Rancho Palos Verdes, California
Encyclopedia
Rancho Palos Verdes is a city in Los Angeles County
Los Angeles County, California
Los Angeles County is a county in the U.S. state of California. As of 2010 U.S. Census, the county had a population of 9,818,605, making it the most populous county in the United States. Los Angeles County alone is more populous than 42 individual U.S. states...

, California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...

 that was incorporated
Municipal corporation
A municipal corporation is the legal term for a local governing body, including cities, counties, towns, townships, charter townships, villages, and boroughs. Municipal incorporation occurs when such municipalities become self-governing entities under the laws of the state or province in which...

 on September 7, 1973. The population was 41,643 at the 2010 census. Rancho Palos Verdes translates from Spanish as Green Mast Farm or Green Pole Farm, referring to the North American tree species Parkinsonia florida
Parkinsonia florida
Parkinsonia florida is a species of palo verde native to the southwestern United States and northwestern Mexico...

(blue palo verde).

Rancho Palos Verdes is an affluent suburb
Suburb
The word suburb mostly refers to a residential area, either existing as part of a city or as a separate residential community within commuting distance of a city . Some suburbs have a degree of administrative autonomy, and most have lower population density than inner city neighborhoods...

 of Los Angeles
Los Angeles, California
Los Angeles , with a population at the 2010 United States Census of 3,792,621, is the most populous city in California, USA and the second most populous in the United States, after New York City. It has an area of , and is located in Southern California...

. Sitting atop the Palos Verdes Hills
Palos Verdes Hills
The Palos Verdes Hills are a mountain range on the south coast of Los Angeles County, California.They are the landed end of the Channel Islands of California Transverse Ranges formation, and are the location of Palos Verdes Estates, Rolling Hills, and other communities.The South Coast Botanic...

 and bluffs of the Palos Verdes Peninsula, it is known for expansive views of the Pacific Ocean
Pacific Ocean
The Pacific Ocean is the largest of the Earth's oceanic divisions. It extends from the Arctic in the north to the Southern Ocean in the south, bounded by Asia and Australia in the west, and the Americas in the east.At 165.2 million square kilometres in area, this largest division of the World...

. The history of Rancho Palos Verdes dates back to the Spanish explorers and the establishment of the first Spanish rancho land grant in California. Its most notable geographic features are the Palos Verdes Hills
Palos Verdes Hills
The Palos Verdes Hills are a mountain range on the south coast of Los Angeles County, California.They are the landed end of the Channel Islands of California Transverse Ranges formation, and are the location of Palos Verdes Estates, Rolling Hills, and other communities.The South Coast Botanic...

 and cliffs with grand vistas of the Pacific Ocean, with views of Santa Catalina Island
Santa Catalina Island, California
Santa Catalina Island, often called Catalina Island, or just Catalina, is a rocky island off the coast of the U.S. state of California. The island is long and across at its greatest width. The island is located about south-southwest of Los Angeles, California. The highest point on the island is...

. Its most notorious geographic feature is the continuous landslide
Landslide
A landslide or landslip is a geological phenomenon which includes a wide range of ground movement, such as rockfalls, deep failure of slopes and shallow debris flows, which can occur in offshore, coastal and onshore environments...

 at Portuguese Bend
Portuguese Bend
The Portuguese Bend region is the largest area of natural vegetation remaining on the Palos Verdes Peninsula, in Los Angeles County, California....

, which may have been caused in part by septic
Septic tank
A septic tank is a key component of the septic system, a small-scale sewage treatment system common in areas with no connection to main sewage pipes provided by local governments or private corporations...

 runoff from homes in Rancho Palos Verdes and its neighboring communities.

Landmarks

Wayfarers Chapel
Wayfarers Chapel
Wayfarers Chapel, also known as "The Glass Church" is located in Rancho Palos Verdes, California. It is noted for its unique modern architecture and location on cliffs above Pacific Ocean...

 designed by Lloyd Wright
Lloyd Wright
Frank Lloyd Wright, Jr. , commonly known as Lloyd Wright, was an American landscape architect and architect, most active in Los Angeles and Southern California...

 and built between 1949 - 1951 is on the National Register of Historic Places
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places is the United States government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation...

. Point Vicente Lighthouse was built in 1926 and is also on the National Register of Historic Places. Point Vicente Interpretive Center opened in 1984 with a mission to present and interpret the unique features and history of the Palos Verdes Peninsula. The almost 10000 square feet (929 m²) expanded Interpretive Center, re-opened on July 15, 2006, features exhibits on the natural and cultural history of the Peninsula, with a special emphasis on the Pacific gray whale. This premier whale watch site provides spectacular opportunities to view the annual migration of the Pacific gray whale, from December through April. The former Marineland of the Pacific
Marineland of the Pacific
Marineland of the Pacific was a public oceanarium and tourist attraction located on the Palos Verdes Peninsula coast in Los Angeles County, California, USA. Architect William Pereira designed the main structure. It was also known as Hanna-Barbera's Marineland during the late 1970s and early 1980s...

 (1954–1987) site was re-developed and is now occupied by the Terranea Resort, which opened in June, 2009. The city is also home to Trump National golf course, one of eleven in the Trump portfolio of courses.
Portuguese Bend landslide, one of the largest continuously moving landslides in North America, is located along the southern coastal area.
Together with the Palos Verdes Peninsula Land Conservancy
Palos Verdes Peninsula Land Conservancy
The Palos Verdes Peninsula Land Conservancy is a non-profit organization that is based in Palos Verdes, CA, whose mission is "Preserving land and restoring habitat for the enjoyment and education of all." Founded in 1988, the PVPLC has protected of open space as nature preserves on the Palos...

, in 2009 the city completed the acquisition of a total of two square miles of open space land, the Palos Verdes Nature Preserve, the largest such preserve of coastal open space north of San Diego and south of Santa Barbara.

The Salvation Army
Salvation Army
The Salvation Army is a Protestant Christian church known for its thrift stores and charity work. It is an international movement that currently works in over a hundred countries....

's School for Officer Training is also located in Rancho Palos Verdes.

Geography

Rancho Palos Verdes is located at 33°45′30"N 118°21′51"W (33.758216, -118.364256).

According to the United States Census Bureau
United States Census Bureau
The United States Census Bureau is the government agency that is responsible for the United States Census. It also gathers other national demographic and economic data...

, the city has a total area of 13.5 square miles (35 km²), virtually all land.

Demographics

2010

The 2010 United States Census reported that Rancho Palos Verdes had a population of 41,643. The population density
Population density
Population density is a measurement of population per unit area or unit volume. It is frequently applied to living organisms, and particularly to humans...

 was 3,092.6 people per square mile (1,194.1/km²). The racial makeup of Rancho Palos Verdes was 25,698 (61.7%) White, 1,015 (2.4%) African American, 80 (0.2%) Native American, 12,077 (29.0%) Asian, 41 (0.1%) Pacific Islander, 748 (1.8%) from other races
Race (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...

, and 1,984 (4.8%) from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino 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, out of which 5,187 (33.3%) had children under the age of 18 living in them, 10,465 (67.3%) were opposite-sex married couples
Marriage
Marriage is a social union or legal contract between people that creates kinship. It is an institution in which interpersonal relationships, usually intimate and sexual, are acknowledged in a variety of ways, depending on the culture or subculture in which it is found...

 living together, 1,218 (7.8%) had a female householder with no husband present, 460 (3.0%) had a male householder with no wife present. There were 304 (2.0%) unmarried opposite-sex partnerships
POSSLQ
POSSLQ is an abbreviation for "Persons of Opposite Sex Sharing Living Quarters," a term coined in the late 1970s by the United States Census Bureau as part of an effort to more accurately gauge the prevalence of cohabitation in American households....

, 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 12,143 families
Family (U.S. Census)
A family or family household is defined by the United States Census Bureau for statistical purposes as "a householder and one or more other people related to the householder by birth, marriage, or adoption. They do not include same-sex married couples even if the marriage was performed in a state...

 (78.0% of all households); the average family size was 3.03.

The population was spread out 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%) who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 47.8 years. For every 100 females there were 94.3 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 90.1 males.

There were 16,179 housing units at an average density of 1,201.5 per square mile (463.9/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.

2000

As of the census
Census
A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring and recording information about the members of a given population. It is a regularly occurring and official count of a particular population. The term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common...

of 2000, there were 41,145 people, 15,256 households, and 12,220 families residing in the city. The population density
Population density
Population density is a measurement of population per unit area or unit volume. It is frequently applied to living organisms, and particularly to humans...

 was 3,011.2 inhabitants per square mile (1,163.0/km²). There were 15,709 housing units at an average density of 1,149.7 per square mile (444.0/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 67.23% White, 25.95% Asian, 1.98% African American, 0.15% Native American, 0.10% Pacific Islander, 1.21% from other races
Race (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...

, and 3.39% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 10.68% of the population.

There were 15,256 households out of which 32.6% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 70.8% were married couples
Marriage
Marriage is a social union or legal contract between people that creates kinship. It is an institution in which interpersonal relationships, usually intimate and sexual, are acknowledged in a variety of ways, depending on the culture or subculture in which it is found...

 living together, 6.8% had a female householder with no husband present, and 19.9% were non-families. 16.8% of all households were made up of individuals and 7.6% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.66 and the average family size was 3.00.

In the city the population was spread out with 23.0% under the age of 18, 4.7% from 18 to 24, 23.0% from 25 to 44, 30.7% from 45 to 64, and 18.7% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 45 years. For every 100 females there were 93.7 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 90.1 males.

According to a 2007 estimate, the median income for a household in the city was $111,421, and the median income for a family was $129,514. Males had a median income of $100,000+ versus $62,633 for females. The per capita income
Per capita income
Per capita income or income per person is a measure of mean income within an economic aggregate, such as a country or city. It is calculated by taking a measure of all sources of income in the aggregate and dividing it by the total population...

 for the city was $61,840. About 2.0% of families and 2.9% of the population were below the poverty line, including 3.0% of those under age 18 and 2.6% of those age 65 or over.

As of 2008, the median price of Rancho Palos Verdes homes was $1,426,426.

Education

The city is served by Palos Verdes Peninsula Unified School District
Palos Verdes Peninsula Unified School District
Palos Verdes Peninsula Unified School District is a school district headquartered in Palos Verdes Estates, California.-Governance:The district is headed by a superintendent - Walker Williams - and governed by a five-person, publicly elected school board.The current board members are:* Malcolm S...

. PVPUSD schools have constantly ranked among the best in California and the nation. The Washington Post once ranked the district's largest high school, Palos Verdes Peninsula High School
Palos Verdes Peninsula High School
Palos Verdes Peninsula High School is one of three public high schools on the Palos Verdes Peninsula...

 (PVPHS) in neighboring Rolling Hills Estates as the 8th best public or private high school in the nation. Rolling Hills Preparatory School
Rolling Hills Preparatory School
Rolling Hills Preparatory School is a private coeducational school in San Pedro, California.Founded in 1981, the school has approximately 236 students enrolled in grades 6 through 12. Approximately 26% of students receive some degree of financial aid.The Head of School is Peter McCormack.From 1981...

 (RHPS) is also one of the best schools in the city,famous for the Robotics. Also, Chadwick School
Chadwick School
Chadwick School is a nonsectarian independent K-12 day school located on the Palos Verdes Peninsula in Los Angeles County, California.-History:...

 is a well known K-12 private school that serves the area. Another private school is Christ Lutheran Church and School. It ranges from preschool to 8th grade. Rolling Hills Country Day School http://www.rhcds.com, adjacent to the South Coast Botanic Garden
South Coast Botanic Garden
The South Coast Botanic Garden is a 35 hectare garden in the Palos Verdes Hills, in Palos Verdes, California, USA, about 16 km south of Los Angeles International Airport...

, offers a private K-8 education. Rancho Palos Verdes also includes Marymount College.

The latest survey conducted by U.S. News in 2007 reports that PVPHS still ranks among the top 100, at 89th place, and the reopened Palos Verdes High School
Palos Verdes High School
Palos Verdes High School is one of three public high schools on the Palos Verdes Peninsula in Southern California, USA...

 (PVHS) in Palos Verdes Estates trails closely behind, at 93rd place.

The Palos Verdes Library District
Palos Verdes Library District
The Palos Verdes Library District is an independent special-purpose library district serving the 70,000 residents of the Palos Verdes Peninsula in Southern California. PVLD is governed by an elected Board of Library Trustees that consists of five members who voluntarily serve without monetary...

 operates the Miraleste Library in Rancho Palos Verdes.

Politics

Rancho Palos Verdes is a General Law city (it has no charter). City residents rejected a ballot measure on March 8, 2011 to become a Charter City. Its five city councilmembers are elected at large to four year terms in staggered non-partisan elections on the first Tuesday in November of every odd numbered year. The city council chooses the Mayor (currently Tom Long) and Mayor Pro Tem (currently Anthony Misetich) at the first council meeting on the first Tuesday of each December for a one year term. Doug Stern, Steve Wolowicz and Brian Campbell are the other three current Councilmembers. Stephan Wolowicz is a CPA, Mayor Tom Long is an attorney, Doug Stern is an attorney, Mayor Pro Tem Anthony Misetich is a petroleum industry consultant and Brian Campbell is a commercial real estate executive. The most recent November 2009 election of Misetich and Campbell resulted in more school-age children of new city councilmembers; 5 total, than in any other election in city history. This was an electoral direction change towards more family-oriented councilmembers than in the past.
Day to day management of the city is in the hands of a professional city manager (currently Carolyn Lehr) and staff. In the County of Los Angeles Rancho Palos Verdes is located in the 4th Supervisorial District, represented by Don Knabe. In the state legislature
California State Legislature
The California State Legislature is the state legislature of the U.S. state of California. It is a bicameral body consisting of the lower house, the California State Assembly, with 80 members, and the upper house, the California State Senate, with 40 members...

 Rancho Palos Verdes is located in the 25th Senate
California State Senate
The California State Senate is the upper house of the California State Legislature. There are 40 state senators. The state legislature meets in the California State Capitol in Sacramento. The Lieutenant Governor is the ex officio President of the Senate and may break a tied vote...

 District, represented by Democrat Roderick Wright
Roderick Wright
Roderick Wright was a former Scottish Roman Catholic bishop who served as the Bishop of Argyll and the Isles from 1990 to 1996.-Early life:...

, and in the 54th Assembly
California State Assembly
The California State Assembly is the lower house of the California State Legislature. There are 80 members in the Assembly, representing an approximately equal number of constituents, with each district having a population of at least 420,000...

 District, represented by Democrat Bonnie Lowenthal
Bonnie Lowenthal
Bonnie Lowenthal is a Democratic Assembly Member representing California's 54th State Assembly district. She was elected to that post in 2008 and re-elected in 2010...

. Federally, Rancho Palos Verdes is located in California's 46th congressional district
California's 46th congressional district
California's 46th congressional district is a congressional district in the U.S. state of California that covers part of Los Angeles County and Orange County...

, which has a Cook PVI
Cook Partisan Voting Index
The Cook Partisan Voting Index , sometimes referred to as simply the Partisan Voting Index , is a measurement of how strongly an American congressional district or state leans toward one political party compared to the nation as a whole...

 of R +6 and is represented by Republican Dana Rohrabacher
Dana Rohrabacher
Dana Tyron Rohrabacher is the U.S. Representative for , and previously the 45th and 42nd, serving since 1989. He is a member of the Republican Party...

.

Top employers

According to the City's 2009 Comprehensive Annual Financial Report, the top employers in the city are:
# Employer # of Employees
1 Palos Verdes Peninsula Unified School District
Palos Verdes Peninsula Unified School District
Palos Verdes Peninsula Unified School District is a school district headquartered in Palos Verdes Estates, California.-Governance:The district is headed by a superintendent - Walker Williams - and governed by a five-person, publicly elected school board.The current board members are:* Malcolm S...

1,970
2 Terranea Resort
Destination Hotels & Resorts
Destination Hotels & Resorts is a privately held lodging management company headquartered in Englewood, Colorado. With 30 independent, luxury and upscale hotels, resorts and golf clubs, Destination Hotels & Resorts is the fifth largest independent hospitality management company in the...

730
3 Trump National Golf Club
Trump Organization
The Trump Organization is a limited liability corporation conglomerate based in Trump Tower in Manhattan, New York. The organization owns, operates, and develops hotels, resorts, residential towers, and golf courses in different countries, as well as owning several pieces of high-end real estate in...

300
4 Marymount College
Marymount College, Palos Verdes
Marymount College, Palos Verdes is an independent, Catholic, coeducational and residential college that offers a liberal arts program that leads to associate degrees and bachelor's degrees...

195
5 Ralphs
Ralphs
Ralphs is a major supermarket chain in the Southern California area and the largest subsidiary of Cincinnati-based Kroger. It is the oldest such chain west of the Mississippi River. Ralphs also operates stores under the Food 4 Less and Foods Co. names in California.-History:Ralphs Grocery Company...

115
6 Keller Williams Realty
Keller Williams Realty
Keller Williams Realty is a real estate franchise organization in the United States and Canada. It has its headquarters in Austin, Texas. It was founded in 1983 by Gary Keller and Joe Williams....

112
7 Belmont Village 94
8 Green Hills Memorial Park 85
9 American Golf 70
10 St. John Fisher
Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Los Angeles
The Archdiocese of Los Angeles is an archdiocese of the Roman Catholic Church in the U.S. state of California. Headquartered in Los Angeles, the archdiocese comprises the California counties of Los Angeles, Santa Barbara and Ventura. The diocesan cathedral is the Cathedral of Our Lady of the...

50

Emergency services

Fire protection in Rancho Palos Verdes is provided by the Los Angeles County Fire Department
Los Angeles County Fire Department
The Los Angeles County Fire Department , serves unincorporated parts of Los Angeles County, as well as 58 cities and towns that choose to have the county provide fire and EMS services, including La Habra. It should not be confused with the Los Angeles City Fire Department, which serves the city of...

 with ambulance transport by McCormick Ambulance Service.

The Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department
Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department
The Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department is a local county law enforcement agency that serves Los Angeles County, California. It is the fourth largest local policing agency in the United States, with the New York City Police Department being the first. The second largest is the Chicago Police...

 (LASD) operates the Lomita Station in Lomita
Lomita, California
Lomita is a city in Los Angeles County, California, United States. The population was 20,256 at the 2010 census, up from 20,046 at the 2000 census...

, serving Rancho Palos Verdes.

The Los Angeles County Department of Health Services
Los Angeles County Department of Health Services
Health services to over 10 million residents in the Los Angeles County are provided by the Los Angeles County Department of Health Services and the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health. Mental health services are provided by the County Department of Mental Health...

 operates the Torrance Health Center in Harbor Gateway
Harbor Gateway, Los Angeles, California
The Harbor Gateway is a neighborhood in southern part of the city of Los Angeles, California. As of the 2000 census, the neighborhood had a population of 39,860.-Description:...

, Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...

, near Torrance
Torrance, California
Torrance is a city incorporated in 1921 and located in the South Bay region of Los Angeles County, California, United States. Torrance has of shore-front beaches on the Pacific Ocean, quieter and less well-known by tourists than others on the Santa Monica Bay, such as those of neighboring...

and serving Rancho Palos Verdes.

External links

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