Pepperdine University 2006, 2, 2006
Pepperdine University’s story
89 years in pictures
The archive holds 31 old photos and papers going back to 2006 and 8 maps from 1903 on.
- 1937Pepperdine University is settled
Pepperdine UniversityCA
This town of 3,087 people was settled in 1937.
Population
3,087
Census survey, 2020–24
Median home value
$980K
Census ACS
Household income
$199K
median
Median age
20.2
years
Jobs based here
1,361
A job hub
TownGrade
B+
Better than 66% of U.S. towns
Is Pepperdine University a good place to live?
The everyday basics are strong; the price of a home is the catch. Where it does best is health (A): it is healthier than 90% of U.S. towns. Schools are a strength too: its schools outperform 89% of the state's. What counts against it is cost of living: the typical home is worth about $980K, 10.2 years of the Los Angeles metro’s $96K median household income. Overall, that makes a B+, better than nearly two thirds of U.S. towns. Hazard risk is weaker too (D): FEMA rates its natural-hazard risk higher than just over four fifths of U.S. communities, with earthquakes at the top. Only 30 of California’s 1,063 towns score lower on history. Pepperdine University’s density of trails is 3.2 miles per square mile, above both the California town median (1.0) and the median of U.S. towns (0.4).
Figures: health, CDC PLACES · schools, state test and graduation results · home values, Zillow · incomes, Census ACS, 2020–24 · FEMA National Risk Index · National Register of Historic Places · OpenStreetMap. Pepperdine University is a college campus (most residents are students), so it isn’t ranked among California’s towns.
What makes Pepperdine University stand out
Where Pepperdine University beats most towns.
A job hub
Every workday, about 1,280 people come to Pepperdine University for work
Where Pepperdine University’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
1,361jobs based in Pepperdine University
12%of working residents work in town
22 mimedian commute distance
Census LEHD 2023
How Pepperdine University grades
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within California), ordered by how far Pepperdine University is from typical.
Cost of livingAmong the weakest of the towns comparedD−Open →HealthUCLA West Valley Medical Center 12 miles awayAOpen →SchoolsBased on how pupils do in exams and testsAOpen →Hazard riskEarthquakes top the listDOpen →Jobs & income1,361 jobs based hereA−Open →WalkabilityEPA walkability 5 of 20; 3.3% of households have no car; 34% of workers walk, bike or ride transitBOpen →
Character Graded, but not part of the overall grade.
Outdoors2 miles of trails; 21% conserved landA+Open →HistoryLittle recorded history by comparisonD−Open →
Described, not graded Taste, not quality: snow or an older crowd is neither good nor bad.
ClimateMild winters, 82° summer afternoons–Open →Who lives hereMedian age 20.2; 91% of adults have a four-year degree–Open →
How TownRatings grades towns →
Nearby attractions
All 249 attractions →SoFi Stadium and 200 more within 40 miles
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Pepperdine University. Close and well known come first.
Big draw22 mi Stadium & arenaSoFi Stadium
Big draw21 mi LandmarkHollywood Walk of Fame10.0M visitors a year
Big draw24 mi MuseumLucas Museum of Narrative Art
Big draw24 mi Stadium & arenaLos Angeles Memorial Coliseum
Big draw20 mi MuseumLa Brea Tar Pits
Big draw23 mi LandmarkHollywood SignSources: National Park Service · ski areas © OpenSkiMap / OpenStreetMap contributors · Wikidata · Wikipedia readership · photos via Wikimedia Commons
Photo credits
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 · Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum: CanonStarGal, CC BY-SA 4.0 · La Brea Tar Pits: Daniel Schwen, CC BY-SA 2.5 · Hollywood Sign: Thomas Wolf, www.foto-tw.de, CC BY-SA 3.0
.jpg){kind=link}
.jpg){kind=link}
.jpg){kind=link}
Getting set up
Moving to Pepperdine University: who provides what
Pepperdine University is unincorporated, so Los Angeles County and regional agencies provide most services.
PowerSouthern California Edison31.5¢/kWh · EIA 2025HIFLD · EIA
WaterLos Angeles Cwwd 29 & 80-Malibu water systemNo health-based violations in 5 years · EPAEPA
Internet2 providers100% of addresses get 100/20 MbpsFCC
Trash & county servicesLos Angeles CountyLos Angeles County provides services here
Register to voteOnlineIn California you can register online until 15 days before Election Day, in person up to and including Election Day, or by mail (postmarked 15 days before).vote.govWho runs elections hereLos Angeles Registrar-Recorder County ClerkLos Angeles County; contacts on the Handbook page.FVAP, Sep 2025
ZIP codes90263, 9026590263 72% · 90265 28%Census 2020
EPA SDWIS (Oct 9, 2026) · HIFLD + EIA-861 2025 · Census 2020 ZCTAs · NCES 2024–25 · registration: vote.gov, updated Nov 18, 2024.
The data
Ordered by what stands out in Pepperdine University.
Pepperdine University is shaped by its college students, has less diabetes than most of California and draws workers from Los Angeles and beyond.
OutdoorsA+
In Pepperdine University, 20.6% of the land is conserved
1.6 miles of trail in 3 parks and preserves. Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area, at 343 acres with 1.5 miles of trail, is the biggest park or preserve.
#67for trails in CA
20.6%
conserved · 71 of 343 acres
1.6 mi
of trails · 3.2 per sq mi
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area | 1.5 mi | 343 |
| 2. Pepperdine University Open Space | 0.1 mi | 70 |
| 3. Alumni Park | — | 28 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Work & commuteJobs & income grade A−
In Pepperdine University, the average trip to work runs shorter than in the typical California or U.S. town
1,361 jobs are based in Pepperdine University, 2 for every working resident, so most of the people who work here commute in. The average commute takes 13.3 minutes, against 28.7 across California.
Half commute less than 22 miles. Pepperdine University’s median household income comes in at $199,000. Also worth knowing: just 12% of the town’s working residents have a job in town. In Pepperdine University, 20% of workers work from home.
12%work in town
| Pepperdine University | California towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average trip to work | 13 minutes | 28 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Median household income | $199,000 | $95,000 | $80,000 |
| Work from home | 20% | 14% | 11% |
| Working residents who work in town | 12% | 6.6% | 8% |
Where working residents work
In Pepperdine University12%
Los Angeles29%
Malibu5%
Burbank3%
San Francisco3%
22 mi
median commute distance
1,361
jobs based in Pepperdine University
A job hub
jobs vs. working residents
B
Walkability grade: more walkable than 64% of U.S. towns
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
HealthA
A smaller share of adults get no exercise outside work in Pepperdine University than in most of California or the rest of the country
Its widest gap with California is diabetes: 1.9% of its 2,642 adults have diabetes, against 11.7% statewide. Against the 963 U.S. towns with household incomes like Pepperdine University’s, it is less healthy than 81%: its national edge comes with its incomes.
For adults in Pepperdine University, the share who have obesity is 14%. Of the 847 California towns we compare, none has a lower share of adults who smoke cigarettes than Pepperdine University. CDC measures, 32 in all: Pepperdine University beats California on 21 and trails on 7.
90%healthier than U.S. townsAHealth Grade
| Pepperdine University | California towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Smoke cigarettes (CDC PLACES) | 4.5% | 11% | 14% |
| Obesity (CDC PLACES) | 14% | 29% | 35% |
| Diabetes (CDC PLACES) | 1.9% | 12% | 12% |
| Frequent mental distress (CDC PLACES) | 22% | 17% | 17% |
32 measures vs. California
21 better4 too close to call7 worse
| What stands out | Pepperdine University | CA |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer adults with diabetes | 1.9% | 11.7% |
| Fewer adults with heart disease | 1% | 5.6% |
| Fewer adults treating high blood pressure | 36.7% | 71.3% |
UCLA West Valley Medical Center
12 mi away · emergency room
None
primary care, dental or mental-health shortage
83rd
percentile among CA towns
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Natural hazardsHazard risk grade D
Top of a very high hazard risk in Pepperdine University: earthquakes
Pepperdine University’s risk rating from FEMA stands at 82 of 100. Of the losses FEMA expects in the town, 52% come from earthquakes and 28% from inland flooding.
82risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
EarthquakesInland floodingWildfire
FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Climate
Pepperdine University has mild winters and pleasant summers
January nights average 48.2°, milder than in 98% of U.S. towns; July afternoons average 80.2°.
In Pepperdine University, the January low is 48°F. Snow is a rarity.
82°summer high
| Pepperdine University | California towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| January low | 48°F | 40°F | 22°F |
| July high | 80°F | 89°F | 85°F |
Typical low → high °F
Winter48–65°
Spring50–69°
Summer59–79°
Fall56–76°
+2.4°
vs. the 20th-century average
82°
typical summer high
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Pepperdine University
17pages on Pepperdine University
The big questions
Out and about
After high school
Colleges nearby
8 within 15 miles of the center of Pepperdine University
Pepperdine UniversityUniversity or college · Private nonprofit · Malibu0.3 mi$69,918 tuitionLos Angeles Pierce CollegeCommunity college · Public · Woodland Hills12.4 mi$1,238 in-state tuitionCalifornia Career CollegeUniversity or college · Private for-profit · Canoga Park12.4 mi
College town 83 of every 100 Pepperdine University residents are enrolled in college, against 8 across California.
Get outside
2 miles of trails in Pepperdine University
20.6% of the town is conserved land, across 3 parks and preserves.
Trails © OpenStreetMap contributors · USGS PAD-US
About Pepperdine University
Christian university in Los Angeles County, California, US
Pepperdine University () is a private research university affiliated with the Churches of Christ and with its main campus in Los Angeles County, California, United States. Pepperdine's main campus consists of 830 acres (340 ha) overlooking the Pacific Ocean and the Pacific Coast Highway near Malibu, California. Founded by entrepreneur George Pepperdine in South Los Angeles in 1937, the school expanded to Malibu in 1972. Courses are taught at the main Malibu campus, as well as the graduate campuses in the United States, Latin America, and Europe. The university is composed of an undergraduate liberal arts school (Seaver College) and four graduate schools: the Caruso School of Law, the Grazia…
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Established
- 1937
- ZIP code
- 90263
Pepperdine University’s neighbors
One town shares a border with Pepperdine University.
MalibuPepperdine University
How the neighbors grade
| Town | CA rank | Overall | Cost | Safety | Schools | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pepperdine University | – | B+ | D− | — | A | A |
| Malibu | #318 | C+ | D− | D | A | A |
Pepperdine University reports no FBI crime data of its own. Compare Pepperdine University with a neighbor →
Questions about Pepperdine University
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is Pepperdine University, CA a good place to live?
For most people who can afford it, yes. Pepperdine University grades B+ overall, better than 66% of U.S. towns. Pepperdine University is a college campus (most residents are students), so it isn’t ranked among California’s towns. It grades A for health and A for schools. Cost of living is its weak spot, with a D−.
Is Pepperdine University, CA expensive?
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−.