Los Angeles
South Pasadena / Pasadena
Tree-canopied family suburb 15 minutes from downtown LA.
On the map
Boundary is approximate — refined per neighborhood over time.
Pacific Relocation's take
If you want school + family + culture without West Side rents — Pasadena/South Pas.
South Pasadena and Pasadena's family-coded sub-neighborhoods (San Rafael, Madison Heights) deliver top public schools (South Pasadena USD specifically) and a different kind of LA — Craftsman bungalows, oak-canopied streets, and a walkable Mission Street. We place academic relocations (Caltech, JPL, Huntington) and downtown LA-bound families here when they want family stability without West LA prices. The trade is geography: you are 25-45 minutes from anything west of the 110, and your social fabric is decisively local.
Lifestyle figures
Best of South Pasadena / Pasadena for you
Walkable / key streets
- Mission Street, South Pasadena0.4 km
Compact historic commercial street — cafes, bookshop, pharmacy, and weekend farmers market.
Directions ↗Pinned on map - high street
high street
Old Pasadena (Colorado Boulevard)2.5 km4.6(1,637)Restored 1920s commercial district with restaurants, boutiques, and weekend street life.
Directions ↗Pinned on map - village
village
Fair Oaks Avenue pharmacy strip0.5 km4.2(221)·$Fair Oaks Pharmacy and neighbors — the community's essential walkable daily-errand block.
Directions ↗Pinned on map
Quiet / leafy streets
- Marengo Avenue residential blocks0.4 km1.0(1)
Landmark craftsman homes on a slow, canopied street — one of LA County's quietest.
Directions ↗Pinned on map - Garfield Avenue residential area0.3 km4.0(4)
Wide, tree-lined historic residential street with Craftsman and Victorian homes.
Directions ↗Pinned on map - Rollin Street residential blocks0.6 km4.0(4)
Deeply quiet South Pasadena side street with minimal traffic and mature tree canopy.
Directions ↗Pinned on map
Cultural / arts
- museum
museum
Norton Simon Museum3.5 km4.8(3,443)·$World-class collection of European and Asian art — one of California's finest museums.
Directions ↗Pinned on map - museum
museum
Huntington Library, Art Museum and Botanical Gardens5.5 km4.8(8,227)Extraordinary art, rare books, and 120-acre garden — a full weekend destination.
Directions ↗Pinned on map - community
community
Pasadena Playhouse3.0 km4.7(929)California's State Theater — 100-year-old regional house launching major productions.
Directions ↗Pinned on map
To buy (USD)
| Type | Low | Median | High |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 BR | 615,000 | 750,000 | 960,000 |
| 2 BR | 920,000 | 1,120,000 | 1,430,000 |
| 3 BR | 1,470,000 | 1,790,000 | 2,290,000 |
Estimated from local rents — placeholder, pending verified sale data.
Rent ranges (USD)
| Type | Low | Median | High | Δ 12mo |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 BR | 2,200 | 2,600 | 3,000 | ↑ 2.1% |
| 2 BR | 3,200 | 3,900 | 4,800 | ↑ 1.8% |
| 3 BR | 4,500 | 6,200 | 8,500 | ↑ 1.5% |
Source: Rentals.ca + Zumper Q1 2026, refreshed weekly via our rent worker.
Our advice
Before you sign a lease
- SPUSD residency verification is strict; confirm school enrollment eligibility upfront
- Many homes are Craftsman bungalows from 1910-1930 with original systems; verify electrical and plumbing
- Some hillside properties have wildfire exposure; verify insurance and defensible-space compliance
- The 110 freeway noise affects west-of-Fair-Oaks blocks; verify orientation
Pacific Relocation
Want our help finding a place here?
Book a free 30-min Discovery Call with Pacific Relocation.
Last reviewed 2026-05-27.