How the PBF Torrance Refinery Anchors South Bay Rental Demand

Published July 15, 2026

A 155,000 barrel a day refinery with 600-plus direct workers and hundreds of daily contractors is a rental demand engine most reports ignore.

The PBF Energy refinery in Torrance processes an average of roughly 155,000 barrels of crude oil a day (its nameplate capacity is about 166,000 barrels a day), producing about 10 percent of California's gasoline supply, and directly employs more than 600 people plus another 300 to 500 contractors on site on any given day. That is thousands of steady, shift-based paychecks anchored to one South Bay address, a demand source most market reports never mention when they explain why Torrance rentals stay occupied.

A refinery is not a typical employer

Most of the jobs discussion around rental demand in Los Angeles centers on tech, aerospace, or entertainment. The Torrance refinery is a different animal entirely, and that is exactly why it matters to owners. Refining is a 24 hour, 7 day a week operation. Workers rotate through day, night, and swing shifts, which means the workforce is not the typical 9 to 5 renter commuting from wherever is cheapest. Refinery and skilled trade workers tend to prioritize a short commute over almost anything else, because a bad drive on top of a rotating shift schedule gets old fast. That pushes a meaningful slice of this workforce toward renting in Torrance itself, or in the immediately adjacent South Bay cities, rather than commuting in from farther out.

Pay is also a factor. Refinery and contractor roles in the Torrance market commonly pay in the high thirties to mid fifties per hour, which is well above the wage floor for a lot of service and retail work in the same radius. That is a renter pool with the income to compete for solid, unremarkable rental housing, not just luxury units.

Direct jobs plus a contractor shadow workforce

The 600-plus direct employee figure is only part of the picture. The refinery relies on an additional 300 to 500 contractors on site on a typical day, covering everything from maintenance and turnarounds to specialized technical work. Contractor headcount can spike further during planned maintenance turnarounds, when a refinery temporarily brings in outside crews for weeks at a time. That is a source of shorter-term rental and extended-stay demand that a pure headcount number does not capture, and it tends to be invisible in standard demographic or employment reports that only track permanent payroll.

What this means for you

If you own rental property within a reasonable commute of the Torrance refinery, this employer is part of your demand base whether you have thought about it that way or not. It supports a baseline of steady, working renters who value proximity and reliability over amenities, which is a useful stabilizer in a submarket that can otherwise swing with the broader LA rental cycle. It is also a reminder that a single large industrial employer is a concentration risk worth knowing about, not a reason for concern on its own, but a factor to weigh alongside the diversification any owner should already be thinking about with a rental portfolio in this corridor.

If you want a clearer read on how a specific property's location stacks up against employer proximity like this, that is what we do.

This is general information, not legal or tax advice. Confirm with a licensed professional before you act.

Sources

1. Torrance Refinery: About Us
2. PBF Energy: Refineries overview
3. PBF Energy: Completes Acquisition of the Torrance Refinery and Related Logistics Assets

Last verified: July 2026.

Topics: market, Torrance, employment, South Bay, rental demand

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