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Top 50 rank: 31
Population: 15,879
La Palma, about 20 miles from Los Angeles, is the archetypal California suburb: Think palm trees, sunny weather, and easy access to the beach.
But these attractive amenities come at a cost. With a median home sales price of $500,000, La Palma is an example of why Orange County has a rep as one of the most expensive counties in California.
Yet some are willing to invest for access to La Palma's high-ranking schools and safety: The town has the lowest police response time in the O.C. --H.L.
La Palma, CA
Town stats
| Median family income (per year) | $97,531 |
| Job growth % (2010-2012) | 2.81% |
| Median home price (2012) | $458,500 |
| Reading test scores (% above/below average) | 45.6% |
| Math test scores (% above/below average) | 34.1% |
| Personal crime incidents (per 1,000) | 1 |
| Property crime incidents (per 1,000) | 16 |
Financials | |
| Median family income (per year) | $97,531 |
| Family purchasing power (annual, cost-of-living adjusted) | $80,154 |
| Sales tax | 8.00%II |
| State income tax rate (highest bracket) | 12.30%I |
| State income tax rate (lowest bracket) | 1.00%I |
| Auto insurance premiums (Average price quotes, for the state) | $1,478 |
| Job growth % (2010-2012) | 2.81% |
Financials
Housing |
| Median home price (2012) | $458,500 |
| Average property taxes (2011) | $3,441 |
Housing
Education |
| Colleges, universities and professional schools (within 30 miles) | 101 |
| Reading test scores (% above/below state average) | 45.6% |
| Test scores math (% above/below average) | 34.1% |
| % students attending public/private schools (located within town limits) | 97.6/2.4 |
Education
Quality of life |
| Air quality index* (% of days AQI ranked as good) | 60.4% |
| Personal crime incidents (per 1,000) | 1 |
| Property crime incidents (per 1,000) | 16 |
| Median commute time (in minutes) | 26.3 |
| % population with commute 45 mins. or longer | 21.8% |
| % population walk or bike to work | 1.6% |
Quality of life
Leisure and culture |
| Movie theaters (within 15 miles) | 71 |
| Restaurants (within 15 miles) | 10,122 |
| Bars (within 15 miles) | 600 |
| Public golf courses (within 30 miles) | 246 |
| Libraries (within 15 miles) | 135 |
| Museums (accredited by AAM; within 30 miles) | 18 |
| Ski resorts (within 100 miles) | N.A. |
| Arts funding (Dollars per person of state funds spent on arts) | 0.1 |
Leisure and culture
Weather |
| Annual rainfall (inches) | 12.94 |
| % clear days in the area | 76% |
| High temp in July ° F | 82.9° |
| Low temp in Jan ° F | 46° |
Weather
Meet the neighbors |
| Median age | 40.6 |
| Completed at least some college (% of residents) | 70.4% |
| Married % | 55.1% |
| Divorced % | 6.5% |
| Racial diversity index (100 is national average; higher numbers indicate greater diversity) | 507.8 |
Meet the neighbors
