La Palma, CA Real Estate

La Palma is the smallest city in Orange County, but that didn’t stop it from being on Money Magazine’s list of the Best Places to Live in the US (number 16 in the magazine’s 2007 rankings). The city is in the northwest corner of the county and occupies less than 2 square miles.

While some areas of Orange County were starting to develop in the 1950’s, La Palma remained farmland until the 1960’s. Originally incorporated as Dairyland, the name was changed in 1965 after the last of the area’s dairies had moved out to Riverside and San Bernardino counties; La Palma Avenue had long been the main street of the town.

La Palma is conveniently located along Interstate 5. The I-5 Gateway project, a major widening of the freeway from the 91 Freeway, north to the Los Angeles County line is currently underway and should improve traffic and accessibility in La Palma.

The real estate market in La Palma is dominated by single-family detached homes with only a few townhomes and condominiums available. As the oldest homes are now reaching the 30-40 year mark, there are ample opportunities for re-habilitation. The city has an active program to provide affordable housing by using set asides from the city’s redevelopment agency.

Today, La Palma is an upscale bedroom community, but a major retail and office development in the north part of the city, Centerpoint La Palma, is a focal point of employment within the city.The closest commuter rail stations are Buena Park and Norwalk on Metrolink’s Orange County Line.

The low crime rate and fierce city pride shown in the immaculate neighborhoods make La Palma a desirable place to live. The city does not have its own school district. Children in grades K-12 attend schools located within La Palma city boundaries that are run by the Cypress, Centralia, Buena Park, Fullerton and Anaheim school districts.