Oceanside, CA vs Valley Center, CA

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

MetricOceanside, CAValley Center, CA
Population172,24211,119
Median Household Income$97,737$132,361
Median Rent$2,303/mo—
Median Home Value$770,300$883,700
Cost of Living (US = 100)112112
Renters Paying 30%+ of Income58.5%14.8%
Poverty Rate8.3%6.7%
Unemployment Rate4.6%4.6% (county)
Violent Crime Rate /100k385167*
Property Crime Rate /100k1,544315*
Median AQI6767
Good AQI Days /yr6464
Summer Highs76°F89°F
Winter Lows41°F38°F
Snowfall0 in/yr0 in/yr
Avg Commute28.7 min37.6 min
Hospitals1—
Avg Hospital Rating1.0 / 5—
Students per Teacher2322.1
College Degree Rate36.2%38.4%
Foreign-Born %21.7%22.1%
Population Growth (2020–2025)-2.1%-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.