Claremont
City of Trees and PhDs — 7-college consortium, Village Walk Score 87, Claremont Hills Wilderness Park
Why People Move Here
Claremont is the eastern-LA-County college town nicknamed the 'City of Trees and PhDs,' home to the 7-institution Claremont Colleges consortium (Pomona, Scripps, Claremont McKenna, Harvey Mudd, Pitzer, Claremont Graduate University, and Keck Graduate Institute — a $706.8M regional economic force). Its walkable Village downtown holds the highest Walk Score (87) in the entire Riverside metro, anchored by 31 independent restaurants, 45 boutiques, and 11 art galleries in a tree-canopied European-style town square with no chains or big-box stores. Claremont also runs Metrolink's highest-frequency west-end service (44 weekday trains on the San Bernardino Line at 30-minute intervals), carries an unusually low 0.79% property-tax rate (vs 1.08-1.11% at neighboring IE cities), and offers immediate access to Claremont Hills Wilderness Park — one of LA County's most-popular hiking destinations. Median home prices run $913K-$1.09M depending on source, the highest in the west-end region but ~30-40% below comparable walkable LA/OC college towns.
Key Statistics
Data sourced from census records, school district reports, and local transit authorities.
Commute Times
School Districts
Claremont Unified School District (K-12)
A- Claremont High School ranked #267 in Best Public High Schools in California (Niche)
- Claremont High offers both AP and IB programs — rare in the IE
- A Academics, A Diversity, A- Teachers, A- College Prep per Niche
- Adjacent to the 7 Claremont Colleges for college-prep exposure
The Claremont Colleges (consortium)
A+- Seven institutions on contiguous campuses: Pomona College (1887, oldest), Scripps College (1926, women's), Claremont McKenna (1946), Harvey Mudd College (1955, STEM), Pitzer College (1963), Claremont Graduate University (1925), Keck Graduate Institute
- Regional economic impact estimated at $706.8M per academic year
- Combined library system (Honnold/Mudd), shared services, cross-registration across colleges
FAQ — Claremont
What is the commute from Claremont to downtown Los Angeles?
Driving from Claremont to downtown LA takes about 35-40 minutes off-peak and 60-75 minutes during rush hour via I-10. Metrolink's San Bernardino Line operates 44 weekday trains through Claremont station at 200 W 1st Street — a 60-65 minute journey to LA Union Station, with 30-minute frequency most of the day (the highest-frequency Metrolink service of any west-end community). The station offers free parking, bike racks, and ADA-compliant platforms.
What are the Claremont Colleges?
The Claremont Colleges are a consortium of seven private higher-education institutions on contiguous campuses: five undergraduate colleges — Pomona College (founded 1887, the oldest), Scripps College (1926, women's college), Claremont McKenna College (1946), Harvey Mudd College (1955, engineering and STEM focus), and Pitzer College (1963) — and two graduate institutions, Claremont Graduate University (1925) and Keck Graduate Institute. A commissioned report estimated the consortium's regional economic impact at $706.8 million for the 2016-17 academic year. Residents have access to campus libraries, lectures, and performing-arts venues.
What schools serve Claremont, CA?
Claremont Unified School District serves all K-12 grades. Claremont High School holds a Niche A grade (3.81/5), ranks #267 in Best Public High Schools in California, and is one of the few Inland Empire-area schools offering both AP and IB (International Baccalaureate) programs. Niche grades the school A in Academics, A in Diversity, A- in Teachers, and A- in College Prep. Elementary schools (Mountain View, Condit, etc.) are in the B+ range. Verify enrollment eligibility by address.
What is the housing market like in Claremont?
Claremont is the highest-priced of the six west-end communities. Sources vary: Redfin reports a January 2026 median of $913K (+5.9% YoY) and a March 2026 median of $1,091,500 (+1.1% YoY); Zillow reports a typical value of $917,896 (-3.6% YoY); Movoto reports an April 2026 listing median of $1.03M. The 12-month trailing median is about $1,045,000. Homes spend about 37 days on market (down from 43 last year). The property tax effective rate is 0.79% — unusually low versus neighboring IE cities (Upland 1.08%, Rancho Cucamonga 1.11%, Ontario 1.07%). Verify current listings on Redfin and Zillow before making decisions.
What makes Claremont Village special?
Claremont Village holds the highest Walk Score (87) of any community in the entire Riverside metro area. It operates as a European-style town square with 31 independent restaurants and cafes, 45 specialty boutiques, 13 spas and salons, and 11 art galleries — with no chain stores and no big-box retailers. Residents in the Village can walk to 14 restaurants, bars, and coffee shops in 5 minutes. The walkable, tree-canopied character alongside the Claremont Colleges is one of the primary draws.
What outdoor recreation is available in Claremont?
Claremont Hills Wilderness Park sits at the base of the San Gabriel Mountains and Angeles National Forest, offering a 5-mile walking loop plus smaller trails. The Claremont Hills Loop holds a 4.8-star AllTrails rating from 9,098 reviews — one of the most popular hikes in LA County. Potato Mountain extends the trail to 8.7 miles. Parking is on Mills Avenue and Mt. Baldy Road; leashed dogs are welcome. Thompson Creek Trail runs as an urban walking/biking corridor through the city. Mt. Baldy (Mount San Antonio) is about 25 minutes north via Mt. Baldy Road for alpine hiking and winter snow.
What are the crime statistics in Claremont?
Per NeighborhoodScout and CrimeGrade data, Claremont's overall crime rate is about 26.59-29.03 per 1,000 residents — below the national average of 33.37. Violent crime is 7.29 per 1,000 (500.9 per 100,000), well below the national average of 13.84. Property crime is 21.74 per 1,000 (1,918.1 per 100,000), slightly above the national average of 19.53. There were 850 total crimes in the last reporting year. Claremont ranks in the 35th percentile for safety among California cities. Verify current statistics via the Claremont Police Department and FBI UCR.
What healthcare and accessibility options are in Claremont?
Pomona Valley Hospital Medical Center in adjacent Pomona (~5 min) is the region's primary hospital, anchored by a Trauma Center and four Centers of Excellence: Robert and Beverly Lewis Family Cancer Care, Stead Heart and Vascular, Women's & Children's, and Trauma. It houses a full-service Emergency Department, NICU, Perinatal Center, robotic surgery, and a UCLA-affiliated Family Medicine Residency. Pomona Valley Health Center at Claremont (1601 Monte Vista Avenue Suite 100) provides in-city outpatient family medicine, urgent care, imaging, physical therapy, and sleep-disorder treatment. Kaiser Permanente Claremont Care Center offers urgent care and pharmacy. San Antonio Regional Hospital in Upland (~5 min east) provides a 24-hour ER, Primary Stroke Center, and STEMI Receiving Center. Mt. San Antonio Gardens (adjacent Pomona) is a CCRC Life Plan Community with 520 beds across independent, assisted, memory, and skilled nursing care.
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