Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
Homes are expensive, about $1.2 million for a typical one and 12.4 times the Los Angeles metro’s $96K median household income. Overall it grades B−, 222nd of 841 graded towns in California. The median household earns $118K and residents are healthier than 80% of U.S. towns on CDC estimates. Its weakest subject is hazard risk: FEMA rates its natural-hazard risk higher than 91% of U.S. communities, with earthquakes at the top. La Palma’s midpoint home value is $1,185,000, above both California’s towns ($709,000) and U.S. towns ($332,000). Only 42 of California’s 1,063 towns score lower on history. La Palma's civic life (library use, community groups, volunteering) trails 90% of U.S. towns.
Where La Palma beats most towns, and one thing worth knowing.
| Widest gap | La Palma | CA |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer uninsured adults | 6.1% | 10.6% |
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within California), ordered by how far La Palma is from typical.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Census counts: 622 in 1960, 15,581 in 2020. The archive holds 4 old photos and papers going back to 2008 and 8 maps from 1896 on.
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around La Palma. Close and well known come first.
Big draw8 mi Theme parkDisneyland17.3M visitors a year
Big draw2 mi Theme parkKnott's Berry Farm4.5M visitors a year
Big draw19 mi Stadium & arenaSoFi Stadium
Big draw25 mi LandmarkHollywood Walk of Fame10.0M visitors a year
Big draw18 mi MuseumLucas Museum of Narrative Art
Big draw16 mi MuseumUSS IowaDisneyland: HarshLight from San Jose, CA, USA, CC BY 2.0 · Knott's Berry Farm: Phydend at English Wikipedia, Public domain · SoFi Stadium: Thank You (21 Millions+) views, CC BY 2.0 · Hollywood Walk of Fame: BenSherman, Public domain · Lucas Museum of Narrative Art: Kriddl, CC0 · USS Iowa: PH1 Jeff Hilton, Public domain
Who provides power, water and the rest in La Palma, and how to reach them.
EPA SDWIS (Oct 9, 2026) · HIFLD + EIA-861 2025 · Census 2020 ZCTAs · NCES 2024–25 · registration: vote.gov, updated Nov 18, 2024.
Ordered by what stands out in La Palma.
La Palma reports less crime than Cypress or any other graded neighbor and has milder winter nights than nearly all U.S. towns, but it has homes that cost more against local pay than most of California.
At 12.4 years of the Los Angeles metro’s $96K median household income, the typical home (about $1.19M) costs more against local pay than in 88% of California towns; that ratio is one input to that grade. Home values rose 37% in five years, to about $1.19M, against 13% across California.
Over the 12 months to September 2026, the typical home gained 4.4% in value. La Palma’s rent at the middle of the market is $2,262 a month. Also worth knowing: on the market locally: a median 35 days to sell.
| La Palma | California towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $2,262 a month | $1,895 a month | $1,185 a month |
| Households that own their home | 68% | 64% | 73% |
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Its public schools are run by the Anaheim Union High school district. Two of its 5 schools are below, each with the reason it’s listed. The largest public high school is John F. Kennedy High, with 1,983 students.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Walker Junior HighLargest public middle schoolGrades 7–8 | Grades 7–8 | 890 | A− |
| John F. Kennedy HighLargest public high schoolGrades 9–12 | Grades 9–12 | 1,983 | A |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within CA on state tests and graduation
Of the losses FEMA expects in La Palma, 53% come from earthquakes and 47% from inland flooding. Federal aid has come to La Palma households in 2 declared disasters; the latest was in 2017.
FEMA disaster declarations and aid · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Its widest gap with California is no health insurance: 6.1% of those 18–64 have no health insurance, against 10.6% statewide. Against the 6,019 U.S. towns with household incomes like La Palma’s, it is healthier than 58%, a smaller edge than it has nationally: part of it comes with its incomes.
Nearly a fifth of La Palma adults say their health is fair or poor. Against the California average, La Palma comes out ahead on 19 CDC measures out of 32, and behind on 1.
| La Palma | California towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Obesity (CDC PLACES) | 20% | 29% | 35% |
| Depression (CDC PLACES) | 16% | 22% | 23% |
| Binge drink (CDC PLACES) | 12% | 16% | 16% |
| Frequent mental distress (CDC PLACES) | 14% | 17% | 17% |
| What stands out | La Palma | CA |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer uninsured adults | 6.1% | 10.6% |
| Fewer adults facing a utility shut-off | 4.7% | 7.3% |
| More adults with high cholesterol | 39.1% | 35.4% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
January nights average 46.7°, milder than in 97% of U.S. towns; July afternoons average 83.4°.
Its January low is 47°F. Snow is a rarity.
| La Palma | California towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| January low | 47°F | 40°F | 22°F |
| July high | 83°F | 89°F | 85°F |
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Jobs based here fell from 6,777 in 2013 to 5,314.
Since 2013, La Palma has lost 1,463 jobs, to 5,314 in 2023. Only 2% of working residents stay in La Palma for work; the rest commute out. 5% of residents live below the poverty line locally. The top destinations are Los Angeles (11%), Anaheim (6%) and Long Beach (5%).
| La Palma | California towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average trip to work | 33 minutes | 28 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Median household income | $118,000 | $95,000 | $80,000 |
| Below the poverty line | 5% | 10% | 9.6% |
| Work from home | 16% | 14% | 11% |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Crime runs higher than in most U.S. towns, but its C+ tops all 4 graded towns on its borders; Cypress (C) comes closest. Reported crimes fell from 342 to 208 over the last three FBI years, a drop beyond ordinary year-to-year swings.
Within California, it does better than 66% of towns. The level of violent crime in La Palma is 1.6 per 1,000 residents.
| La Palma | California towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Violent crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 1.6 per 1,000 residents | 2.9 | 1.6 |
| Property crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 12.3 per 1,000 residents | 13.4 | 9.9 |
FBI crime data, 2025 · crimes reported to police
In 4 parks and preserves, walkers have 0.9 miles of trail. The biggest park or preserve is El Rancho Verde Park, at 26 acres. For La Palma, the concentration of trails is 0.5 miles per square mile.
| La Palma | California towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Miles of trail per square mile | 0.5 miles per square mile | 1.0 | 0.4 |
| Conserved land | 3.1% | 4.3% | 4.3% |
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. El Rancho Verde Park | 0.4 mi | 26 |
| 2. Central Park | 0.4 mi | 7 |
| 3. Bettencourt Park | — | 2 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
42 within 15 miles of the center of La Palma
About 8 of every 100 La Palma residents are enrolled in college, about the same as California.
4 notable people were born in La Palma.
City in California, United States
La Palma (luh PAHL-muh; Spanish for "the palm") is a city in northern Orange County, California, United States. The population was 15,581 at the 2020 census, up from 15,568 at the 2010 census.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
4 towns share a border with La Palma.
It grades higher overall than all 4 graded towns on its borders; Cerritos (C+) comes closest.
| Town | CA rank | Overall | Cost | Safety | Schools | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| La Palma | #222 | B− | D− | C+ | B+ | A− |
| Buena Park | #423 | C | D− | C− | B | B |
| Cerritos | #247 | C+ | D | D | A− | A |
| Cypress | #256 | C+ | D− | C | B | A |
| Lakewood | #361 | C | D− | C− | B | A− |
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
La Palma grades B− overall, better than 48% of U.S. towns and #222 of 841 in California. It grades A− for health, C+ for safety and B+ for schools. Cost of living is its weak spot, with a D−.
Within California, it does better than 66% of towns.
Yes. Cost of living, which also weighs rents, property taxes and how many households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, grades D−.
4 notable people were born here, including John Lamb and Jacob Faria.
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