These Are The 10 Best Torrance Suburbs For 2019


We analyzed over 78 places around Torrance to identify the most kickass place to live.

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Editor’s Note: Data has been updated for 2019. This is our fourth time ranking the best Torrance suburbs.

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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…

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.

Hermosa Beach, CA

Overall SnackAbility

9.5
/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.

Manhattan Beach, CA

Source: Public domain
Overall SnackAbility

10
/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.

Palos Verdes Estates, CA

Overall SnackAbility

10
/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.

Redondo Beach, CA

Source: Public domain
Overall SnackAbility

9.5
/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.

San Marino, CA

Overall SnackAbility

9.5
/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.

Rancho Palos Verdes, CA

Source: Public domain
Overall SnackAbility

10
/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.

Rolling Hills Estates, CA

Overall SnackAbility

10
/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.

Calabasas, CA

Overall SnackAbility

10
/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.

Review Of Calabasas by HomeSnacks User

Stuck up ppl with nothing to do. High school kids are superficial with lots of drug activity

Many ppl badmouth Calabasas

Malibu, CA

Overall SnackAbility

8.5
/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.

Sierra Madre, CA

Overall SnackAbility

10
/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:

Detailed List Of The Best Torrance Suburbs

Rank City Population Median Income
1 Hermosa Beach 19,750 $124,849
2 Manhattan Beach 35,698 $148,899
3 Palos Verdes Estates 13,591 $180,815
4 Redondo Beach 67,950 $104,548
5 San Marino 13,331 $152,527
6 Rancho Palos Verdes 42,463 $124,552
7 Rolling Hills Estates 8,229 $131,471
8 Calabasas 24,169 $114,143
9 Malibu 12,871 $134,282
10 Sierra Madre 11,061 $98,547
11 Beverly Hills 34,506 $103,698
12 South Pasadena 25,974 $92,756
13 La Habra Heights 5,425 $112,273
14 Cypress 49,108 $90,345
15 La Palma 15,814 $91,024
16 Arcadia 58,156 $90,666
17 Huntington Beach 200,415 $88,079
18 Santa Monica 92,495 $86,084
19 West Hollywood 36,148 $66,458
20 El Segundo 16,929 $92,942
21 Fountain Valley 56,640 $86,602
22 Brea 41,921 $90,214
23 Cerritos 50,145 $98,953
24 Lakewood 81,106 $84,055
25 Placentia 52,294 $88,501
26 La Mirada 49,162 $87,400
27 Los Alamitos 11,639 $79,459
28 Pasadena 141,231 $76,264
29 Seal Beach 24,510 $65,401
30 Whittier 86,852 $69,058
31 Lomita 20,707 $62,353
32 Costa Mesa 112,930 $75,109
33 Orange 140,289 $83,500
34 Alhambra 85,168 $55,401
35 Burbank 104,765 $69,118
36 Buena Park 83,020 $71,005
37 Artesia 16,853 $62,702
38 Downey 113,358 $68,162
39 West Covina 107,786 $74,551
40 Fullerton 139,976 $71,660
41 San Gabriel 40,315 $55,939
42 Westminster 91,785 $57,575
43 Signal Hill 11,508 $75,843
44 Monterey Park 61,056 $55,117
45 Temple 4,338 $65,375
46 Glendale 199,750 $58,657
47 La Habra 61,965 $72,178
48 Garden Grove 174,812 $62,675
49 Santa Fe Springs 17,669 $63,540
50 Lawndale 33,191 $54,862
51 Norwalk 106,404 $63,669
52 Carson 92,927 $75,517
53 Bellflower 77,852 $52,944
54 Rosemead 54,615 $50,074
55 Pico Rivera 63,750 $61,586
56 Long Beach 470,489 $58,314
57 Gardena 60,096 $50,807
58 Midway 3,322 $56,458
59 Baldwin Park 76,572 $57,209
60 Hawthorne 87,425 $47,636
61 Santa Ana 334,493 $57,151
62 Los Angeles 3,949,776 $54,501
63 La Puente 40,451 $60,019
64 Montebello 63,468 $50,312
65 Stanton 38,648 $50,601
66 El Monte 115,958 $43,504
67 Inglewood 111,006 $46,389
68 Paramount 55,020 $49,064
69 South Gate 95,420 $47,281
70 Bell 35,942 $39,686
71 Lynwood 71,350 $45,839
72 South El Monte 20,712 $44,651
73 Hawaiian Gardens 14,465 $38,553
74 Huntington Park 58,993 $38,106
75 Bell Gardens 42,845 $39,008
76 Maywood 27,700 $37,508
77 Compton 97,847 $48,117
78 Cudahy 24,146 $39,804
79 Commerce 12,998 $42,734

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.