City profile · California · Census ACS 2023

Palos Verdes Estates, CA

Population, income, housing, safety, climate and schools for Palos Verdes Estates - drawn straight from Census ACS, FBI UCR, NOAA, NCES, HUD and FEMA, refreshed on the 2024–2025 release cycle.

13,047
Residents
$247,500
Median income
$2,000,001
Median home
$2,601
Median rent (state)

Palos Verdes Estates - the verdict

Palos Verdes Estates ranks in the 99th percentile for household income and the 71st percentile for safety nationally, out of every US city with at least 1,000 residents. Source: Census ACS + FBI UCR.

99th
percentile, household income
99th
percentile, home value
93rd
percentile, median rent
71st
percentile, safety
📝 How we sourced this

Population, income, and housing-cost figures come from the U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey 5-year estimates (B-series tables). Crime data uses FBI UCR; climate uses NOAA Climate Normals; school counts come from NCES Common Core of Data; permits use the Census Building Permits Survey (BPS). See our methodology page for the full ETL pipeline and OMB / FIPS join keys.

Data Snapshot: Palos Verdes Estates, CA

13,047 people live in Palos Verdes Estates, California - a small town by U.S. Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates. The typical household in Palos Verdes Estates brings in $247,500 a year, placing it in the top quartile of U.S. cities for household income, with a poverty rate of 2.4%. Home values in Palos Verdes Estates run a median of $2,000,001, and the median resident age is 52.9 years. About 78.5% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, while 51.5% of working-age residents are in the labor force.

In 2024, 14 residential building permits were authorized in Palos Verdes Estates (Construction Slowdown), down 33% from five years earlier, per Census BPS data. Palos Verdes Estates reports a comparatively low crime rate: per-100,000 total crime stands at 812.4 in FBI UCR data, below the national average (a voluntary reporting program, read this as reporting activity, not a definitive danger score).

California carries a cost-of-living premium: the state registers 110.7 on a 100-equals-national-average index (Well Above Average) per BEA Regional Price Parities 2024. Statewide, HUD pegs Fair Market Rent for a two-bedroom unit at $2,601 monthly. Monthly utility costs average around $275 across California, per EIA 2023 residential energy estimates. Natural-hazard exposure scores 100.0 out of 100 on FEMA's National Risk Index (Very High).

Population

13,047 residents

Census ACS 2023 - California

Median Household Income

$247,500 /yr

Poverty 2.4%

Cost of Living Index (state)

110.7 (US=100)

Well Above Average - BEA RPP 2024, California average

How does Palos Verdes Estates compare to other US cities?

Here's how Palos Verdes Estates stacks up against the full field of US cities (population 1,000+), computed live from Census and FBI data.

Household income 99% higher than other cities
Home value 99% pricier than other cities
Median rent 93% pricier than other cities
Safety 71% safer than other cities

"Safer than" reflects total crime rate from FBI UCR; the others use Census ACS estimates.

A national percentile can hide a lot of local variation: narrowed to California alone, Palos Verdes Estates ranks #36 of 441 California cities by lowest crime rate - a different, more locally useful comparison than stacking it against the entire country.

How we calculate these percentiles & ranks

For each metric we count every US city with population 1,000+ and a non-null value, then compute what share of them fall below Palos Verdes Estates's value: round(cities-below ÷ total × 100). Safety is inverted (percentile = share of cities with a higher crime rate) so a higher number always means safer. The in-state rank narrows that same crime-rate comparison to only the cities PlainCities tracks in California, breaking ties alphabetically. See the methodology page for the full source-to-figure lineage.

99thIncome percentile
71stSafety percentile

99th percentile nationally for median household income · 71st percentile for safety (lower crime rate). Source: Census ACS 2023 / FBI UCR 2023.

Palos Verdes Estates's profile vs. every US city

Income, affordability, and safety percentile

Palos Verdes Estates's percentile rank on 3 favorable-direction measures (income, affordability, safety) vs. every tracked US city -- higher on every axis is more favorable. Not a composite quality score, just the arithmetic mean of the axes shown. 3-axis radar comparing 1 series across Income, Affordability, Safety. IncomeAffordabilitySafety 58 Avg. percentile National median
Palos Verdes Estates's percentile rank on 3 favorable-direction measures (income, affordability, safety) vs. every tracked US city -- higher on every axis is more favorable. Not a composite quality score, just the arithmetic mean of the axes shown.

How Palos Verdes Estates's home value compares nationally

Median home value vs. every US city (population 1,000+)

$2,000,001 1st percentile more affordable than 1% of 15,600 US cities

$0–$25,000: 5 US cities (0%). Below this entry. $25,000–$50,000: 54 US cities (0%). Below this entry. $50,000–$75,000: 352 US cities (2%). Below this entry. $75,000–$100,000: 1,086 US cities (7%). Below this entry. $100,000–$125,000: 1,516 US cities (10%). Below this entry. $125,000–$150,000: 1,170 US cities (8%). Below this entry. $150,000–$175,000: 1,278 US cities (8%). Below this entry. $175,000–$200,000: 1,229 US cities (8%). Below this entry. $200,000–$225,000: 1,035 US cities (7%). Below this entry. $225,000–$250,000: 976 US cities (6%). Below this entry. $250,000–$275,000: 754 US cities (5%). Below this entry. $275,000–$300,000: 712 US cities (5%). Below this entry. $300,000–$325,000: 521 US cities (3%). Below this entry. $325,000–$350,000: 526 US cities (3%). Below this entry. $350,000–$375,000: 465 US cities (3%). Below this entry. $375,000–$400,000: 393 US cities (3%). Below this entry. $400,000–$425,000: 317 US cities (2%). Below this entry. $425,000–$450,000: 300 US cities (2%). Below this entry. $450,000–$475,000: 307 US cities (2%). Below this entry. $475,000–$500,000: 250 US cities (2%). Below this entry. $500,000–$525,000: 160 US cities (1%). Below this entry. $525,000–$550,000: 156 US cities (1%). Below this entry. $550,000–$575,000: 172 US cities (1%). Below this entry. $575,000–$600,000: 172 US cities (1%). Below this entry. $600,000–$625,000: 163 US cities (1%). Below this entry. $625,000–$650,000: 167 US cities (1%). Below this entry. $650,000–$675,000: 135 US cities (1%). Below this entry. $675,000–$700,000: 101 US cities (1%). Below this entry. $700,000–$725,000: 95 US cities (1%). Below this entry. $725,000–$750,000: 71 US cities (0%). Below this entry. $750,000–$775,000: 65 US cities (0%). Below this entry. $775,000–$800,000: 70 US cities (0%). Below this entry. $800,000–$825,000: 57 US cities (0%). Below this entry. $825,000–$850,000: 67 US cities (0%). Below this entry. $850,000–$875,000: 60 US cities (0%). Below this entry. $875,000–$900,000: 58 US cities (0%). Below this entry. $900,000–$925,000: 47 US cities (0%). Below this entry. $925,000–$950,000: 37 US cities (0%). Below this entry. $950,000–$975,000: 31 US cities (0%). Below this entry. $975,000–$1,000,000: 470 US cities (3%). Below this entry. $1,000,000–$1,025,000: 0 US cities (0%). This entry sits in this band. Palos Verdes Estates $0 $1,025,000 every US city, bucketed by value

Each bar is a $25K-wide band; taller bars hold more US cities. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count, share, and where it sits relative to this entry.

Source U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year Estimates · 2023

Income distribution context

Household income distribution - Palos Verdes Estates, CA Palos Verdes Estates, CA's reported median household income shown against the U.S. national quintile-share pattern (not Palos Verdes Estates, CA-specific quintile data). The Lorenz curve traces the national cumulative income share against cumulative population share, perfect equality is the diagonal; observed inequality bows below. $ Household Income Distribution Palos Verdes Estates, CA median $247,500/yr, vs. U.S. national quintile pattern QUINTILE SHARE OF AGGREGATE INCOME Lowest 20% 3.4% Second 20% 9.2% Middle 20% 15.1% Fourth 20% 23.2% Top 20% 49.1% LORENZ CURVE cumulative income vs. population 100% 0% 100% pop. 0%
Palos Verdes Estates, CA's median household income (Census ACS 5-year estimate) plotted against the U.S. national income-quintile distribution pattern for context; the quintile shares and Lorenz curve are national figures, not computed specifically for Palos Verdes Estates, CA. Diagonal = perfect equality.

Key socioeconomic indicators

Bachelor's degree or higher (adults 25+) 78.5%

Census ACS S1501, educational attainment

Poverty rate (households below FPL) 2.4%

Census ACS S1701, poverty status

Labor force participation (adults 16+) 51.5%

Census ACS S2301, share of working-age residents in the labor force

Population
13,047
Median Income
$247,500
Median Home Value
$2,000,001
Median Age
52.9
Poverty Rate
2.4%
Labor force participation
51.5%
Bachelor's Degree+
78.5%

Safety & Crime

Total Crime Rate
812.4
per 100,000 residents
Violent Crime
24.1
per 100,000 residents
Property Crime
788.3
per 100,000 residents

Reflects incidents reported to the FBI's Uniform Crime Reporting program — agency participation is voluntary and reporting completeness varies by jurisdiction and year, so this reflects reporting activity, not a definitive danger score. Not adjusted for tourism, commuter, or daytime population.

Schools

Total Schools
4
Public schools in this city

Population Change

Annual U.S. Census Bureau Population Estimates Program (PEP) estimates, 2020–2025

See the fastest-growing cities →
12,000 residents12,500 residents13,000 residents13,500 residents 202020212022202320242025 13,310 residents 12,559 residents ▼ -5.6%
Palos Verdes Estates's Census PEP population estimates, 2020–2025.

Housing Supply

Census Bureau Building Permits Survey (BPS) - annual residential permits authorized

📉 Construction Slowdown
Total Permits (2024)
14
housing units authorized
Single-Family
14
detached homes
Multifamily
0
apartments & condos
Supply Intensity
1.1
permits per 1,000 residents

5-Year Permit Trend (2019–2024)

Year Total
2019 21
2020 2
2021 1
2022 6
2023 2
2024 14

Permit volume decreased 33% from 2019 to 2024.

Commute Patterns

How workers travel to work, Census ACS 2023

Drive Alone
72.7%
Carpool
1.5%
Public Transit
0.0%
Walk
0.4%
Work from Home
24.8%
Other
0.6%

Based on 5,245 workers 16 and over.

Monthly Utility Costs

State-average estimates for California - EIA 2023 residential energy data

Electricity
$150
avg/month
Natural Gas
$55
avg/month
Water & Sewer
$70
avg/month
Total Utilities
$275
estimated/month

Estimates reflect California state averages. Actual costs vary by home size, usage, and local rates. Source: U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) 2023.

Living Costs & Risk

Cost of living is a California state average from BEA; rent and hazard risk are county-level figures from HUD and FEMA for the county Palos Verdes Estates sits in

Cost of Living Index
110.7
Well Above Average
US average = 100 · BEA RPP 2024
Typical 2-BR Rent
$2,601/mo
HUD Fair Market Rent
County-level FMR estimate
Natural Hazard Risk
100.0 / 100
Very High
FEMA NRI composite score (county)

Similar Cities in California

Grand Terrace
13,069 people
Carpinteria
13,100 people
Avocado Heights
12,934 people
El Sobrante CDP (Riverside County)
13,206 people
Larkspur
12,856 people
Solana Beach
12,841 people

Cities of a Similar Size Nationwide

Population-matched peers from other states, closest to Palos Verdes Estates's 13,047 residents (Census ACS 5-Year 2023).

Linganore, MD
13,044 people
Fords, NJ
13,052 people
Claremont, NH
13,054 people
Mango, FL
13,037 people
La Grande, OR
13,059 people
D'Iberville, MS
13,033 people

Cities with a Similar Household Income Nationwide

Median-household-income-matched peers from other states, closest to Palos Verdes Estates's $247,500 (Census ACS 5-Year 2023, table B19013).

North Chevy Chase, MD
$247,500 median income
Muttontown, NY
$247,589 median income
Crosspointe, VA
$247,708 median income
Glen Ridge, NJ
$248,016 median income
Blackwells Mills, NJ
$248,149 median income
Upper Saddle River, NJ
$246,719 median income

Race & Ethnicity Composition

Race and ethnicity - Palos Verdes Estates, CA Race categories sum to one hundred percent per Census methodology. Hispanic or Latino is shown separately as an ethnicity overlay; it cuts across all race categories per OMB Directive 15. Race & Ethnicity Composition Palos Verdes Estates, CA - Census ACS, OMB race + ethnicity categories RACE, sums to 100% 64.0% 24.4% 7.7% ETHNICITY, Hispanic or Latino (any race) 4.8% White 64.0% Black or African American 3.5% Asian 24.4% American Indian 0.0% Native Hawaiian 0.0% Some other race 0.4% Two or more races 7.7% Per OMB Directive 15: Hispanic/Latino ethnicity is reported separately from the race categories.
Race categories sum to 100%. Hispanic or Latino ethnicity is reported separately and cuts across race per Census/OMB methodology.

City-level race and ethnicity, Census ACS 5-year 2023 (tables B02001, B03001), OMB Directive 15 categories.

How Palos Verdes Estates compares to nearby California cities

Population + median household income, sourced from Census Bureau ACS 5-year B01001 (population) and B19013 (median household income).

City Population Median Household Income
Palos Verdes Estates (this city) 13,047 $247,500
Grand Terrace 13,069 $83,668
Carpinteria 13,100 $104,233
Avocado Heights 12,934 $95,000
Census ACS 5-year FIPS CA FBI UCR NCES CCD Census BPS 2024 OMB Bulletin 23-01

What do people ask about Palos Verdes Estates, CA?

What is the population of Palos Verdes Estates, CA? +

Palos Verdes Estates, CA counts 13,047 residents according to U.S. Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates.

What is the median household income in Palos Verdes Estates, CA? +

Palos Verdes Estates households earn a median of $247,500 annually, based on Census ACS 2023 data.

What is the cost of living in Palos Verdes Estates? +

BEA does not publish a city-level cost-of-living figure for Palos Verdes Estates; the closest available measure is the California state average, a cost of living index of 110.7 (U.S. average = 100), rated "Well Above Average" based on BEA Regional Price Parities 2024 data. Costs within California vary by metro area.

Is Palos Verdes Estates, CA safe? +

Palos Verdes Estates has a total crime rate of 812.4 per 100,000 residents, which is below the national average. This reflects incidents reported to the FBI UCR program, not a definitive safety score -- agency reporting is voluntary and completeness varies by jurisdiction.

What is the median home value in Palos Verdes Estates, CA? +

Palos Verdes Estates's median home value sits at $2,000,001, according to Census ACS 2023 estimates.

Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year 2023, FBI UCR, NCES CCD, Census BPS 2024, Census ACS B08301/B08136, U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) 2023, BEA Regional Price Parities 2024, HUD Fair Market Rents 2026, FEMA National Risk Index.

Read our methodology - how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.

Primary sources: Census ACS, FBI UCR, NOAA Climate Normals, NCES.

Citation & verification links Data sourced from the U.S. Census Bureau. See our methodology for details. Retrieved and formatted by PlainCities Editorial

Verify with HUD →

Verify with FBI →

Verify with NOAA →

Verify with U.S. Census Bureau →

Verify with EPA →

Verify with FEMA →

Verify with BEA →

Verify with EIA →

Verify with NCES →

Every figure on PlainCities is rendered directly from Census ACS source data, no number is typed in by an editor. This page draws directly on Census ACS source data, no figure is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error.