Costa Mesa, CA vs Fountain Valley, CA

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

MetricCosta Mesa, CAFountain Valley, CA
Population110,33056,258
Median Household Income$111,505$115,237
Median Rent$2,446/mo$2,631/mo
Median Home Value$1,115,100$1,072,300
Cost of Living (US = 100)114114
Renters Paying 30%+ of Income51.5%61%
Poverty Rate9.1%8%
Unemployment Rate3.7%4.5%
Violent Crime Rate /100k543176
Property Crime Rate /100k2,0941,588
Median AQI5353
Good AQI Days /yr138138
Summer Highs78°F78°F
Winter Lows49°F49°F
Snowfall0 in/yr0 in/yr
Avg Commute22.4 min26 min
Hospitals12
Avg Hospital Rating—3.0 / 5
Students per Teacher17.123.7
College Degree Rate45%46.4%
Foreign-Born %22.3%32.9%
Population Growth (2020–2025)-2.9%-2.7%

Green = clearly better (more than 5% apart). Population, growth, weather, hospital count and foreign-born share aren’t scored.