Escondido, CA vs Valley Center, CA

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

MetricEscondido, CAValley Center, CA
Population149,66811,119
Median Household Income$91,967$132,361
Median Rent$2,046/mo—
Median Home Value$714,500$883,700
Cost of Living (US = 100)112112
Renters Paying 30%+ of Income59%14.8%
Poverty Rate12.2%6.7%
Unemployment Rate4.3%4.6% (county)
Violent Crime Rate /100k337167*
Property Crime Rate /100k1,443315*
Median AQI6767
Good AQI Days /yr6464
Summer Highs86°F89°F
Winter Lows45°F38°F
Snowfall0 in/yr0 in/yr
Avg Commute27.5 min37.6 min
Hospitals1—
Avg Hospital Rating3.0 / 5—
Students per Teacher19.322.1
College Degree Rate28.9%38.4%
Foreign-Born %29%22.1%
Population Growth (2020–2025)-3.3%-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.