The Town FilesTopanga, California
Community in Los Angeles County · population 8,560 (2020 Census)
- Median home
- $1,777,800
- Household income
- $157,045
- Jan low / Jul high
- 43° / 95°
- Snow a year
- 0 in
- Tornadoes ≤10 mi since 1950
- 2
- Median age
- 46.5
Topanga is a community of 8,560 people in Los Angeles County, California. The median home is worth $1,777,800, above the typical California town ($596,900). It ranks better for families than 93% of California towns, more upscale than 93% of California towns, more seaside character than 90% of California towns.
How Topanga ranks
Percentile among California towns with at least 500 people on The Town Files lifestyle rankings. 50 is typical for the state; 90 means better than 90% of California towns.
Homes and cost of living
The median home in Topanga is worth $1,777,800, above the typical California town ($596,900). Homes cost about 11.3 times the median household income of $157,045, which is more affordable than 4% of California towns. Median rent is $3,501 a month. 82.1% of households own their home.
| Housing | Topanga | Typical California town |
|---|---|---|
| Median home value | $1,777,800 | $596,900 |
| Median rent | $3,501 | $1,827 |
| Median household income | $157,045 | $91,557 |
| Home value ÷ income | 11.3× | 6.4× |
| Homeownership | 82.1% | 67.4% |
| Median year built | 1971 | 1977 |
| Seasonal / vacation homes | 0.0% | — |
Who lives in Topanga
| People | Topanga | Typical California town |
|---|---|---|
| Median age | 46.5 | 40.2 |
| Age 65 and over | 21.4% | 17.7% |
| Under 18 | 20.1% | — |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 64.0% | 27.7% |
| Below the poverty line | 6.0% | 10.3% |
| Veterans | 3.3% | — |
| Born outside the U.S. | 24.4% | — |
| Work from home | 40.7% | 13.4% |
| Average commute | 28.8 min | 27.5 min |
| Homes with broadband | 97.9% | 93.3% |
Weather in Topanga
July highs average 95.1°F and January lows 43.1°F. About 16.4 inches of rain and melted snow fall a year, with 0.0 inches of snow (typical California town: 0.0 in). Expect about 115 days a year at 90°F or hotter and 11 nights at or below freezing.
Tornadoes, storms and disasters
2 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of Topanga since 1950, compared with 2 for the typical California town. The strongest, an F1, struck on November 9, 1982 about 6.3 miles from the town center. The most recent was on November 9, 1982.
Severe weather in Los Angeles County since 1996
Los Angeles County has been included in 88 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1953, most often for fire, flood, freezing.
| Declared | Incident | Declaration |
|---|---|---|
| August 8, 2025 | Fire | FM-5605: Canyon Fire |
| January 8, 2025 | Fire | DR-4856: Wildfires And Straight-Line Winds |
| January 8, 2025 | Fire | FM-5550: Eaton Fire |
| January 8, 2025 | Fire | FM-5551: Hurst Fire |
| January 7, 2025 | Fire | FM-5549: Palisades Fire |
Jobs and pay in Los Angeles County
Los Angeles County had 4,525,711 jobs in 2024, paying an average of $83,554 a year. Unemployment was 5% in 2023; in Topanga itself the ACS puts it at 7.1%.
Public schools in Topanga
7 public schools with 3,933 students, about 21.6 students per teacher.
| School | Grades | Students | Per teacher |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gaspar De Portola Charter Middle (charter) | 6-8 | 1,403 | 23.4 |
| CHIME Institute's Schwarzenegger Community (charter) | K-8 | 761 | 22.4 |
| Wilbur Charter For Enriched Academics (charter) | K-5 | 567 | 22.7 |
| Vanalden Avenue Elementary | K-5 | 386 | 18.4 |
| Calvert Charter for Enriched Studies (charter) | K-5 | 330 | 19.4 |
| Tarzana Elementary | K-5 | 244 | 17.4 |
| Topanga Elementary Charter (charter) | K-5 | 242 | 22.0 |
Towns near Topanga
- Calabasas, CA4.3 mi · 23,241 people · home $1,504,500
- Pepperdine University, CA7.0 mi · 2,747 people · home $979,700
- Santa Monica, CA8.6 mi · 93,076 people · home $1,755,500
- Agoura Hills, CA9.7 mi · 20,299 people · home $1,098,000
- Malibu, CA10.1 mi · 10,654 people · home $2,000,001
- Oak Park, CA11.0 mi · 13,898 people · home $1,036,900
- Beverly Hills, CA11.7 mi · 32,701 people · home $2,000,001
- Marina del Rey, CA12.2 mi · 11,373 people · home $458,800
Topanga questions
Is Topanga, California a good place to retire?
On The Town Files lifestyle rankings, Topanga scores better for retirees than 89% of California towns and quieter than 83%. 21.4% of residents are 65 or older (median age 46.5).
How much does a house cost in Topanga?
The median owner-occupied home in Topanga is valued at $1,777,800 (Census ACS 2020–2024), against a median household income of $157,045, so homes cost about 11.3 times income. Median rent is $3,501 a month.
What is the weather like in Topanga?
July highs average 95.1°F and January lows 43.1°F (NOAA 1991–2020 normals). It gets about 16.4 inches of precipitation a year and 0.0 inches of snow.
Does Topanga get tornadoes?
2 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of Topanga since 1950 (NOAA Storm Events); the strongest was a F1 on November 9, 1982. The typical California town has had 2.
- U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-year estimates (2020–2024)
- U.S. Census Bureau, 2020 Census and 2025 Gazetteer (2020 / 2025)
- NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals (1991–2020)
- NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database (1950–2026)
- FEMA OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations (this product uses the FEMA OpenFEMA API but is not endorsed by FEMA) (1953–2026)
- NCES Common Core of Data (2023–24)
- BLS Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages; USDA ERS county unemployment (BLS LAUS) (2000–2024)
- The Town Files lifestyle rankings, built from federal demographic, school, crime and housing data (2025)