Rancho Palos Verdes, CA

Rancho Palos Verdes, California

Introduction to Rancho Palos Verdes, California

Rancho Palos Verdes, California, in Los Angeles county, is 6 miles SW of Torrance, California (center to center) and 11 miles W of Long Beach, California. The city is situated on top of the bluffs of the Palos Verdes Peninsula and offers spectacular views of the Pacific Ocean. It includes numerous coves and cliffs. The municipality is regarded as an upscale suburb of Los Angeles. The schools in the Palos Verdes Peninsula Unified School District have consistently ranked among the top schools in the state and the country. The main commercial area for the Palos Verdes Peninsula is located in nearby Rolling Hills Estates.

Rancho Palos Verdes History

The Palos Verdes Peninsula was originally home to the Tongva Indians. In 1827 Don Jose Dolores Sepulveda acquired a part of the Rancho San Pedro Spanish land grant and called it Rancho de los Palos Verdes. He created a notable cattle ranch on the property. In 1882 the land was purchased by Jotham Bixby who then leased the land to farmers. Later, most of the acreage was purchased by a group of New York investors who established the Palos Verdes Project and sold parcels of land that were converted to horse ranches and residential communities.

Rancho Palos Verdes Attractions

Wayfarers Chapel is known for its unique modern style of architecture and scenic location on the cliffs overlooking the Pacific Ocean. Point Vicente Lighthouse is included in the National Register of Historic Places. The city includes unique shops and a wide variety of restaurants. The beautiful South Coast Botanic Garden is worth a visit. There are numerous attractions in the area including Cabrillo Marine Aquarium, the Maritime Museum and the Manhattan Beach Pier.

Point Vicente Park is a great location for viewing the migration of whales. The Promenade on the Peninsula is a popular upscale shopping location. Visitors can travel down to San Pedro and take a ferry to Catalina Island. Nearby Redondo Beach is a well known beach town and features a beautiful pier and harbor.

Rancho Palos Verdes Activities

Being situated along the ocean, Rancho Palos Verdes offers residents and visitors opportunities for swimming, sailing, surfing and beach volleyball. The area is often used for horseback riding, bird watching, and bicycle riding. The Palos Verde Peninsula is known for its extensive horse trails and includes numerous scenic nature trails. Universal Studios, Disney's California Adventure and Disneyland are less than 30 miles away.

The water park named Soak City U.S.A. is nearby and is popular with families. Los Verdes Golf Course and Ocean Trails Golf Club are popular with golfers. There are a large number of quality golf courses in the area. Abalone Cove Shoreline Park, Martingale Trailhead Park and Del Cerro Park are popular destinations.

Rancho Palace Verdes Transportation

Air travel is available at the nearby Los Angeles International Airport.

High Points

Rancho Palos Verdes strengths, compared to Peers (similar size places nationally) or State (other places in California):

Category	Trophy
Median Family Income (vs. Peers)	Top 2%
Low Property Crime (vs. Peers)	Top 4%
People in Middle Class or Better (vs. Peers)	Top 4%
College Educated Adults (vs. Peers)	Top 5%
Well-Paid Single Men (vs. Peers)	Top 6%
Low Rate of Poverty (vs. Peers)	Top 7%
Well-Paid Single Women (vs. Peers)	Top 7%
Low Violent Crime (vs. Peers)	Top 15%

Comparative Profile of Rancho Palos Verdes, CA

Comparing Rancho Palos Verdes to similar size places nationwide (Peers) and to other places in California (State):

Ratings range from (lowest) to (highest).

The People

Characteristic	Compared to Peers	Compared to State
Age of the Population
Well-Paid Single Men
Well-Paid Single Women
Senior Citizens
Racial Diversity
Female Share of the Population
Male Share of the Population
Children Under 5 Years Old

Families

Characteristic	Compared to Peers	Compared to State
Portion of People Married
Average Household Size

Wealth

Characteristic	Compared to Peers	Compared to State
Median Family Income
People in Middle Class or Better
College Educated Adults
People Above Poverty

Commute & Sprawl

Characteristic	Compared to Peers	Compared to State
Working at Home
Public Transportation Use
Walking and Biking to Work
Short Commute Times

Housing

Characteristic	Compared to Peers	Compared to State
Seasonal and Vacation Housing
Housing Recently Built
Affordability of Property Taxes
People Living Alone
Studio & One-Bedroom Rentals
Affordability of Rents

Crime

Characteristic	Compared to Peers	Compared to State
Low Property Crime
Low Violent Crime

Rancho Palos Verdes Almanac

Rancho Palos Verdes Climate

Nearest Weather Stations

• Temp ranges are avg daily min and max for the month
• Precipitation is rainfall (and rainfall equiv of snowfall)

Rancho Palos Verdes Population (2000)

(From 2000 Census, as reported by individuals)

Neighborhood and Nearby Area Names

According to the US Postal Service, Rancho Palos Verdes, its neighborhoods, and/or surrounding areas are also referred to as:

Note that not all alternate names are acceptable for use in US Post Office addresses.

Nearby Cities and Towns

Starbucks in Rancho Palos Verdes

Rancho Palos Verdes Colleges

Click school name for a detailed profile.

Marymount College

(List of All California Colleges)

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