temple | 4,338 |
46 | Glendale | 199,750 |
47 | La Habra | 61,965 |
48 | Garden Grove | 174,812 |
49 | Santa Fe Springs | 17,669 |
50 | Lawndale | 33,191 |
51 | Norwalk | 106,404 |
52 | Carson | 92,927 |
53 | Bellflower | 77,852 |
54 | Rosemead | 54,615 |
55 | Pico Rivera | 63,750 |
56 | Long Beach | 470,489 |
57 | Gardena | 60,096 |
58 | Midway | 3,322 |
59 | Baldwin Park | 76,572 |
60 | Hawthorne | 87,425 |
61 | Santa Ana | 334,493 |
62 | Los Angeles | 3,949,776 |
63 | La Puente | 40,451 |
64 | Montebello | 63,468 |
65 | Stanton | 38,648 |
66 | El Monte | 115,958 |
67 | Inglewood | 111,006 |
68 | Paramount | 55,020 |
69 | South Gate | 95,420 |
70 | Bell | 35,942 |
71 | Lynwood | 71,350 |
72 | South El Monte | 20,712 |
73 | Hawaiian Gardens | 14,465 |
74 | Huntington Park | 58,993 |
75 | Bell Gardens | 42,845 |
76 | Maywood | 27,700 |
77 | Compton | 97,847 |
78 | Cudahy | 24,146 |
79 | Commerce | 12,998 |