What it's like to live in Fontana
Fontana is a large city in California with household incomes running above the national average and a growing population. Those factors carry real weight for anyone weighing where to move next.
The tradeoffs are worth naming plainly. Fontana deals with rent well above the national average, home prices well above the national average, commute times longer than most cities, and air quality that falls short of national benchmarks.
The good
- Higher-than-average incomes
- Growing population
The not so good
- Rent well above the national average
- High home prices
- Above-average commute times
- Air quality concerns
- Low college degree attainment
- High student-teacher ratio
How Fontana compares
Median household income
Median rent (per month)
Median home value
What it takes to move to Fontana
Based on Fontana's median rent, home value and household income
To rent
$3,678
up front: first month plus a typical one-month deposit
- Income to keep rent under 30%: $73,560 a year
- 51% of Fontana renters spend 30% or more of their income on rent
To buy
$117,360
a 20% down payment on the median home
- With 10% down: $58,680
- Homes cost 5.7× the typical local household income (US: 4.1×)
Moving costs, closing costs and taxes not included.
The details
Cost of living▲ 30% above US
$1,839/mo median rent
Rent runs on the higher side, at $1,839 a month median. Whether that premium makes sense usually comes down to the local job market and what it pays. Home prices are steep, with a median around $586,800. Renting first to get a feel for the city before buying is often the more practical route.
Median home value $586,800 · 51% of renters cost-burdened
Job market▲ 16% above US
5.0% unemployment
Unemployment here is 5.0%, somewhat above the national average of 4.3%. Lining up work before the move is the safer route.
City-level (BLS)
Safety▼ 26% below US
244 violent crimes per 100k
Pretty safe, all things considered. Violent crime sits below the national average, nothing alarming, just ordinary city-life awareness.
Property crime 1136/100k · Fontana Police Department · 2025 data
Getting around▲ 28% above US
33 min average commute
Traffic is a real factor here. The 33.4 minute average means plenty of commuters are pushing 45 to 60 minutes on a bad day. Proximity to work matters more here than it might elsewhere. 8 in 10 workers drive to work; 13% work from home.
How workers get to work
Climate
Summers are hot and humid, with highs regularly hitting 92°F, and winters are mild, with lows rarely dropping below 45°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 3.0 out of 5 by Medicare. Hospitals in neighboring towns aren't counted here.
Medicare-certified hospitals
Education & workforce▼ 41% below US
21% bachelor's degree or higher
College degree attainment runs below average at 21%. That tends to reflect a more trade and working-class economy, which can be great or limiting depending on the industry.
Schools
50 public schools inside the boundary
There are 50 public schools inside the boundary and 6 private schools. 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 (20 miles away). There are 5 national parks and sites within a day's drive.
Bottom line
Fontana's strongest points are household incomes running above the national average and a growing population; the main tradeoffs are rent well above the national average and home prices well above the national average. A year of median rent ($1,839/mo) equals 21% of the median household income here, about the same as the 21% typical nationwide. It tends to suit anyone prioritizing low crime. It may be a harder fit for renters on a tight budget, people who dread long commutes, and anyone who doesn't drive.
Other places near Fontana
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