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Place dossier plate
SheetCA-TORRANCE-CA · Torrance, CA 143,499 pop · income 84th pct
Instrument codes from this place’s ACS population and household income, BEA state COL, FBI safety, national income percentile, photo-finish peer city, home-value band, and matched Census-tract book - not a moving recommendation.
Income neighbourhood around Torrance
Lowest/highest poles plus peers nearest Torrance on median household income. Full ladder: /browse and /rankings.
median HH income
Gainesville · lowest
45,611
Gainesville · lowest
45,611 median HH income
39.0% of the leader · rank #1
Urbandale · near
113,086
Urbandale · near
113,086 median HH income
96.7% of the leader · rank #2
Berkley · near
113,103
Berkley · near
113,103 median HH income
96.7% of the leader · rank #3
Torrance · this city
113,105
Torrance · this city
113,105 median HH income
96.7% of the leader · rank #4
Londonderry · near
113,109
Londonderry · near
113,109 median HH income
96.7% of the leader · rank #5
Trinity · near
113,125
Trinity · near
113,125 median HH income
96.7% of the leader · rank #6
Orange · highest
116,945
Orange · highest
116,945 median HH income
100.0% of the leader · rank #7
What this shows Neighbourhood peers only - not a full nationwide city board. Open a near peer when the gap is small; open the poles when the spread is wide.
Compare beyond this state
Nationwide peers by population, income, and FBI crime rate
Out-of-state nearest neighbors for Torrance on ACS population and median household income
, plus FBI UCR reporting rate when the extract covers this place. Link sets are deduped so each column is a distinct comparison path, not a forecast that peers share a labor market or climate.
Similar population
Nearest out-of-state cities by ACS population. This city: 143,499.
Agency-reported UCR totals per 100,000 population, not a neighborhood safety grade or a prediction of personal risk.
Torrance - the verdict
Out of every US city with 1,000+ residents, Torrance places in the 84th percentile for household income and the 15th percentile for safety. Source: Census ACS + FBI UCR.
84th
percentile, household income
97th
percentile, home value
88th
percentile, median rent
15th
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: Torrance, CA
143,499 people live in Torrance, California - a mid-sized U.S. city by U.S. Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates. Households in Torrance report a median income of $113,105 per year, placing it in the top quartile of U.S. cities for household income, with a poverty rate of 4.7%. Typical homes in Torrance are valued around $1,036,600, and the median resident age is 43.1 years. Educational attainment runs 53.0% of adults with a bachelor's degree or higher. Separately, 60.7% of working-age residents are in the labor force.
The Census Building Permit Survey recorded 91 residential units authorized here in 2024 (Growing), up 12% from five years earlier. Torrance's reported crime rate runs above the national norm: per-100,000 total crime stands at 3086.9 in FBI UCR data, above the national average (a voluntary reporting program, read this as reporting activity, not a definitive danger score). The annual average temperature per NOAA climate normals runs 63.0°F with 13.6 inches of precipitation per year.
California carries a cost-of-living premium: BEA Regional Price Parities 2024 puts California at 110.7 on a 100-equals-national-average scale (Well Above Average). A typical two-bedroom carries a HUD Fair Market Rent of $2,053 per month statewide. Monthly utility costs average around $275 across California, per EIA 2023 residential energy estimates. Natural-hazard exposure scores 88.7 out of 100 on FEMA's National Risk Index (Very High).
A decision-led reading path
Useful questions to ask of Torrance's data
How this reading path is ordered
This is not a composite city score. It is a city-specific route through the available public records, ordered for this profile so the page starts with questions the joined data can actually answer. The route here runs from reported crime to work and mobility to comparison shortlist to population change to schools and households to housing and income to climate and hazard context; another city can have a different sequence or fewer supported layers because the source joins are not uniform.
For Torrance, city-specific coverage includes commute-mode shares, FBI reported-crime rates, matched public-school count, local building permits, annual population history.
No matched row is reported here for within-city Census tract profiles; the page leaves those layers out instead of substituting a statewide or national value.
Question 1
What can the FBI record say about safety in Torrance?
The joined FBI UCR record reports 3086.9 violent and property crimes per 100,000 residents, above the 2280.5 national reference used here. The difference is 35% higher in arithmetic terms, but agency participation is voluntary and reporting completeness varies.
Treat this as a reporting-rate comparison, not a prediction of personal risk or a neighborhood-level safety grade. Tourism, daytime population, reporting practices, and variation inside the city are not adjusted away. The state rank and same-state peer table are the narrower comparisons available on this page.
What does the journey to work look like in Torrance?
Driving alone is the largest reported mode at 71.1%. A reliable mean commute time is not available for this row, so the mode shares carry the comparison.
Mode share answers how workers usually travel; it does not measure congestion, reliability, distance to a particular job, or the quality of transit service. Remote work has a visible role in the local pattern. That can reduce commute exposure for some workers, but it says nothing about job availability or broadband quality; read it alongside income and housing rather than as a stand-alone lifestyle score.
Which cities make useful reference points for Torrance?
Use the in-state set to hold state policy and broad price conditions more nearly constant. Use the nationwide size set to ask whether cities with a similar resident count produce different housing, income, or commute outcomes. The income set is a third lens, deliberately separate from population matching. The nationwide peer panel below adds a fourth FBI UCR reporting-rate lens, not personal risk.
Within California, the closest population matches are Visalia (142,649 residents, $79,952 income); Fullerton (141,278 residents, $104,219 income); Orange (138,723 residents, $116,945 income). Outside the state, the closest population matches in this dataset are Gainesville, FL (143,611 residents); Olathe, KS (143,720 residents); McAllen, TX (143,789 residents). A third, income-matched reference set of 6 out-of-state cities sits in the income neighbourhood chart near the Place Dossier plate. These are mechanical peer sets, not claims that the places share a labor market, climate, culture, or metro context.
Is Torrance growing, shrinking, or holding steady?
Census PEP estimates show the population declined by -8,035 residents from 2020 to 2025, a -5.5% change. Separately, Census BPS recorded 91 housing units authorized in 2024. PEP and ACS are different Census series, so the trend is kept separate from the headline ACS population.
Recent estimates point downward. A falling count can reflect migration, household size, annexation boundaries, or estimation noise, so it is a prompt to inspect the full series rather than a claim about local economic health.
These joined records add useful context, but they do not need another full-size panel. Each remains a separate measure with its own geography and source boundary.
Schools and households
What does the education layer cover for Torrance?
The city has a broader matched school footprint, but count alone does not describe performance, capacity, program availability, or attendance boundaries. This profile deliberately avoids converting it into an unsupported family-friendliness score.
The NCES join finds 34 public schools within the city match. 53.0% of adults age 25+ hold a bachelor's degree or higher in the ACS estimate. These measures answer different questions: the school count describes local institutions, while adult attainment describes residents and cannot be used as a school-quality rating.
Poverty estimate
4.7%
Bachelor's degree+
53.0%
Matched public schools
34
NCES Common Core of Data school locations plus Census ACS resident characteristics.
How far does income reach against housing in Torrance?
This is a citywide price-to-income reference, not a mortgage-affordability test; it does not include interest rates, taxes, insurance, household size, or an individual buyer's down payment. Housing value is high relative to the citywide income median. That flags a question for comparison, not a verdict: tenure, household composition, financing costs, and the age of the ACS estimate can all change what a resident actually pays.
The home-value-to-income reference is comparatively stretched: the ACS median home value is 9.2 times median household income. The ACS poverty estimate is 4.7%, which keeps the citywide median from describing every household.
Value / income
9.2×
Home value
$1,036,600
Household income
$113,105
City-level Census ACS 2023 medians. The ratio divides two separate medians and is descriptive only.
The two sources should not be blended into one comfort or safety score. Use the climate values for baseline conditions and the risk index as a prompt to inspect specific hazards, insurance, and local emergency guidance for a particular address.
NOAA normals put the annual mean temperature at 63.0°F, with 13.6 inches of precipitation. FEMA's state-averaged National Risk Index score for California is 88.7 out of 100. Climate normals describe long-run weather; the FEMA score on PlainCities is a state average of county NRI inputs and combines hazards, exposure, vulnerability, and resilience.
FEMA risk index (state avg)
88.7
Annual precipitation
13.6 in
Mean temperature
63.0°F
NOAA Climate Normals and FEMA National Risk Index (state-averaged on PlainCities). Hazard context is not address-level.
Highest-decile cost · BEA RPP 2024, California average
C-
City profile score · Torrance, CA
54/100
5 published dimensions · ACS/FBI 2023
Comparative score against U.S. cities with population of 1,000 or more on Census ACS medians
(income, poverty, bachelor's share, cost of living) and FBI UCR violent-crime rates when
published. Higher means a stronger standing on those published figures, not a livability
rating, not a recommendation to move, buy, or pick a "best" city. Missing inputs drop out
and redistribute weight.
How it is calculated.
Bachelor's+ share A
53.0%
Adults with a bachelor's degree or higher; ACS.
Household income A-
$113,105
Median household income vs U.S. cities (pop ≥1,000); ACS.
Poverty rate B-
4.7%
Share of residents below the poverty line; lower scores better on this axis.
Violent crime F
311 /100k
FBI UCR violent offenses per 100,000 residents; lower is stronger on this axis.
Cost of living F
110.7 index
BEA state Regional Price Parities index (100 ≈ national average); lower is stronger on this axis. Same value for every city in the state.
Torrance profile (scored ACS/FBI dimensions)Read the chart values
Bachelor's+ share: 86/100 (A) · 53.0%
Household income: 83/100 (A-) · $113,105
Poverty rate: 67/100 (B-) · 4.7%
Violent crime: 31/100 (F) · 311 /100k
Cost of living: 6/100 (F) · 110.7 index
Where Torrance sits on home value vs crime among peer cities
Torrance's median home value and FBI crime rate plotted with similar-size and
same-state peers (padded with large cities when the peer set is thin). The second
read: pricey does not always mean safer, check which quadrant this city lands in.
Census ACS median home value vs FBI UCR crime rate - Torrance highlighted among 13 peers.Read the chart values
Torrance, CA (this city): home $1,036,600, crime 3,087/100k
Gainesville, FL : home $235,000, crime 3,442/100k
Olathe, KS : home $340,600, crime 1,137/100k
McAllen, TX : home $173,800, crime 1,986/100k
Thornton, CO : home $482,200, crime 3,109/100k
Waco, TX : home $199,600, crime 2,552/100k
Syracuse, NY : home $125,100, crime 5,000/100k
Visalia, CA : home $340,600, crime 2,566/100k
Fullerton, CA : home $859,600, crime 2,479/100k
Orange, CA : home $900,700, crime 1,514/100k
Pomona, CA : home $569,600, crime 3,469/100k
Escondido, CA : home $663,500, crime 1,919/100k
Pasadena, CA : home $1,045,000, crime 3,177/100k
How does Torrance compare to other US cities?
Torrance measured against every US city with 1,000+ residents, computed live from the same Census and FBI data shown throughout this page.
Household income84% higher than other cities
Home value97% pricier than other cities
Median rent88% pricier than other cities
Safety15% safer than other cities
"Safer than" reflects total crime rate from FBI UCR; the others use Census ACS estimates.
National percentiles can mask local variation. Looking only at California, Torrance ranks #366 of 441 California cities by lowest crime rate - a narrower, more locally useful cut than the national comparison above.
How we calculate these percentiles & ranks
Each percentile compares Torrance against every qualifying US city; each in-state rank narrows that to California only. Full formula and direction notes: methodology.
California-relative analysis
Median Gross Rent places Torrance near the bottom of California's cities
Among the 1,458 California cities PlainCities tracks with reported median gross rent data, Torrance ranks #1 - the 0th percentile within the state. This is a different, narrower cut than the nationwide percentiles above: it compares Torrance only against its own state's cities, not the full US field.
Median Household Income
#377 of 1,338
72nd percentile in California
Median Gross Rent
#1 of 1,458
0th percentile in California
Median Home Value
#225 of 1,343
83rd percentile in California
Poverty Rate
#873 of 1,450
39th percentile in California
Bachelor's Degree or Higher
#243 of 1,458
83rd percentile in California
How in-state ranks are ordered
Ranked by raw value (highest first); a higher rank is not automatically "better" for every measure, see each metric's own context above. This is a comparison within California only, not a livability score. See the methodology for the source and calculation.
Gauge source note
84th percentile nationally for median household income · 15th percentile for safety (lower crime rate). Source: Census ACS 2023 / FBI UCR 2023.
Torrance's profile vs. every US city
Income, affordability, and safety percentile
Torrance'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 Torrance's home value compares nationally
Median home value vs. every US city (population 1,000+)
$1,036,6003rd percentilemore affordable than 3% of 15,600 US cities
Show national distribution
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
Torrance's home-value-to-income ratio: 9.2×
ACS median home value divided by median household income.
Band
pressured
> 5.0×
National rank
#15,266 of 15,516
More affordable than 2% of tracked cities (pop. 1,000+)
Size class
#723 of 750
Mid-size cities (50,000–199,999)
At 9.2×, Torrance sits in the pressured band:
national rank #15,266 of 15,516 and #723 of 750mid-size cities (50,000–199,999).
Housing value is high relative to the citywide income median, a comparison flag, not a verdict on any household.
How this ratio is calculated
Ratio = Census ACS 2023 median home value ÷ median household income for cities with both fields and population ≥ 1,000.
Rank 1 = lowest ratio (most compact). Bands match the fleet affordability thresholds used on guides (<3.0 / 3.0–5.0 / >5.0).
This is not a mortgage payment estimate and does not include rates, taxes, insurance, or down payment.
Income distribution context
$113,105Torrance, CA median household income (Census ACS)
Show U.S. national quintile / Lorenz context Torrance, CA median household income (Census ACS 5-year) with U.S. national quintile shares for context. Diagonal = equality; the curve is national, not computed for Torrance, CA.
Key socioeconomic indicators
Bachelor's degree or higher (adults 25+)53.0%
Census ACS S1501, educational attainment
Poverty rate (households below FPL)4.7%
Census ACS S1701, poverty status
Labor force participation (adults 16+)60.7%
Census ACS S2301, share of working-age residents in the labor force
Population
143,499
Median Income
$113,105
Median Home Value
$1,036,600
Median Age
43.1
Poverty Rate
4.7%
Labor force participation
60.7%
Bachelor's Degree+
53.0%
Safety & Crime
Total Crime Rate
3086.9
per 100,000 residents
Violent Crime
311.2
per 100,000 residents
Property Crime
2775.8
per 100,000 residents
Crime reporting caveat
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.
Climate
Avg Temperature
63.0°F
Annual Precipitation
13.6"
Annual Snowfall
0.0"
Schools
Total Schools
34
Public schools in this city
Population Change
PEP vintage
Annual U.S. Census Bureau Population Estimates Program (PEP) estimates, 2020–2025
Torrance's Census PEP population estimates, 2020–2025.Read the chart as text
Period
Population
2020
146,426 residents
2021
143,265 residents
2022
141,271 residents
2023
140,129 residents
2024
139,489 residents
2025
138,391 residents
Housing Supply
BPS source
Census Bureau Building Permits Survey (BPS) - annual residential permits authorized
🏗️ Growing
Total Permits (2024)
91
housing units authorized
Single-Family
89
detached homes
Multifamily
2
apartments & condos
Supply Intensity
0.6
permits per 1,000 residents
5-Year Permit Trend (2019–2024)
Year
Total
Single-Family
Multifamily
Est. Value
2019
81
78
3
$17.5M
2020
69
27
42
$8.8M
2021
72
40
32
$14.5M
2022
397
170
227
$74.1M
2023
156
97
59
$37.4M
2024
91
89
2
$25.1M
Permit volume increased 12% from 2019 to 2024.
Commute Patterns
Commute source
How workers travel to work, Census ACS 2023
Drive Alone
71.1%
Carpool
6.2%
Public Transit
1.1%
Walk
1.0%
Work from Home
18.5%
Other
2.1%
Based on 68,734 workers 16 and over.
Monthly Utility Costs
California statewide monthly utility average (EIA 2023): $275
EIA 2023 residential energy data puts average monthly utilities across California at $275 (electricity about $150 , water and sewer about $70 ).
These are California statewide averages, not a meter reading for Torrance. Actual bills vary by home size, usage, and local rates. Source: U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) 2023.
Living Costs & Risk
California's BEA cost-of-living index is 110.7 (Well Above Average; US average = 100, RPP 2024). HUD Fair Market Rent for a typical two-bedroom in the county around Torrance is $2,053/mo. FEMA's National Risk Index, averaged to California statewide on PlainCities, rates natural-hazard exposure at 88.7 / 100 (Very High).
Cost/risk geography note
Cost of living is a California statewide BEA average; rent is a county-level HUD Fair Market Rent for the county Torrance sits in; the FEMA hazard score shown here is a statewide average of county NRI inputs, not a parcel-level reading.
How Torrance compares to similar-size California cities
Same-state peer method
Closest same-state population matches, not geographic neighbors. Population + median household income come from Census Bureau ACS 5-year B01001 and B19013.
Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year 2023, FBI UCR, NOAA Climate Normals, 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.