L.A.'s richest ZIP code: the Palos Verdes Peninsula takes the title, thanks mainly to soaring property values. Residents there receive all the benefits of affluence--above all, privacy and seclusion.

To get a feel for life in L.A.'s wealthiest ZIP code, consider what Kathy Johnson is up against.

There's the opossum that lives near her back fence, the squirrels that invade her house to eat peanuts, and finally the wild peacock that, protected by city ordinance, lounges on rooftops but one day paid a visit.

"He was (prancing) all over the dining room. It was a comedy" recalls Johnson, who managed to chase the animal out of her million-dollar home. "When you have nice plant cover you get animals. It's a lovely street."

And most definitely not Beverly Hills.

Move over 90210. A Business Journal analysis concludes that the wealthiest ZIP code in Los Angeles County is 90274, an expanse of the Palos Verdes Peninsula known for its remoteness, scenic beauty, rambling horse trails--and sometimes invasive wildlife. (The flocks of wild peacocks were imported decades ago and have flourished.)

The 90274 ZIP code, which excludes Rancho Palos Verdes (though it's still among the county's wealthiest), covers Rolling Hills, Palos Verdes Estates and Rolling Hills Estates, as well as some unincorporated neighborhoods.

While outsiders might group the peninsula into a homogenous area, each community is quite distinct: Rolling Hills is a gated, equestrian neighborhood that is home to some of the greatest wealth; Palos Verdes Estates sports manicured public spaces and ocean-front estates; and Rolling Hills Estates is a commercial hub, also with a strong equestrian flavor.

But they also have much in common, including one of the state's best public school systems--drawing residents more interested in educating their children than flashing wealth--along with the requisite accoutrements of money: country clubs, riding academies, a community playhouse and an active social scene involving a host of philanthropies.

Not lost are the more commonplace challenges of contemporary society, including traffic congestion and fears of over-development that have made it a notoriously difficult place to get anything built.

In short, it's a place where residents fiercely guard their privacy and seclusion on what they call "The Hill."

"People don't flaunt their wealth," says attorney Marc Jacobowitz, a resident of Rolling Hills and vice president of the local riding club. "We like the privacy and rural ambience."

Jacobowitz's community, three square miles of rugged canyons and hillside, is the most secluded of them all. There is no shoreline in Rolling Hills and its 690 homes are only accessible via well-guarded gates.

"As far as raising a family, you couldn't find a better place" says resident Janet Westergaard, a mother of three who owns an online market research firm with her husband. "It's like you are transported back in time. We can sit outside and you can just hear the birds."

In a sense, residents do live in another time. The city was first developed in the early 1930s by Palos Verdes Corp., one of the peninsula's original builders.

Lots range from one to five acres, and except for a handful of properties, all the homes are white ranches with a barn (or at least with space for one.) The 23 miles of horse trails nearly exceed the 26 miles of roadway. City Hall is a small ranch house. Lacking public parks, the local Women's Club holds its events at individual homes--open to all.

"I am sure there is no other city in the universe where every woman in the city is invited to tea," says Westergaard.

Some of the wealthiest residents include Harlyne Norris, a noted philanthropist, and John Tu, founder of Kingston Technologies Co. and one of the county's wealthiest residents with an estimated $600 million net worth.

But most are more anonymous: business owners, bankers, accountants, doctors and lawyers. For all the upper-crust trappings, longtime resident Donald Crocker says there is little pretense and plenty of mingling with the peninsula's other communities.

"They may be well off financially but they are not snooty," says the retired attorney who is pursuing a second career as an artist.

With a median annual income exceeding $200,000, Rolling Hills is by far the wealthiest city on the peninsula. By comparison, Palos Verdes Estates had a median income of $134,000.

But the real jaw-dropping numbers involve--what else?--real estate. The median price of a Rolling Hills home hit $2 million in the first quarter of this year. Other peninsula communities are not far behind.

Actually, some of the area's most spectacular homes are along the winding coastal roads in Palos Verdes Estates, a city of 14,100 with shoreline drives on the peninsula's northwest side. One home in the Malaga Cove neighborhood sold for about $15 million a few years ago, during the height of the dot-com boom, and even now larger homes can command close to $10 million.

But many of the homes in Palos Verdes Estates are less than 2,000 square feet with wood shake roofs. Any renovations must pass muster not only with City Hall but the Art Jury run by the Palos Verdes Homes Association, which evaluates the quality of the design. That includes repainting a home the same color.

The result is neighborhoods of architecturally consistent (though not cookie-cutter) homes that have largely resisted the trend to tear down and rebuild. And with a quarter of the city's area set aside permanently for open space, parks and a golf club (open to all residents for a $35,000 fee), it has the feel of a carefully manicured but informal garden.

"Do I feel lucky (to live here?) Hell yes!," says Palos Verdes Estates resident David Hitzel, who commutes an hour to his job as a leasing director for Equity Office Properties Trust in West Los Angeles. "There are a lot of people commuting each day to the Westside. It's worth it."

Hamburger Hill

Rolling Hills Estates, the least wealthy of the three communities, had a median income of $109,000, according to the 2000 census, still more than double the county's median of about $42,000. And the wealth is visible when driving along the city's roads, shaded by pepper trees and lined with bridle trails and white wooden fences.

Its downtown forms a commercial hub that includes a Saks Fifth Avenue and Talbots, although residents say the higher-end retailers have not fared as well as less expensive stores.

"We are trying to cater to the needs of our customers," said owner Nahid Kamali, whose Nagasha women's boutique has stood for 23 years on Silver Spur Road and carries semi-casual dresses from $120 to $300. "They just look expensive."

There's a reason for this.

The peninsula really didn't blossom until after World War II when hordes of returning GIs gobbled up lots and started building. Many of these newcomers were engineers and other professionals who worked at TRW Inc., Boeing Co. and other South Bay defense contractors during the prolonged Cold War defense buildup of the 1950s and 1960s.

There's a joke among long-time residents that for all the apparent wealth, the peninsula's real name should be Hamburger Hill, because of all the ground meat residents are to save for their mortgages.

Many of the folks who made it to the hill have never left, creating an aging community that suffered through school closures in the early 1990s as enrollment declined. (It's also a reason that the 90274 Zip code is tops in household net worth.)

But with the passage of time and a recession 10 years ago that cut home prices, the housing market opened up again. Besides the very wealthy, there was an influx of two-income professionals with young children who scrimped to buy houses that even then topped $500,000.

The Hamburger Hill joke again gained currency.

"The discretionary income is a lot tighter than you think," says Jerry Jeffe, chief executive of the Palos Verdes Peninsula Chamber of Commerce.

Common threads

Only to a point. The Norris Center for the Performing Arts is a downtown institution founded 20 years ago with a seed donation from the Kenneth T. and Eileen L. Norris Foundation. It showcases performers ranging from Van Clibum piano competition winners to students from the local ballet school.

But unlike other community theaters that rely on city funding, its entire $1.4 million annual budget comes from donations from foundations and residents throughout the peninsula.

"We cover more than 125 groups that are fundraising for one cause or another," says Frank Brown, society editor for the Palos Verdes Peninsula News. "It's stunning when you think about it, and I am not a cheerleader."

By far the most important community institution is the Palos Verdes Peninsula Unified School District, which serves the entire peninsula and is the reason why many have settled there.

Each year, the district has more than 30 pupils qualifying for National Merit Scholarships, even though it has fewer than 12,000 students, while individual schools rank high on the state Academic Performance Index.

Cornerstone at Pedregal Elementary School had the 12th-highest API schools of any elementary school in California last year. The only requirement for admission is for their parents to volunteer 3.5 hours a week. "On any given day we have 70 to 80 parents on campus," says principal Jody Pastell. "It makes a big difference."

Throughout the district there is music education at the elementary school level, foreign language instruction in middle school and a high school orchestra to complement the traditional band.

All this costs money, and district parents have paid it. Thirty years ago, residents augmented school funding with a parcel tax that now raises about $3.4 million annually. On top of that, the Peninsula Education Foundation gives the district more than $1 million each year, with its annual fundraiser one of the highlights of the local social scene.

The focus on education has long drawn Asians, who make up a quarter of the peninsula's population--the only sizable minority in an area that is still about two-thirds white.

"You have people who may have high incomes, but they don't spend it on pricey designer things. We spend it on our kids," said Lilly Tsau, 45, a native of Taiwan who bought a home in Rolling Hills Estates so her son could get the best public school education available, supplemented by private violin and piano lessons.

Trouble in paradise

The depressed housing market of a decade ago has long since passed, and escalating prices have pushed the cheapest homes close or past the $1 million mark. As a result, the area is attracting even wealthier residents than it did just a few years ago--if they can find a home.

"There are multiple offers," said real estate agent James Sanders, who noted there were just 62 homes listed for sale one week this month in the 90274 ZIP code.

While there is little space available in the area, development pressures still exist, especially in Rolling Hills Estates.

One developer wants to build 129 homes as part of as part of a plan for Rolling Hills Country Club. City officials are also talking about redeveloping downtown with mixed-use projects.

All these proposals would have to undergo scrutiny by the city's Planning Commission and City Council, and if developer Jeff Lee's experience is any guide, that could be a lengthy process.

In 2001, Lee received approval for 34 detached homes on the site of a failed shopping center. But the approval only came after 18 public hearings. "The reality is it seems harder to get things approved in affluent communities than in less affluent communities," he says.

As with so much of the peninsula, development issues often come down to specific location. In Rolling Hills, only a handful of lots remain and strict rules require low-key white ranch houses. But in Palo Verdes Estates, new homeowners who have paid top dollar often want to build far bigger homes than their neighbors--or they buy smaller houses with an eye to replacing them. Fighting mansion-ization is a key issue for the city, which has enacted an ordinance aimed at limiting the size of new homes.

"The last time I checked there were less than 75 undeveloped (lots) in the city," says Ann Hinchliffe, president of the Palos Verdes Estates Homes Association. "But people buy, tear down and start over again."

The pressures are even reflected at the city's Palos Verdes Golf Club, with its quaint wooden clubhouse that some members, especially the younger ones, want to tear down and rebuild with a far larger one.

Then there's a series of developments either under way or proposed in the large Rancho Palos Verdes portion of the peninsula. Already under construction are 55 seaside luxury homes by Donald Trump, while another developer wants to build 84 ocean view homes nearby.

All this has residents of 90274 more than a bit wary. Perhaps just as much as the top schools, many came to the peninsula seeking refuge from the ills of modern civilization, with traffic congestion among the chief dislikes.

One of the biggest trouble spots is Palos Verdes Drive North, the main thoroughfare that connects Rolling Hills Estates and Palos Verdes Estates. It's only one lane in each direction, with far more space for the trees and bridle paths than cars. "You can be sitting there for 15 minutes. It's almost like Paradise Lost sometimes," says outsider Chris Body, editor of the Peninsula News.

One solution would be to widen it two lanes, but that's not in the cards. Huge swaths of pavement are another thing residents like to think they left behind.

"There are times when it's faster for me to walk than drive," says Bridget Carman, chairwoman of the Rolling Hills Estates Homeowners Coalition. "But it's not in our culture to widen it."

No. "1 PALOS VERDES PENINSULA--90274

Total Area: 27.3 square miles

Population: 70,000

History: The community was first given to Don Dolores Sepulveda in 1827 as part of a Mexican land grant. In 1913 a group of New York investors purchased most of the land, and development started in 1920s, with much of the building occurring after World War II.

Getting Around: The communities are ringed by scenic highway called Palos Verdes Drive (North, West, South and East). Hawthorne Boulevard also cuts through its center, reaching the coast at its west end.

Rancho Palos Verdes: The biggest city is also the youngest, formed in 1973. It has 43,200 residents who live primarily in homes but also multi-family dwellings. It has 7.5 miles of coastline along the center and south end of the peninsula and 13.5 square miles.

Palos Verdes Estates: First developed in the 1920s and incorporated in 1939, making it the oldest of these cities. Its 14,100 residents live on 4.7 square miles, including 4.5 miles of coastline on the peninsula's north end. Known for its strict building regulations and beautifully gardened public spaces.

Rolling Hills Estates: A 4.2-square-mile equestrian community situated on the back end of the peninsula, it also includes the area's commercial core and a community theater. Its 8,125 residents enjoy 25 miles of bridle trails and bicycle and jogging paths. Incorporated in 1957.

Boiling Bills: With fewer than 700 households living on lots no smaller than one acre, it's the wealthiest city. Its three square miles are carved out of the peninsula's center. Incorporated in 1957.

--Laurence Darmiento

NO. 2 PACIFIC PALISADES--90272

History: Standing on the steep hillside cliffs overlooking the Pacific Ocean, this exclusive community sandwiched between Malibu and Santa Monica served as a summer resort for L.A.'s rich and famous through the 1860s. The area was first subdivided into a few large parcels from the Mexican land grants of Rancho Boca de Santa Monica and Rancho San Vicente y Santa Monica in the early 1920s when developers began building exclusive communities such as Castellammare, Huntington Palisades and Miramar Estates. After World War II, the Case Study House program built innovative model homes in the modernist style using atypical materials (the war effort consumed traditional building supplies). In the 1960s, Sunset Petroleum Co. built the last subdivision--a dense development of town houses, condominiums and large estates in the Santa Ynez Canyon called Pacific Palisades Highlands. Characteristics: Narrow streets wind throughout the hillside community, making homes hard to find and giving the 23,000 residents a sense of privacy. Many have spectacular views of the ocean. Homes vary in size from castles in the Highlands to the modest size split-levels farther down the hill. Case Study homes, all privately owned, remain a steady draw. The median household income of $141,489 makes the community the second most affluent in L.A. County, just behind Bel-Air.

Famous Residents: The community used to be home to artists, architects, writers and thespians. These days there are still plenty of entertainment types, including David E. Kelley and wife Michelle Pfeiffer, Bill Cosby, and Michael Douglas and Catherine Zeta-Jones.

BUZZ: A sleepy concoction of small shops, restaurants and grocery stores lines a strip of Sunset Boulevard, the community's main thoroughfare. On Sundays, residents head downtown for the Farmers Market at Swarthmore Avenue and Sunset, and shop at sidewalk sales. "Even though it's part of the city of Los Angeles, it feels like you're living in a small community," said 22-year resident Len Brisco, a private wealth advisor with Merrill Lynch. But don't call it laid-back. "To live here you have to be fairly successful in general, so by definition it can't he too laid back."

ZIP code profiles were written by Business Journal staff reporters Howard Fine, Andy Fixmer and Pat Maio. Photos: Ringo H.W. Chiu.

NO. 3 BEL-AIR--90077

History: Area originally split between two ranchos: the northern part was Rancho San Vicente y Santa Monica; the southern part Rancho San Jose de Buenos Ayres. In the early 1920s, Alphonzo Bell, who had just become a millionaire after discovering oil on his Santa Fe Springs ranch, consolidated dozens of local plots. He then developed a community of palatial homes that he called Bel-Air Estates, along with the Bel-Air Bay and Country Club. Its sales office later became the area's most well known landmark: the Hotel Bel-Air. Suburban development expanded the community deeper into the hills after World War 11. In November 1961, a fire destroyed 480 homes (the most destructive fire in L.A. city history). The aftermath prompted another wave of development, especially at the tops of ridges. Since then, development mostly focused on subdividing small and mid-sized parcels and remodeling existing homes.

Characteristics: Southern part, just north of Sunset, is the core Bel-Air Estates development of two- to four-acre plots with huge, walled-off mansions. Narrow streets wind among the irregularly shaped parcels, making it easy to get lost. Moving north into the hills the parcels get smaller, with post-war suburban style homes mixed in among the mansions, all offering spectacular views of the city. More than 7 percent of all home sales in Bel-Air last year topped the $3 million mark. Many residents have lived in the community for 30 or 40 years. A major factor in Bel-Air's high ranking is its county-high median household income of $167,460 and an average net worth of $363,333, second only to the Palos Verdes Peninsula.

Famous Residents: Lots--generally on the mature side, well established. The list includes Ronald and Nancy Reagan, Elizabeth Taylor, Art Linkletter, Michael Eisner, Sherry Lansing.

BUZZ: "Very quiet place; works hard to stay that way," said Steve Lukasik, president of the Bel-Air Association. Area was thrown into the spotlight in the 1980s when its most famous resident, Ronald Reagan, was president. The Hotel Bel-Air remains a quiet and smallish preserve of the very rich are routine (celebrity sightings at the elegant patio restaurant are daily events). Biggest issue for residents is traffic; Sunset Boulevard is the main southernmost artery and it's routinely clogged with cars. Beverly Glen has become a major (and congested) route to and from the San Fernando Valley.

No. 4 BEVERLY HILLS--90210

History: Originally part of the 45,000-acre Rancho Rodeo de las Aguas ("meeting place of the waters") granted to Mafia Rita Valdez de Villa in the 1820s. The "waters" were the streams flowing out of the mountains from present-day Coldwater and Benedict canyons. In 1906, Burton Green, a real estate agent from Beverly Farms, Mass. and head of the Rodeo Land and Water Co., acquired much of the rancho land and changed its name to Beverly Hills. Green then began laying out the street pattern for the flatlands, and in 1911, he built the Beverly Hills Hotel, which soon became a popular hangout for the first generation of stars in the nascent film industry. By the early 1920s, silent film actors Mary Pickford, Douglas Fairbanks and Harold Lloyd built mansions along Benedict Canyon. Post-World War II development of homes extended into the hillsides. Area remained mostly "old money" until the 1970s, when oil-rich sheiks were followed into the city by wealthy refugees from Iran.

Characteristics: About half of 90210 is in Beverly Hills and known as the "flats;" another portion on the north side of Sunset is in Beverly Hills, but the bulk of the hillside area is in the city of Los Angeles and known as Beverly Hills Postal Area. The flats contain the world-famous tree-lined streets and large homes, while the hills have the famous gated mansions interspersed with smaller homes branching out from Benedict and Coldwater canyons. In 2003, more than 10 percent of home sales topped $3 million, highest in county. Also contains "Golden Triangle" shopping district, including Rodeo Drive. Residents a mixture of "old money," Middle Eastern immigrants, newer generation film stars and financiers.

Famous Residents: Too many to count. Started with the likes of Mary Pickford, Charlie Chaplin, W.C. Fields, Will Rogers, Clark Gable, Gloria Swanson, Cary Grant, etc... Nowadays, stars constantly moving in or out. Also home to prominent business types, including supermarket magnate Ronald Burkle.

BUZZ: Center of the region's political universe when it comes to raising money, primarily for Democrats. At his Green Acres estate, Burkle has hosted fundraisers for former President Bill Clinton, Vice President AI Gore and, most recently, for Massachusetts Sen. John Kerry--netting the candidate $2 million. At local level, major shift took place last year with election of Jimmy Delshad as the first Iranian-born member of the Beverly Hills City Council. Residents spend a lot of time on the social and charitable events circuit. Area's Hollywood types seen shopping and dining in Golden Triangle and eating at Spago. Golden Triangle area now undergoing facelife; locals grumbling about the inconvenience. Of course, the zip code was the title of the popular Fox series.

NO. 5 SANTA MONICA--90402

History: Its name is derived from two land grants first recorded in 1839--San Vicente y Santa Monica and Boca de Santa Monica. Founded in 1875, the city was advertised as the "Zenith City by the Sunset Sea," but it didn't start growing until 1887 when the Arcadia Hotel was built at the terminus of a rail line to Los Angeles. Hollywood celebrities built homes there in the 1920s, and during Prohibition gambling ships anchored offshore. For more than 40 years, starting in 1930s, Douglas Aircraft Co. was one of the largest employers at what's now Santa Monica Airport. The "People's Republic of Santa Monica," got its nickname from 1970s social activists who enacted rent control, capped building heights and spent heavily on services for the homeless.

Characteristics: Neighborhoods north of Montana Avenue to the Los Angeles border long have been pockets of wealth in a historically blue-collar town. Laid out on a grid, the blocks consist of a mix of mostly modest sized Spanish revival, ranch and modern homes. As owners began maxing out their buildings with additions in the 1990s, the city was one of the first to enact "Monster Mansion" ordinances to scale back home sizes. Larger mansions line San Vicente Boulevard and its side streets to the north. In March, residences fetched $857 a square foot, highest in Los Angeles County.

Famous Residents: Just open the pages of almost any gossip magazine. Hollywood celebrities, famous producers, directors and writers all reside here. Among them Jeff Bridges, Jamie Lee Curtis and Jane Fonda.

BUZZ: Close-knit community. Many send their kids to Franklin Elementary, before packing them off to nearby private schools. The boutiques and bistros along Montana Avenue draw residents in droves, and there's often a famous face at local shops. Biggest neighborhood issue is homebuyers tearing down older residences to build larger ones. The city tried to curb the practice, using historic designations, but homeowners united to block the effort.

No. 6 SAN MARINO--91108

History: Developed on land that once was part of the Mission San Gabriel and later Rancho San Pascual, the first private home was built in San Marino in 1878. Benjamin "Don Benito" Wilson gave the land as a wedding gift to his daughter and her husband, James de Barth Shorb, who named it after his family's Maryland estate, called San Marino. The ranch was later purchased by Henry E. Huntington, who developed the Pacific Electric Red Car system. His legacy, the Henry E. Huntington Library and Art Gallery, stands on the site of the Shorb home and remains the city's most famous landmark. Incorporated in 1913, San Marino's first mayor was George S. Patton Sr., father of the famous World War II general. Continues to be a haven for the very wealthy, especially with an influx of Asian entrepreneurs.

Characteristics: There are no chain-link fences, only wrought-iron gates in this 3.75 square mile manicured community. Phone numbers are difficult to find, even among some on the City Council. Known mostly for "old money" and corporate executives who want to live there anonymously. Average household income is $132,949, while the median 2003 household net worth is $341,513, third highest in L.A. County.

Famous Residents: Gemstar-TV Guide International founder Henry C. Yuen and Hollywood producer Stephen J. Cannell.

BUZZ: Not exactly a place to show off. The City Council is considering an ordinance placing limits on signs on public properties, especially the median along Huntington Drive. Despite prosperity, city has struggled to get a new library and community center built. The city failed twice to get roughly $7 million in state funds for the library. A decision on a third attempt will be made in the next few months. Officials hope to complete a feasibility study on the community center later this year. The hot thing to do is stroll along the downtown retail and eating strip called the Mission District.

No. 7 RANCHO PALOS VERDES--90275

History: Enjoyed prosperity for a time in the early 1900s as a cattle ranch and farming area (2,000 head of cattle had roamed the open areas). Japanese families fanned the southern slopes with fields of beans, peas and tomatoes, while the manager of the cattle ranch planted the northern slopes with barley for hay and grain. In 1913, Frank A. Vanderlip, a New York bank president, bought the 16,000-acre peninsula. The real shaping of Rancho Palos Verdes came in 1953 when Great Lakes Carbon Corp. bought most of the undeveloped land, believing it could mine diatomaceous earth. Its plans were later discarded, and a group of well-known architects and engineers were hired to create a master plan to develop the property. Characteristics: Rancho Palos Verdes, on the Peninsula's southwest side, was incorporated on Sept. 7, 1973. Close to 41,000 residents live in a little more than 13.6 square miles. Its 7.5 miles of coastline feature striking topography, including Abalone Cove; beaches are protected by steep cliffs. It's located on the southwest side of Palos Verdes Peninsula, bounded to the north by Redondo Beach and to the south by San Pedro. Other affluent cities on the peninsula include Rolling Hills, Rolling Hills Estates and Palos Verdes Estates. The 2003 household median net worth is $307,797, sixth highest among L.A. communities.

Famous Residents: Developer Donald Trump plans a second home, but compared to other affluent communities in Southern California, the wealth is more anonymous. Many aerospace and oil executives from the surrounding South Bay communities live here.

BUZZ: Trump wants to transform his Ocean Trails Golf Club here into a quasi-resort, with 113 luxury bungalows and 18 townhouses. But he has roiled some local residents. Two holes of the 18-hole course lay across local school property and were bound by a long-term lease when the course was purchased. Trump filed suit against the school district as part of his efforts to renegotiate better leasing terms. Other hot-button issues include traffic congestion and speeding. Options include narrowing of streets with roundabouts built in key roadways, along with adding speed bumps. The community also is seeking state and federal funding to buy 1,000 acres in the privately held Portuguese Bend Nature Preserve, and several million dollars to upgrade its aging stoma drain and sewer system infrastructure.

NO. 8 BRENTWOOD--90049

History: Originally part of Rancho San Vicente y Santa Monica. In 1905-06, town of Westgate formed along a new streetcar line. Around that time, Lancaster Brent took title to adjacent land along present-day San Vicente Boulevard and subdivided it. Area was annexed to the city of Los Angeles in 1916 to gain access to the water supply. Also around that time, the Brentwood Country Club opened. In the 1930s, Brentwood Village was developed as a commercial center. On Nov. 7, 1961, a Santa Ana wind-driven fire that had started in Bel-Air destroyed scores of homes. The following year came the suicide of Marilyn Monroe. In the decades that followed, lots of new money residents moved in, as did a tot of young, upwardly mobile singles. In June 1994, area was put on the map again with the murders of Nicole Brown Simpson and Ronald Goldman and the subsequent trials of football star O.J. Simpson.

Characteristics: Bounded by Mulholland Drive on the north, the San Diego (405) Freeway and the Veterans Administration property on the east, Mandeville Canyon on the west, Santa Monica to the southwest and Wilshire Boulevard on the south. Northern part strictly single-family residential (7 percent of homes sold last year fur more than $3 million, while median home resale value was $1.2 million). South of Sunset, mixture of apartments and single-family residential. San Vicente Boulevard contains the area's two major commercial centers. Primarily apartment dwellings south of San Vicente. Mixture of wealthy families and political and business leaders in the single-family homes; lots of young, upwardly mobile singles in apartment sections. Primarily an area for new money. Very active politically: in 2003-04 presidential election cycle, Brentwood residents have given $2 million, second-highest amount in L.A. County.

Famous Residents: Arnold Schwarzenegger and Maria Shriver, Rob Reiner, Ted Danson and Mary Steenburgen, Richard Riordan, Artanna Huffington, Eli Broad.

BUZZ: For most of the 1990s, the murders of Simpson and Goldman defined the community, despite best efforts of locals. More recently, Brentwood has become the new center of politics, starting with the nexus of former L.A. Mayor Richard Riordan and billionaire civic activist Eli Broad. In last year's recall, three of the six major candidates claimed Brentwood as primary residence, including Schwarzenegger. Locals hang out in San Gennaro and Coral Tree caf6s or go down to trendy restaurants on Santa Monica's Montana Ave.

No. 9 MALIBU--90265

History: For 4,000 years Malibu was home to a thriving Native American village of the Chumash; name is derived from Chumash word "Humaliwo," meaning the surf sounds loudly. The tribe was gone well before 1802, when the area was deeded in a land grant to Spanish settler Jose Bartoleme Tapia. His descendants sold the parcel for $300,000 in 1891 to a wealthy New England family that zealously guarded it from encroachment, at one time hiring armed ranch hands to face down L.A. County officials who wanted to build a highway along the coast. After 17 years of litigation, the state won and the Pacific Coast Highway opened in June 1929. After the road opened, the family began leasing--later selling--parcels of land by Malibu Creek. Was an unincorporated portion of L.A. County until the community voted to become its own city in 1990.

Characteristics: Some of L.A.'s finest stretches of sand are along the Malibu coast. From the shore, Malibu stretches up steep, rocky cliffs to the borders of state and county parks and nature preserves. The land is rugged and during dry months the landscape's natural chaparral ignites easily. Pepperdine University and Hughes Research labs, both located off Malibu Canyon Road, are the largest employers, though most of the 13,000 residents work elsewhere in the region.

Famous Residents: Billionaires David Geffen, co-founder of DreamWorks SKG; television and film producer Haim Saban; and Univision Communications Inc. Chairman A. Jerrold Perenchio have Malibu estates. Also, Barbra Streisand, Pierce Brosnan and Johnny Carson, to name iust a few.

Buzz: Beachfront residents, such as Geffen and Streisand, clash with the Coastal Commission over giving access to the state-owned beaches in front of their homes. Large estates up the hill are mostly walled-off or have been built on private roads to keep out gawkers. In 1993 a firestorm starting in Calabasas swept through Malibu, consuming several hundred acres and burning down many homes. A smaller fire swept through Malibu in 2002, burning down several homes and buildings. Outside a small civic center, the city has no central downtown. Most businesses consist of small stores and chain outlets along PCH.

No. 10 MANHATTAN BEACH--90266

History: In 1837, Antonio Ygnacio Avila obtained a land grant of 22,500 acres from Mexico known as the Rancho Sausol Redondo, later selling it to Sir Robert Bumett for sheep-and cattle-raising. Became popular with developers in the late 1800s and early 1900s; the two biggest were George Peck and John Merrill. Peck called his property Shore Acres and Merrill named his after his place of origin, the borough of Manhattan. They' agreed that there should only he one name and a coin flip made Merrill the winner. City was incorporated on Dec. 2, 1912.

Characteristics: Known mostly for its beachfront and pier, although this city of 34,000 has a more suburban feel further inland. Close to the water, parking has always been a problem; there are 3.9 square miles within the city limits and 2.1 miles of beachfront. Parking improved with a new 460-space underground garage. On the street level, development has begun on a 38-room boutique hotel, restaurants and retail space. Also under construction is a complex for the fire and police departments, with a planned rebuild of the city's Strand--a two-mile oceanfront pedestrian walkway--expected to begin this fall. The city is straggling to close a $700,000 budget deficit caused by the state budget crisis. The 2003 average median home price was $1.05 million.

Famous Residents: Scott Bakula, Pan] Dawber, Jason Allison, Adam Deadmarsh, Milton Bradley, De:van George, Luke Walton, Stanislav Medvedenko and Eric Karros.

BUZZ: A big issue is "mansion-ization" as beach cottages are replaced with 4,000-square-foot modem homes. Tied for eighth in the county in highest median home resale value for 2003, at just above $1 million. Having raised more than $115 million from local bond measures in recent years, the Manhattan Beach Unified School District hasn't been able to complete modernization projects that were promised, although overcrowding is not an issue for the 6,700-student district. Maintains a beach-casual style; locals like to hangout at the Kettle, a 24-hour coffee shop on Highland Avenue two blocks from the beach, or eat a light breakfast or lunch at Uncle Bill's Pancake House, a small country breakfast and lunch eatery on 13th Street. Despite the added parking, summer weekends can be a madhouse.

How They Ranked
The 10 wealthiest communities, by category.

                                          Median      % of Home
                                   ZIP     Home      Sales Above
Rank         Community            Code    Price       $3 Million

 1           Palos Verdes
              Peninsula           90274      8             7
 2           Pacific Palisades    90272      3             6
 3           Bel-Air              90077     14             5
 4           Beverly Hills        90210      2             1
 5           Santa Monica         90402      1             3
 6           San Marino           91108     16            19
 7           Rancho Palos Verdes  90275     21            42
 8           Brentwood            90049      5             4
 9           Malibu               90265      4             2
10           Manhattan Beach      90266      9            15
Category
 Weightings                                 16%           11%

                                             Median     Median
                                   ZIP     Household   Household
Rank         Community            Code       Income    Net Worth

 1           Palos Verdes
              Peninsula           90274         3          1
 2           Pacific Palisades    90272         2          4
 3           Bel-Air              90077         1          2
 4           Beverly Hills        90210         7          8
 5           Santa Monica         90402         5         11
 6           San Marino           91108         4          3
 7           Rancho Palos Verdes  90275        12          6
 8           Brentwood            90049        15         29
 9           Malibu               90265        10         10
10           Manhattan Beach      90266         9         19
Category
 Weightings                                   17%         29%

                                   ZIP      Political      Charitable
Rank         Community            Code    Contributions  Contributions

 1           Palos Verdes
              Peninsula           90274        12             7
 2           Pacific Palisades    90272         5             5
 3           Bel-Air              90077         6            35
 4           Beverly Hills        90210         1            10
 5           Santa Monica         90402         9            29
 6           San Marino           91108        28            34
 7           Rancho Palos Verdes  90275        27             3
 8           Brentwood            90049         2             1
 9           Malibu               90265        16            25
10           Manhattan Beach      90266        15             2
Category
 Weightings                                   5.9%          6.6%

                                   ZIP    Poverty   Education
Rank         Community            Code     Rate       Level

 1           Palos Verdes
              Peninsula           90274      1          7
 2           Pacific Palisades    90272     10          3
 3           Bel-Air              90077     24          1
 4           Beverly Hills        90210     52         11
 5           Santa Monica         90402      8          4
 6           San Marino           91108     28          6
 7           Rancho Palos Verdes  90275      3         15
 8           Brentwood            90049     36          5
 9           Malibu               90265     66         14
10           Manhattan Beach      90266      5          9
Category
 Weightings                               10.4%       4.1%

Ranking the Rich

L.A.'s richest ZIP codes were ranked based on eight variables, weighted for importance--median home prices; percent of home sales above $3 million; household income and net worth; charitable and political donations; lowest poverty rates and highest education levels.

In each category, the Top 20 ZIP codes received scores ranging from 10, the highest, to 1. The scores received by each ZIP code were then adjusted for weight and compiled for an overall total.

Sources included the 2000 Census (poverty); DataQuick Information Systems (home prices); the Federal Election Commission (political contributions); and Claritas Inc. estimates for 2003 (income, net worth, charitable giving and education levels).