Rancho Palos Verdes, California | |
|---|---|
 Rancho Palos Verdes Coastline | |
 Flag  Seal | |
| Nicknames: RPV, PV | |
 Location of the City of Rancho Palos Verdes inLos Angeles County,California | |
  Rancho Palos Verdes, California Location in the United States | |
| Coordinates:33°45′30″N118°21′51″W / 33.75833°N 118.36417°W /33.75833; -118.36417 | |
| Country |  United States |
| State |  California |
| County | Los Angeles |
| Incorporated | September 7, 1973[1] |
| Founded by | Juan Jose Sepulveda |
| Named after | "Ranch Of Green Sticks" |
| Government | |
| • Mayor | David L. Bradley[2] |
| • Mayor Pro Tem | Paul Seo |
| • City Council | Barbara Ferraro George Lewis Stephen Perestam |
| • City Manager | Ara Mihranian |
| Area | |
• Total | 13.47 sq mi (34.89 km2) |
| • Land | 13.47 sq mi (34.89 km2) |
| • Water | 0 sq mi (0.00 km2) 0% |
| Elevation | 220 ft (67 m) |
| Population (2020) | |
• Total | 42,287 |
| • Density | 3,082.8/sq mi (1,190.27/km2) |
| Time zone | UTC-8 (Pacific) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC-7 (PDT) |
| ZIP code | 90275[5] |
| Area codes | 310/424[6] |
| FIPS code | 06-59514 |
| GNIS feature IDs | 255967,2411516 |
| Website | rpvca |
Rancho Palos Verdes is a coastal city in southernLos Angeles County, California, United States. Incorporated on September 7, 1973, the city has a population of 42,287 as reported in the2020 United States census.[7] The city sits atop the bluffs of thePalos Verdes Peninsula and thePalos Verdes Hills, and neighborsPalos Verdes Estates,Rolling Hills,Rolling Hills Estates,Torrance, andSan Pedro. Rancho Palos Verdes is known for its nature preserve trails, its school district, as well as its high property values.[8]
By 1882, ownership of the land had passed from the Sepulveda family through various mortgage holders toJotham Bixby ofRancho Los Cerritos, who leased the land to Japanese farmers.[9] Japanese families farmed the most southern slopes, growing fields of beans, peas, and tomatoes in the area. Barley, hay, and grain were grown on the dryer northern slopes.[10]
Frank Vanderlip, known as the "Father of Palos Verdes", representing a group of wealthy east coast investors, purchased 25 square miles of land on thePalos Verdes Peninsula in 1913 for $1.5 million. The Olmsted Brothers contracted Koebig & Koebig to perform engineering work, including surveying and road planning.[11]
By 1921, Vanderlip had lost interest in overseeing development of Palos Verdes and enticedEdward Gardner Lewis to take over the project with an option to buy the property for $5 million. Lewis was an experienced developer, but lacked the capital to purchase and develop Palos Verdes. Instead, he established a real estate trust, capitalizing the project through the sale of notes which were convertible to Palos Verdes property. Under the terms of the trust, Lewis sought to raise $30 million for infrastructure improvements, effectively borrowing from investors for both the land and the improvements. He succeeded in attracting $15 million in capital, but far short of the $35 million needed. The trust dissolved and ownership of Palos Verdes reverted to Vanderlip.[11]
In the 1970s, development along the California coastline increased significantly, with numerous condominium projects emerging in areas such asSanta Monica. On the peninsula, construction of the Palos Verdes Bay Club on the coast and other multi-unit residential complexes inland prompted local concerns. In response, residents voted to incorporate as a city and Rancho Palos Verdes was officially incorporated on September 7, 1973. Because of this history, the city has maintained significantly restrictive zoning policies when compared to other jurisdictions in California.[12]
A small section of the city, thePortuguese Bend area of thePalos Verdes Peninsula has a history of landslides going back 250,000 years.[13] The landslide spans 260 acres (1.1 km2) with an average thickness of 135 feet (41 m). The ground failure occurs on an overall smooth surface approximately 100 feet (30 m) below the surface. The ground failure over the years has been due to seaward-dipping strata, rock weakness and continual coastal erosion.
In 2023, the city received a more than $23 million grant from theFederal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to help mitigate the effects of the land movement in the area.[14] Later in the year, the Rancho Palos Verdes City Council declared a local emergency due to increasing land movement following landslides.[15]
In July 2024,So Cal Gas suspended services to 135 homes due to the severity of the land movement.[16] On September 2, 2024, California GovernorGavin Newsom declared a state of emergency, and officials cut power to 245 homes.[17] As of February 2025, land movement has slowed significantly, resulting in gas and electricity services being restored to a number of homes in the land movement area.[18][19] The city also installed dozens of dewatering wells and drainage improvements as a long‑term stabilization project in the area.[20]
As of May 2025,SoCalGas has begun to restore gas services to the majority of homes in the landslide area following reports that monitoring has shown no measurable movement in the land because of the city's mitigation efforts.
According to theUnited States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 13.5 square miles (35 km2), virtually all of which is land.
| Census | Pop. | Note | %± |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1980 | 36,577 | — | |
| 1990 | 41,659 | 13.9% | |
| 2000 | 41,145 | −1.2% | |
| 2010 | 41,643 | 1.2% | |
| 2020 | 42,287 | 1.5% | |
| U.S. Decennial Census[21] 1850–1870[22][23] 1880–1890[24] 1900[25] 1910[26] 1920[27] 1930[28] 1940[29] 1950[30] 1960[31] 1970[32] 1980[33] 1990[34]2000[35] 2010[36] | |||
Historically, Rancho Palos Verdes has been majority White—Non‑Hispanic white residents comprised 63.1% in 2000 and 56.0% in 2010—but by the2020 United States census, that share had declined to 48.4%, withAsian Americans rising to 31.7%, multiracial residents to 5.7%, and Hispanic or Latino individuals making up 10.7% of the population.
The median household income rose to $175,307 in 2023, with approximately 4.1% of residents living below the poverty line, while the average annual household income in Rancho Palos Verdes has since risen to $230,857.[37]
As of July 1, 2023, the city's estimated population was 39,980, reflecting a 5.4% decrease since the 2020 Census count of 42,287. The racial makeup is 48.4% White alone, 31.8% Asian alone, 2.1% Black or African American alone, 0.2% American Indian and Alaska Native alone, 0.1% Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander alone, and 12.0% identifying as two or more races. Additionally, 12.0% of the population is Hispanic or Latino (of any race). Approximately 4.5% of residents are under 5 years old, 21.4% are under 18, and 26.0% are 65 or older. The population is 50.9% female.
Much like its neighboring beach towns, Rancho Palos Verdes has become one of the most exclusionary cities inLos Angeles by limiting housing production, resulting in a median home costing a median home price of $1,882,393, making it one of the most expensive neighborhoods in the Los Angeles area.[38][39]
Demographically, as of the2020 census, the city consists largely of individuals of White and Asian descent.
| Race / Ethnicity(NH = Non-Hispanic) | Pop 2000[40] | Pop 2010[41] | Pop 2020[42] | % 2000 | % 2010 | % 2020 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| White alone (NH) | 25,979 | 23,323 | 20,480 | 63.14% | 56.01% | 48.43% |
| Black or African American alone (NH) | 803 | 988 | 1,086 | 1.95% | 2.37% | 2.57% |
| Native American orAlaska Native alone (NH) | 40 | 54 | 38 | 0.10% | 0.13% | 0.09% |
| Asian alone (NH) | 10,646 | 11,998 | 13,424 | 25.87% | 28.81% | 31.74% |
| Native Hawaiian orPacific Islander alone (NH) | 36 | 39 | 32 | 0.09% | 0.09% | 0.08% |
| Other race alone (NH) | 88 | 92 | 301 | 0.21% | 0.22% | 0.71% |
| Mixed race or Multiracial (NH) | 1,214 | 1,593 | 2,391 | 2.95% | 3.83% | 5.65% |
| Hispanic or Latino (any race) | 2,339 | 3,556 | 4,535 | 5.68% | 8.54% | 10.72% |
| Total | 41,145 | 41,643 | 42,287 | 100.00% | 100.00% | 100.00% |
The2010 United States census[43] reported that Rancho Palos Verdes had a population of 41,643. The population density was 3,092.6 inhabitants per square mile (1,194.1/km2). The racial makeup of Rancho Palos Verdes was 25,698 (61.7%)White (56.0% Non-Hispanic White),[44] 1,015 (2.4%)African American, 80 (0.2%)Native American, 12,077 (29.0%)Asian, 41 (0.1%)Pacific Islander, 748 (1.8%) fromother races, and 1,984 (4.8%) from two or more races.Hispanic orLatino of any race were 3,556 persons (8.5%).
The census reported that 41,303 people (99.2% of the population) lived in households, 313 (0.8%) lived in non-institutionalized group quarters, and 27 (0.1%) were institutionalized.
There were 15,561 households, of which 5,187 (33.3%) had children under the age of 18 living in them, 10,465 (67.3%) wereopposite-sex married couples living together, 1,218 (7.8%) had a female householder with no husband present, and 460 (3.0%) had a male householder with no wife present. There were 304 (2.0%)unmarried opposite-sex partnerships and 85 (0.5%)same-sex married couples or partnerships. 2,936 households (18.9%) were made up of individuals, and 1,810 (11.6%) had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.65. There were 12,143families (78.0% of all households); the average family size was 3.03.
The population was diverse in age terms, with 9,248 people (22.2%) under the age of 18, 2,352 people (5.6%) aged 18 to 24, 7,045 people (16.9%) aged 25 to 44, 13,344 people (32.0%) aged 45 to 64, and 9,654 people (23.2%) aged 65 or older. The median age was 47.8 years. For every 100 females, there were 94.3 males. For every 100 females aged 18 and over, there were 90.1 males.
There were 16,179 housing units, at an average density of 1,201.5 units per square mile (463.9 units/km2), of which 12,485 (80.2%) were owner occupied and 3,076 (19.8%) were occupied by renters. The homeowner vacancy rate was 0.6%; the rental vacancy rate was 6.4%. 33,015 people (79.3% of the population) lived in owner-occupied housing units, and 8,288 people (19.9%) lived in rental housing units.
According to the 2010 United States census, Rancho Palos Verdes had a median household income of $118,893, with 4.5% of the population living below the federal poverty line.[44]
According to the city's 2024 Comprehensive Annual Financial Report,[45] the top employers in the city were:
| # | Employer | Employees |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Palos Verdes Peninsula Unified School District | 1,425 |
| 2 | Terranea Resort Hotel | 638 |
| 3 | The Salvation Army | 263 |
| 4 | UCLA South Bay Campus | 215 |
| 5 | The Canterbury Retirement Community | 164 |
| 6 | Belmont Corp LTD of Belmont Village | 161 |
| 7 | Trump National Golf Club | 94 |
| 8 | Ralphs | 88 |
| 9 | City of Rancho Palos Verdes | 86 |
| 10 | Los Verdes Golf Course | - |
| 11 | Keller Williams Realty | - |
| 12 | Trader Joe's | - |
ThePalos Verdes Library District operates three libraries on the Palos Verdes Peninsula.[46]
ThePoint Vicente Lighthouse, built in 1926, is listed on theNational Register of Historic Places. It is 67 feet (20 m) tall and stands on a cliff with a height of 130 feet (40 m).[47] It is betweenPoint Loma Lighthouse to the south andPoint Conception Lighthouse to the north.
Wayfarers Chapel, listed on the National Register of Historic Places, was designed byLloyd Wright, and built between 1949 and 1951. It is noted for its organic architecture and location on cliffs above the Pacific Ocean. It is part of theSwedenborgian Church of North America and serves as a memorial to the 18th century scientist and theosopher,Emanuel Swedenborg.[48]Wayfarers Chapel announced a temporary closure "due to the accelerated land movement in our local area" in February 2024.[49] As of May 2024, the firm Architectural Resources Group, with input from theNational Park Service and at a cost of $20 million, will be dismantling the chapel for placement in storage.[50] As of 2025, the city is working to gain ownership of a parcel of land on the very tip of the Palos Verdes East Peninsula, only a mile and a half away from the original location. The location, currently owned by the federal government, was once used by the military to defend the coast during World War II. Once it's transferred to the city of Rancho Palace Verdes, the Chapel will be rebuilt on this four-acre site.[51]
The Portuguese Bend region is the largest area of natural vegetation remaining on thePalos Verdes Peninsula. ThePortuguese Bend landslide is a continuously moving landslide located along the southern coastal part of Rancho Palos Verdes. In 2009, the city of Rancho Palos Verdes, and thePalos Verdes Peninsula Land Conservancy, acquired 2 square miles (5.2 km2) of this region to create the Palos Verdes Nature Preserve, the largest preserve of coastal open space north ofSan Diego and south ofSanta Barbara.[52]
The site of the formerMarineland of the Pacific (1954–87) was redeveloped in 1998 and is now occupied by the Terranea Resort.[53]
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Trump National Golf Club Los Angeles is a publicgolf club located in Rancho Palos Verdes. The course was designed byPete Dye and Donald J. Trump Signature Design.[54] It is owned byThe Trump Organization. Originally owned by the Ocean Trails Golf Club, the area suffered a landslide where the 18th hole slid toward thePacific Ocean. The Ocean Trails Golf Club subsequently went into bankruptcy, and on November 26, 2002,The Trump Organization bought the property for $27 million, with the intention of completely redesigning and rebuilding the course.[55]
On January 20, 2006, the 18-hole Trump National Golf Club opened in Los Angeles. That summer, the golf club erected a 70-foot flagpole for an American flag; critics claimed it was illegal, but the golf club was allowed to retain it after a City Council vote.[56]
The Salvation Army Territorial Headquarters as well as their department for officer training is a 2-year college located on the former Marymount College Hawthorne Campus built in 1960 in Rancho Palos Verdes. It is also the administrative unit ofThe Salvation Army that serves the thirteenWestern United States, theMarshall Islands, theFederated States of Micronesia andGuam.
As with other cities on thePalos Verdes Peninsula, the city has had to find ways to control the population of wildpeafowl.Frank A. Vanderlip spearheaded a group that bought 16,000 acres (6,500 ha) and began development of the peninsula. He is credited with introducing the birds here around 1910.[57] The city has an abundance of peafowl.[58]
In 1982, the city of Rancho Palos Verdes began construction at Hesse Park, which destroyed one of the largest remaining populations of endangered butterflies, the Palos Verdes blue (Glaucopsyche lygdamus palosverdesensis). This resulted in a lawsuit against the city that was ultimately dismissed for the reason that a city as a legal entity could not be held responsible.[59]
Rancho Palos Verdes is a General Law city, meaning that it has no charter. The City elects five council members at large to four-year terms in staggered, non-partisan elections on the first Tuesday in November of every odd-numbered year. The mayor and mayorpro tempore are elected annually by the residing city council members.
As of 2025, the city council consists of:[2]
Mayor Pro Tem Alegria and Mayor Cruikshank have served on the Rancho Palos Verdes City Council since November 2017. Councilmembers Bradley and Mayor Ferraro, (Ferraro previously served as mayor over a decade ago then left the council upon finishing her term of office before running again in 2019), were recently re-elected in November 2022.[needs update]
As outlined in the city's Municipal Code, the city council hires a city manager to manage the day-to-day operation of the city and its staff. The current city manager is Ara Mihranian.
In the County of Los Angeles, Rancho Palos Verdes is located in the 4th Supervisorial District, represented byJanice Hahn.
In theCalifornia State Legislature, Rancho Palos Verdes is inthe 24th senatorial district, represented byDemocrat Ben Allen, and inthe 66th Assembly district, represented byDemocrat Al Muratsuchi.[60]
In theUnited States House of Representatives, Rancho Palos Verdes is inCalifornia's 36th congressional district, represented byDemocrat Ted Lieu.[61][62][63]
Most of the city is served by thePalos Verdes Peninsula Unified School District (PVPUSD), which includesPalos Verdes Peninsula High School andPalos Verdes High School. Since 2013, theWashington Post has consistently recognized Palos Verdes Peninsula High School in the publication's list of "America's Most Challenging Schools" and once listed it as the 8th best public or private high school in the nation.[64] School data website, niche.com ranked Palos Verdes Peninsula High School #9 of California's best public high schools of 2016 and #8 in all of the Los Angeles Area in 2024.[65]
A portion of the district is within theLos Angeles Unified School District[66] (LAUSD, in the Eastview area of the city). Children living in the Eastview neighborhood have the option of attending public school in either the PVPUSD or the LAUSD.[67] In 1992 84.5% of relevant voters voted approved Proposition Z to move the LAUSD portion to PVPUSD but Stephen E. O'Neil, a judge of theLos Angeles Superior Court, blocked the transfer.[68]
PVPUSD has one of the highest ratedAPI scores in California,[69] one of the highest averageSAT scores,[70][71] and one of the highest percentage of students successfully completing theAdvanced Placement exams[72] in the county.
The district is also one of the top performing districts in Los Angeles County as well as in the United States.[73][74][75] As of 2025, it consistently ranks in the top three districts located inLos Angeles County and top six in California, surpassingRedondo Beach Unified School DistrictLa Canada Unified but trailing bothSan Marino Unified andLa Cañada Unified School District.[76][77][78][79][80]
Rolling Hills Country Day School (K-8) andChadwick School (K-12) are private schools that serve the region.
Marymount California University, a private liberal arts institution, offered bachelor's and master's degrees until it closed in August 2022. Marymount has since been replaced byUCLA South Bay, which is part of theUniversity of California system.[81] TheUniversity of California system purchased the campus for $80 million towards the end of 2022.[82]
Fire protection in Rancho Palos Verdes is provided by theLos Angeles County Fire Department, and ambulance transport by McCormick Ambulance Service.[83]
Rancho Palos Verdes contracts with theLos Angeles County Sheriff's Department for law enforcement services through a joint regional law enforcement agreement with the cities ofRolling Hills andRolling Hills Estates. The Lomita Sheriff's Station serves the Peninsula Region Cities, as well as theCity of Lomita and the unincorporated areas of Academy Hill and Westfield.[84][85]
TheLos Angeles County Department of Health Services operates the Torrance Health Center inHarbor Gateway,Los Angeles, nearTorrance and serves Rancho Palos Verdes as well.[86]
Notable people of Rancho Palos Verdes includeMerrill Moses, the Olympic water polo player, who lived there.Major League Baseball pitcherEli Morgan was born and grew up there.[87] World number one tennis playerPete Sampras grew up here from 7 years old. Top-10 tennis playerEliot Teltscher also lived there, and top-10 tennis playerTaylor Fritz lives there.[88][89] Professional basketball playerShawn Weinstein is from there.[90]Christen Press, a forward for theUnited States women's national soccer team and two-time World Cup champion, grew up there. Professional poker playerBarry Greenstein and artistJohn Van Hamersveld have resided in Rancho Palos Verdes.[91]
Christopher John Boyce, a former American defense industry employee who was convicted for selling United Statesspy satellite secrets to the Soviet Union in the 1970s, grew up there. AuthorJoan Didion lived in the Portuguese Bend Club area of Rancho Palos Verdes for a brief period with her husbandJohn Gregory Dunne and their daughter.[92]Chris Doughty, Massachusetts politician and businessman, was born and raised in Palos Verdes, and was eliminated in the primary for the2022 Gubernatorial race for theRepublican Party.[93]
Because of its scenic location and proximity to thePacific Ocean andHollywood, Rancho Palos Verdes has been the site of numerous films and television shows.[94]
Inception,Pirates of the Caribbean movie franchise,Dunkirk,50 First Dates,Step Brothers,Horrible Bosses 2,Twins,Charlie's Angels,Patriot Games (film), and theLethal Weapon movie franchise were filmed in Rancho Palos Verdes.[95][96][97][98]
Many television shows, such asEmergency!,The O.C.,Lucifer,Lethal Weapon,True Detective, andBeverly Hills 90210, have been filmed on location in Rancho Palos Verdes.[94][99]
{{cite web}}:|last2= has generic name (help)Eastview Optional Attendance Area: [...]
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