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.
Table Of Contents: Top Ten | Methodology | Summary | Table
The 10 best suburbs to live around Torrance for 2026:
What’s the best suburb of Torrance? Manhattan Beach ranks as the best suburb of Torrance for 2026 based on the most recent Census and FBI data. If you happen to be a resident of Manhattan 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:
The 10 Best Torrance Suburbs To Live For 2026
/10
Population: 34,210
Median Income: $204,306
Unemployment Rate: 3.8%
Poverty Rate: 4.5%
More on Manhattan Beach: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Movers
Manhattan Beach is always mentioned as one of the best suburbs in the Torrance area. We’ll tell you the good about “Awesome Manhattan Beach.”
Everyone here is rich; families average $204,306 a year, which is the 4th highest in the Torrance region. And only 3.81% are out of work. Homes average more than $3,227,202 each.
/10
Population: 19,063
Median Income: $166,442
Unemployment Rate: 5.4%
Poverty Rate: 5.6%
More on Hermosa Beach: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Movers
Hermosa Beach is the second best ‘burb we looked at near Torrance for 2026.
It ranks 9th for incomes in the area and only 1.96% of residents lack insurance, good for 6th best.
/10
Population: 12,925
Median Income: $242,014
Unemployment Rate: 4.7%
Poverty Rate: 2.9%
More on Palos Verdes Estates: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Movers
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.
4. Hidden Hills, CA
/10
Population: 2,150
Median Income: $250,001
Unemployment Rate: 2.5%
Poverty Rate: 9.5%
More on Hidden Hills: Movers
Hidden Hills ranks as the 4th best suburb of Torrance for 2026.
You won’t find many better places to raise your kids in the region than in Hidden Hills and the schools are some of the best around.
/10
Population: 69,291
Median Income: $150,245
Unemployment Rate: 5.5%
Poverty Rate: 5.4%
More on Redondo Beach: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Movers
Coming in as the fifth best is Redondo Beach.
Redondo Beach gets kudos for having the 15th most expensive homes in the Torrance area, where houses sell for an average of $1,500,192. However, the cost of living here is among the highest in the area.
/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 proud of its 6th place finish on this list. And here’s why.
Most residents have great jobs and the unemployment rate sits at 5.09%.
According to online reports, South Pasadena is quickly becoming one of the more affluent suburbs in the Torrance area, meaning you need to get in soon.
/10
Population: 40,864
Median Income: $179,623
Unemployment Rate: 5.5%
Poverty Rate: 4.2%
More on Rancho Palos Verdes: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Movers
The 7th best suburb on our list goes to Rancho Palos Verdes.
Rancho Palos Verdes 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 5.9 miles to downtown, which is a good thing.
/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 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 3.34% of people lack insurance, good for 15th in the area.
/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
Is ‘Everything Better In La Palma?’
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: 12,216
Median Income: $214,167
Unemployment Rate: 5.3%
Poverty Rate: 6.7%
More on San Marino: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Movers
And rounding out the top ten for 2026 is San Marino.
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 2026
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 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 Torrance.
Additionally, we limited the analysis to places that have over 2,000 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.
Finally, we crowned the city with the best quality of life index, the “Best Suburb near Torrance.” We’re lookin’ at you, Manhattan 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 2026. This report is our eleventh 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 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 Torrance are .
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:
Table: Best Torrance Suburbs
| Rank | City | Population | Median Income | Average Home Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Manhattan Beach, CA | 34,210 | $204,306 | $3,227,202 |
| 2 | Hermosa Beach, CA | 19,063 | $166,442 | $2,245,351 |
| 3 | Palos Verdes Estates, CA | 12,925 | $242,014 | $2,763,820 |
| 4 | Hidden Hills, CA | 2,150 | $250,001 | $5,059,062 |
| 5 | Redondo Beach, CA | 69,291 | $150,245 | $1,500,192 |
| 6 | South Pasadena, CA | 26,068 | $127,175 | $1,692,677 |
| 7 | Rancho Palos Verdes, CA | 40,864 | $179,623 | $1,824,947 |
| 8 | Sierra Madre, CA | 10,940 | $143,547 | $1,437,492 |
| 9 | La Palma, CA | 15,272 | $117,989 | $1,203,549 |
| 10 | San Marino, CA | 12,216 | $214,167 | $2,837,216 |
| 11 | El Segundo, CA | 16,769 | $150,737 | $1,759,407 |
| 12 | La Habra Heights, CA | 5,478 | $179,583 | $1,399,870 |
| 13 | Rolling Hills Estates, CA | 8,131 | $191,895 | $1,901,413 |
| 14 | Cerritos, CA | 47,867 | $135,439 | $1,094,900 |
| 15 | Brea, CA | 47,469 | $131,129 | $1,140,405 |
| 16 | Huntington Beach, CA | 195,240 | $120,919 | $1,366,657 |
| 17 | Cypress, CA | 49,498 | $130,215 | $1,085,691 |
| 18 | Santa Monica, CA | 91,169 | $114,885 | $1,703,947 |
| 19 | La Mirada, CA | 47,180 | $109,288 | $887,478 |
| 20 | Lakewood, CA | 79,850 | $119,177 | $882,501 |
| 21 | Fountain Valley, CA | 56,258 | $115,237 | $1,394,237 |
| 22 | Malibu, CA | 10,421 | $194,421 | $3,142,247 |
| 23 | Arcadia, CA | 55,170 | $113,516 | $1,414,450 |
| 24 | Calabasas, CA | 22,669 | $165,288 | $1,722,904 |
| 25 | Beverly Hills, CA | 31,624 | $132,977 | $3,662,756 |
| 26 | Placentia, CA | 52,826 | $115,929 | $1,117,227 |
| 27 | Seal Beach, CA | 24,722 | $85,964 | $848,898 |
| 28 | Orange, CA | 138,266 | $117,113 | $1,143,787 |
| 29 | Costa Mesa, CA | 110,330 | $111,505 | $1,413,322 |
| 30 | West Hollywood, CA | 34,884 | $96,995 | $1,019,551 |
| 31 | Alhambra, CA | 81,022 | $88,024 | $937,892 |
| 32 | Buena Park, CA | 82,871 | $110,550 | $940,506 |
| 33 | Lomita, CA | 20,225 | $93,810 | $921,950 |
| 34 | San Gabriel, CA | 38,392 | $90,488 | $1,121,300 |
| 35 | Signal Hill, CA | 11,468 | $113,298 | $708,078 |
| 36 | Pasadena, CA | 136,969 | $105,192 | $1,209,228 |
| 37 | Whittier, CA | 86,165 | $97,201 | $821,843 |
| 38 | Downey, CA | 110,939 | $90,699 | $888,710 |
| 39 | La Habra, CA | 61,970 | $100,106 | $911,595 |
| 40 | Santa Ana, CA | 312,534 | $93,999 | $866,065 |
| 41 | Fullerton, CA | 140,968 | $104,286 | $1,050,944 |
| 42 | Los Alamitos, CA | 11,794 | $97,155 | $1,583,957 |
| 43 | West Covina, CA | 107,037 | $101,065 | $852,372 |
| 44 | Norwalk, CA | 99,789 | $100,085 | $763,282 |
| 45 | Garden Grove, CA | 170,964 | $92,174 | $1,013,182 |
| 46 | Monterey Park, CA | 59,132 | $81,855 | $934,098 |
| 47 | Glendale, CA | 190,748 | $88,393 | $1,201,879 |
| 48 | Temple, CA | 5,901 | $91,180 | $284,500 |
| 49 | Artesia, CA | 15,889 | $101,004 | $878,198 |
| 50 | Carson, CA | 92,871 | $108,703 | $799,421 |
| 51 | Pico Rivera, CA | 60,272 | $88,201 | $753,243 |
| 52 | Gardena, CA | 59,422 | $84,803 | $792,921 |
| 53 | Santa Fe Springs, CA | 18,871 | $88,238 | $783,369 |
| 54 | Westminster, CA | 89,860 | $85,541 | $1,097,353 |
| 55 | Long Beach, CA | 455,548 | $87,430 | $857,860 |
| 56 | Rosemead, CA | 50,013 | $73,566 | $913,339 |
| 57 | Bellflower, CA | 76,819 | $78,722 | $801,999 |
| 58 | La Puente, CA | 37,142 | $86,602 | $723,134 |
| 59 | Stanton, CA | 39,402 | $84,707 | $793,737 |
| 60 | Hawthorne, CA | 85,191 | $75,848 | $883,585 |
| 61 | Hawaiian Gardens, CA | 13,691 | $76,341 | $647,288 |
| 62 | Los Angeles, CA | 3,857,263 | $81,939 | $952,183 |
| 63 | Baldwin Park, CA | 70,138 | $80,663 | $722,511 |
| 64 | Lawndale, CA | 30,781 | $85,441 | $777,393 |
| 65 | Montebello, CA | 61,045 | $79,971 | $827,434 |
| 66 | Paramount, CA | 52,050 | $75,250 | $648,286 |
| 67 | Inglewood, CA | 104,569 | $72,750 | $763,567 |
| 68 | Midway, CA | 3,511 | $63,381 | $248,338 |
| 69 | Commerce, CA | 11,993 | $77,064 | $696,479 |
| 70 | South Gate, CA | 91,483 | $74,571 | $700,783 |
| 71 | El Monte, CA | 106,109 | $68,030 | $765,444 |
| 72 | Bell Gardens, CA | 38,229 | $62,298 | $690,423 |
| 73 | Bell, CA | 32,476 | $61,020 | $688,069 |
| 74 | Lynwood, CA | 64,578 | $74,844 | $688,935 |
| 75 | Compton, CA | 92,698 | $78,465 | $637,960 |
| 76 | Maywood, CA | 24,317 | $60,943 | $652,495 |
| 77 | Huntington Park, CA | 53,108 | $59,996 | $675,536 |
| 78 | Cudahy, CA | 22,087 | $56,615 | $680,366 |
| 79 | South El Monte, CA | 19,287 | $72,990 | $762,159 |