What it's like to live in Adelanto
Adelanto is a small city in California. The numbers below lay out what daily life there actually looks like.
The tradeoffs are worth naming plainly. Adelanto deals with unemployment above the national average, crime rates above the national average, long average commutes, and air quality that falls short of national benchmarks.
The not so good
- Above-average unemployment
- Crime above national average
- Long commutes
- Air quality concerns
- Low college degree attainment
- High student-teacher ratio
How Adelanto compares
Median household income
Median rent (per month)
Median home value
What it takes to move to Adelanto
Based on Adelanto's median rent, home value and household income
To rent
$2,874
up front: first month plus a typical one-month deposit
- Income to keep rent under 30%: $57,480 a year
- 52% of Adelanto renters spend 30% or more of their income on rent
To buy
$69,820
a 20% down payment on the median home
- With 10% down: $34,910
- Homes cost 5.1× the typical local household income (US: 4.1×)
Moving costs, closing costs and taxes not included.
The details
Cost of livingNear US average
$1,437/mo median rent
Rent is pretty middle of the road, at $1,437 a month median. Not a bargain, not a budget-buster. About typical for a city this size. Home prices run above average, with a median around $349,100. Buyers should expect to stretch their budget here.
Median home value $349,100 · 52% of renters cost-burdened
Job market▲ 86% above US
8.0% unemployment
Unemployment here is 8.0%, well above the national average of 4.3%. Moving with a job already lined up matters more here.
City-level (BLS)
Safety▲ 97% above US
649 violent crimes per 100k
Crime is a real factor here, with violent rates significantly above the national average. That doesn't make the whole city a write-off, but it does mean specific neighborhoods deserve real research before signing a lease.
Property crime 810/100k · Adelanto Police Department · 2025 data
Getting around▲ 81% above US
47 min average commute
Commutes run long, averaging 47 minutes, and that's just the average, meaning a lot of people are doing significantly more. This isn't a city where living far from the office is a comfortable bet. 9 in 10 workers drive to work; 8% work from home.
How workers get to work
Climate
Summers run seriously hot, with average highs pushing 95°F, and winters are chilly but manageable, with lows around 34°F. It's a dry climate with limited rainfall.
Average month
30-year averages, 1991–2020
Education & workforce▼ 79% below US
8% bachelor's degree or higher
This is a working-class city, and college degree rates reflect that. Trades, manufacturing, and service industries tend to dominate the local economy, which is a strength for some fields and a real constraint for others.
Schools
9 public schools inside the boundary
There are 9 public schools inside the boundary and 1 private school. The student-to-teacher ratio is 22:1, above the national average of 16:1.
Parks & recreation
The nearest national park or historic site is Juan Bautista de Anza National Historic Trail (50 miles away). There are 3 national parks and sites within a day's drive.
Bottom line
Nothing in Adelanto's numbers stands out as a clear strength, and the main tradeoffs are unemployment above the national average and crime rates above the national average. A year of median rent ($1,437/mo) equals 25% of the median household income here, more than the 21% typical nationwide. It may be a harder fit for anyone moving without a job lined up, people who dread long commutes, and anyone who doesn't drive.
Other places near Adelanto
All California guides →Moving to Victorville →
6 mi away · pop. 137,627
Rent $1,618/mo · Income $74,410
Compare with Adelanto →Moving to Spring Valley Lake →
11 mi away · pop. 9,483
Rent $2,350/mo · Income $82,625
Compare with Adelanto →Not sure Adelanto is the one?
Put it side by side with another city.