Beverly Park is the best gated community in California, with the highest mean household income of any Los Angeles neighborhood. Hidden Hills is #2 with 2-acre lots, and The Bridges at Rancho Santa Fe is #3 with 550 guard-gated acres.
Fourteen guarded gates with gate control 24 hours a day
Active adults 55 and over
Pick by what you want
Best overall
Beverly Park
Best for golf and club life
The Bridges at Rancho Santa Fe
Best for 2-acre lots
Hidden Hills
Best for lakefront living
Canyon Lake
Best for adults 55 and over
Laguna Woods Village
The ranking
1
Beverly Park
Photo: T. Nathan Mundhenk / CC BY-SA 3.0 via Wikimedia Commons
Answrs VerdictThe top-earning gated neighborhood in Los Angeles.
Gated: Gated community split into North and South Beverly ParkHomes: 64 homes in North Beverly Park and 16 in South Beverly ParkMinimum home size: Property covenants require homes of at least 5,000 square feetHousehold income: Mean household income of $502,440, the highest of any Los Angeles neighborhoodPrice: Not published
Beverly Park is a gated community split into North Beverly Park, with 64 homes, and South Beverly Park, with 16. Property covenants require homes of at least 5,000 square feet, and the neighborhood has a mean household income of $502,440.
Go ifBuyers who want maximum privacy in the hills above Beverly Hills
Skip ifYou want clubhouse and golf amenities inside the gates
Why #1 over #2: Its income and home-size rules set it above Hidden Hills, which has bigger lots but no stated home-size minimum.
2
Hidden Hills
Photo: Unknown author / Public domain via Wikimedia Commons
Answrs VerdictThe gated city with 2-acre estate lots.
Gated: A city and gated community in Los Angeles CountyLots: Abundant 2-acre lots surrounded by white three-rail fences, per Vanity Fair in 2017Population: 1,725 at the 2020 censusOrigins: Designed and developed in the 1950s by A. E. Hanson; became a city in 1961Price: Not published
Hidden Hills is both a city and a gated community in Los Angeles County, with 1,725 residents at the 2020 census. A. E. Hanson designed it in the 1950s, and Vanity Fair described its abundant 2-acre lots in 2017.
Go ifHorse-friendly estate living near Calabasas
Skip ifYou want a golf club inside the gates
Why #2 over #3: Its 2-acre lots and city status give it more land per home than The Bridges at Rancho Santa Fe.
3
The Bridges at Rancho Santa Fe
Photo: Josephramos at English Wikipedia / Public domain via Wikimedia Commons
Answrs VerdictThe best club-centered gated estate on the list.
Gated: 550 private, guard-gated acres in Rancho Santa FeGolf: 18-hole, par-71 course designed by Robert Trent Jones II, with seven suspension bridgesClubhouse: 36,000-square-foot Tuscan-style clubhouse that opened in 2000Racquet sports: Four lit tennis courts and six pickleball courtsPrice: Not published
The Bridges at Rancho Santa Fe covers 550 private, guard-gated acres. Its Robert Trent Jones II course has seven suspension bridges, and its 36,000-square-foot Tuscan-style clubhouse opened in 2000.
Go ifGolf-and-club living near San Diego
Skip ifYou do not want a private club in the neighborhood
Why #3 over #4: Its own club, course and racquet courts put more amenities inside the gates than Pebble Beach.
4
Pebble Beach
Photo: Tuxyso / CC BY-SA 3.0 via Wikimedia Commons
Answrs VerdictThe most famous golf setting on the list.
Gated: De-facto gated: nonresidents are charged a toll to use 17-Mile DriveGolf: Seven 18-hole courses and one 9-hole course, including Pebble Beach Golf LinksUS Open: Pebble Beach Golf Links hosted the US Open in 1972, 1982, 1992, 2000, 2010 and 2019Resorts: The Lodge at Pebble Beach and The Inn at Spanish Bay are owned by the Pebble Beach CompanyPrice: Not published
Pebble Beach is a de-facto gated community because nonresidents are charged a toll to use 17-Mile Drive. Pebble Beach Golf Links hosted the US Open in 1972, 1982, 1992, 2000, 2010 and 2019.
Go ifCoastal golf and Monterey Peninsula scenery
Skip ifYou want a traditional guard-gated entrance
Why #4 over #5: Its golf record is far deeper than Lake Sherwood’s, although its gate is a toll rather than a guard post.
5
Lake Sherwood
Photo: CameronK23 / CC BY 3.0 via Wikimedia Commons
Answrs VerdictThe small, scenic lake community.
Gated: A guard-gated golf-club community plus three electronic-gated communitiesHomes: About 660 residencesSetting: Santa Monica Mountains in Ventura County, overlooking the Lake Sherwood reservoirPopulation: 1,759 at the 2020 censusPrice: Not published
Lake Sherwood has about 660 residences in the Santa Monica Mountains and combines a guard-gated golf-club community with three electronic-gated communities. It overlooks the Lake Sherwood reservoir in Ventura County.
Go ifLake-and-mountain estates west of Los Angeles
Skip ifYou want a large neighborhood with many homes
Why #5 over #6: Its guard-gated golf-club community offers a more private setting than the larger Coto de Caza.
6
Coto de Caza
Photo: Don Ramey Logan / CC BY 4.0 via Wikimedia Commons
Answrs VerdictThe biggest guard-gated estate community in Orange County.
Gated: A guard-gated private community in Orange CountyHomes: About 4,000 homes, plus Los Ranchos Estates with 75 large custom homes behind the same gatesGolf: A 36-hole Robert Trent Jones Jr.-designed golf courseHousehold income: Median household income of $232,470 in a 2023 Census Bureau estimatePrice: Not published
Coto de Caza is a guard-gated private community with about 4,000 homes and a 36-hole Robert Trent Jones Jr.-designed golf course. Los Ranchos Estates adds 75 large custom homes behind the same gates.
Go ifFamilies who want a large guard-gated Orange County community
Skip ifYou want only a handful of homes behind the gate
Why #6 over #7: Its golf and custom-home enclave go beyond the lake focus of Canyon Lake.
7
Canyon Lake
Photo: Canyonlakepoa / CC BY-SA 4.0 via Wikimedia Commons
Answrs VerdictThe lakefront gated city.
Gated: A city and gated community in Riverside CountyLots: Master-planned by the Corona Land Company in 1968, with 4,801 lotsShoreline: The reservoir has 14.9 miles of shorelinePopulation: 11,082 at the 2020 censusPrice: Not published
Canyon Lake is a city and gated community that the Corona Land Company master-planned in 1968 with 4,801 lots. Its reservoir has 14.9 miles of shoreline, and it had 11,082 residents at the 2020 census.
Go ifLakefront living in the Inland Empire
Skip ifYou want a coastal location
Why #7 over #8: Its city status and larger population give it more local services than Pine Mountain Lake.
8
Pine Mountain Lake
Photo: Velo Steve / CC BY-SA 3.0 via Wikimedia Commons
Answrs VerdictThe Sierra foothill lake community.
Gated: A private gated community and census-designated place in GrovelandLake: A private 202-acre lake with 6 miles of shorelineHomesites: About 3,600 homesites developed by Boise Cascade in the late 1960sPopulation: 2,636 at the 2020 censusPrice: Not published
Pine Mountain Lake is a private gated community in Groveland with a private 202-acre lake and 6 miles of shoreline. Boise Cascade developed about 3,600 homesites there in the late 1960s.
Go ifMountain and lake living near Yosemite
Skip ifYou want to live near a big city
Why #8 over #9: Its private lake gives it a stronger resort feel than Lake Wildwood.
9
Lake Wildwood
Photo: Travisthurston / CC BY-SA 3.0 via Wikimedia Commons
Answrs VerdictThe most modest-profile gated community on the list.
Gated: Mainly a gated community in Nevada CountyPopulation: 5,158 at the 2020 censusHousing: 2,657 housing unitsHousehold income: Median household income of $87,552 in a 2023 Census Bureau estimatePrice: Not published
Lake Wildwood is mainly a gated community in Nevada County with 5,158 residents at the 2020 census and 2,657 housing units. Its median household income was $87,552 in a 2023 Census Bureau estimate.
Go ifGated lakeside living in the Sierra foothills
Skip ifYou want a luxury estate setting
Why #9 over #10: It is a lakeside gated community for all ages, which Laguna Woods Village is not.
10
Laguna Woods Village
Photo: Dolly442 / CC BY-SA 4.0 via Wikimedia Commons
Answrs VerdictThe largest age-restricted gated community on the list.
Gated: Fourteen guarded gates with gate control 24 hours a dayAge: Age-restricted for people aged 55 and over, with more than 18,000 residentsHomes: 94 floor plans from 675 to 2,589 square feetGolf: A 27-hole PGA-rated golf course and a three par nine-hole executive coursePrice: Not published
Laguna Woods Village is age-restricted to people aged 55 and over and has more than 18,000 residents. It has fourteen guarded gates, a 27-hole PGA-rated golf course and 94 floor plans.
Go ifActive adults 55 and over
Skip ifYou are under 55 or want a large single-family estate
How we ranked these
We ranked each community on documented exclusivity and scale: income and home-size figures where published, lot sizes, then club and golf amenities and community size. None of the sources publishes home prices, so none are quoted. Facts are taken from each maker's own published information; check the official site before you buy.
Questions people ask
What is the most exclusive gated community in California?
Beverly Park in Los Angeles, with a mean household income of $502,440, the highest of any Los Angeles neighborhood.
Which California gated communities are cities of their own?
Hidden Hills and Canyon Lake are both cities and gated communities. Hidden Hills had 1,725 residents and Canyon Lake 11,082 at the 2020 census.
Which California gated community has the most homes?
Coto de Caza has about 4,000 homes, plus Los Ranchos Estates with 75 custom homes behind the same gates.
Can anyone drive through Pebble Beach?
Yes, but nonresidents are charged a toll to use 17-Mile Drive, which is why Wikipedia calls Pebble Beach a de-facto gated community.
Residents at the 2020 census at a glance
Hidden Hills1,725 residents
Lake Sherwood1,759 residents
Pine Mountain Lake2,636 residents
Lake Wildwood5,158 residents
Canyon Lake11,082 residents
Coto de Caza14,710 residents
Residents at the 2020 census, as published by each maker. Picks without a published figure are left off.
