What it's like to live in Apple Valley
Apple Valley is a smaller city in California. The numbers below lay out what daily life there actually looks like.
The tradeoffs are worth naming plainly. Apple Valley 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 Apple Valley compares
Median household income
Median rent (per month)
Median home value
What it takes to move to Apple Valley
Based on Apple Valley's median rent, home value and household income
To rent
$2,888
up front: first month plus a typical one-month deposit
- Income to keep rent under 30%: $57,760 a year
- 60% of Apple Valley renters spend 30% or more of their income on rent
To buy
$81,480
a 20% down payment on the median home
- With 10% down: $40,740
- Homes cost 5.8× the typical local household income (US: 4.1×)
Moving costs, closing costs and taxes not included.
The details
Cost of livingNear US average
$1,444/mo median rent
Rent is pretty middle of the road, at $1,444 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 $407,400. Buyers should expect to stretch their budget here.
Median home value $407,400 · 60% of renters cost-burdened
Job market▲ 58% above US
6.8% unemployment
Unemployment here is 6.8%, well above the national average of 4.3%. Moving with a job already lined up matters more here.
City-level (BLS)
Safety▲ 47% above US
485 violent crimes per 100k
Crime is worth weighing seriously here. Rates run above the national average, and while plenty of residents live comfortably, neighborhood selection matters a lot more than it does in a safer city.
Property crime 1375/100k · Apple Valley Police Department · 2025 data
Getting around▲ 58% above US
41 min average commute
Commutes run long, averaging 41.1 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; 10% 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
Healthcare
1 hospital
There's one Medicare-certified hospital inside city limits, rated 2.0 out of 5 by Medicare. Hospitals in neighboring towns aren't counted here.
Medicare-certified hospitals
Education & workforce▼ 48% below US
19% 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
16 public schools inside the boundary
There are 16 public schools inside the boundary and 2 private schools. The student-to-teacher ratio is 24:1, above the national average of 16:1.
Parks & recreation
The nearest national park or historic site is Juan Bautista de Anza National Historic Trail (46 miles away). There are 4 national parks and sites within a day's drive.
Bottom line
Nothing in Apple Valley'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 ($1,444/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 Apple Valley
All California guides →Moving to Spring Valley Lake →
4 mi away · pop. 9,483
Rent $2,350/mo · Income $82,625
Compare with Apple Valley →Moving to Victorville →
8 mi away · pop. 137,627
Rent $1,618/mo · Income $74,410
Compare with Apple Valley →Moving to Hesperia →
11 mi away · pop. 100,775
Rent $1,590/mo · Income $72,160
Compare with Apple Valley →Moving to Adelanto →
13 mi away · pop. 37,964
Rent $1,437/mo · Income $68,685
Compare with Apple Valley →Not sure Apple Valley is the one?
Put it side by side with another city.