What it's like to live in Fountain Valley
Fountain Valley is a smaller city in California with household incomes running above the national average, crime rates well below the national average, and a highly educated workforce. Those factors carry real weight for anyone weighing where to move next.
The tradeoffs are worth naming plainly. Fountain Valley deals with rent well above the national average, home prices well above the national average, air quality that falls short of national benchmarks, and larger class sizes than the national average.
The good
- Higher-than-average incomes
- Low crime rates
- Highly educated workforce
The not so good
- Rent well above the national average
- High home prices
- Air quality concerns
- High student-teacher ratio
- High rent burden for renters
- Car-dependent — few commuters use transit
How Fountain Valley compares
Median household income
Median rent (per month)
Median home value
What it takes to move to Fountain Valley
Based on Fountain Valley's median rent, home value and household income
To rent
$5,262
up front: first month plus a typical one-month deposit
- Income to keep rent under 30%: $105,240 a year
- 61% of Fountain Valley renters spend 30% or more of their income on rent
To buy
$214,460
a 20% down payment on the median home
- With 10% down: $107,230
- Homes cost 9.3× the typical local household income (US: 4.1×)
Moving costs, closing costs and taxes not included.
The details
Cost of living▲ 86% above US
$2,631/mo median rent
Rent is expensive here, at $2,631 a month median and well above the national average. This is the kind of city where housing costs deserve serious budgeting before committing to a move. Home prices are steep, with a median around $1,072,300. Renting first to get a feel for the city before buying is often the more practical route.
Median home value $1,072,300 · 61% of renters cost-burdened
Job marketNear US average
4.5% unemployment
Unemployment here is 4.5%, close to the national average of 4.3%.
City-level (BLS)
Safety▼ 47% below US
176 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 1588/100k · Fountain Valley Police Department · 2025 data
Getting aroundNear US average
26 min average commute
Commutes run about average, at 26 minutes. Fine day to day, but it adds up over a year, and where someone lives relative to where they work starts to matter. 8 in 10 workers drive to work; 17% work from home.
How workers get to work
Climate
Summers are comfortable, with highs around 78°F, and winters are mild, with lows rarely dropping below 49°F. It's a dry climate with limited rainfall.
Average month
30-year averages, 1991–2020
Healthcare
2 hospitals
There are 2 Medicare-certified hospitals inside city limits. They average 3.0 out of 5 on Medicare's star rating.
Medicare-certified hospitals
Education & workforce▲ 29% above US
46% bachelor's degree or higher
The population is well-educated, with 46% holding college degrees. That points to a strong professional base and generally a healthy local economy.
Schools
14 public schools inside the boundary
There are 14 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 (43 miles away). There are 3 national parks and sites within a day's drive.
Bottom line
Fountain Valley's strongest points are household incomes running above the national average and crime rates well below the national average; the main tradeoffs are rent well above the national average and home prices well above the national average. A year of median rent ($2,631/mo) equals 27% of the median household income here, more than the 21% typical nationwide. It tends to suit anyone prioritizing low crime, remote workers (17% of workers here already work from home), and college-educated professionals. It may be a harder fit for renters on a tight budget and anyone who doesn't drive.
See all the data for Fountain Valley →·All California cities →
Other places near Fountain Valley
All California guides →Moving to Huntington Beach →
3 mi away · pop. 195,240
Rent $2,510/mo · Income $120,919
Compare with Fountain Valley →Moving to Costa Mesa →
4 mi away · pop. 110,330
Rent $2,446/mo · Income $111,505
Compare with Fountain Valley →Moving to Westminster →
4 mi away · pop. 89,860
Rent $2,168/mo · Income $85,541
Compare with Fountain Valley →Moving to Santa Ana →
4 mi away · pop. 312,534
Rent $2,082/mo · Income $93,999
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