Carlsbad, CA vs Valley Center, CA

Side-by-side comparison from the latest government data.

MetricCarlsbad, CAValley Center, CA
Population114,37311,119
Median Household Income$142,748$132,361
Median Rent$2,808/mo—
Median Home Value$1,257,000$883,700
Cost of Living (US = 100)112112
Renters Paying 30%+ of Income54.5%14.8%
Poverty Rate6.9%6.7%
Unemployment Rate4.3%4.6% (county)
Violent Crime Rate /100k212167*
Property Crime Rate /100k1,118315*
Median AQI6767
Good AQI Days /yr6464
Summer Highs73°F89°F
Winter Lows48°F38°F
Snowfall0 in/yr0 in/yr
Avg Commute27.1 min37.6 min
Hospitals——
Avg Hospital Rating——
Students per Teacher22.822.1
College Degree Rate62.1%38.4%
Foreign-Born %14.1%22.1%
Population Growth (2020–2025)-2.2%-7.0%

Green = clearly better (more than 5% apart). Population, growth, weather, hospital count and foreign-born share aren’t scored.
* Rate of the agency that polices Valley Center (the city has no police department of its own), so it isn’t scored.