Apple Valley, CA — Momentum Score, Home Values & Best-For

All states·California·Apple Valley

San Bernardino County · Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario · population 75,029

Apple Valley, CA
Image: Wikipedia · Apple Valley, California
OverviewCost of livingMoving guide
View watchlist →
63
Rising
Momentum score · 0–100

Where Apple Valley stands

At or near all-time high.

Median home $433,460
1-year +0.1%
5-yr CAGR +5.2%
vs 5-yr peak -0.9%
Population -0.3%/yr

Home value trajectory · last 10 years

Zillow ZHVI · monthly
peak 2024-12$433k$193k$281k$368k$455k201620182020202220242026

Lifestyle scores

🚶
Walkability
30/100
Very car-dependent
Estimated from population density. Higher = denser, more amenities within walking distance.
🚉
Public transit
22/100
Transit limited
Curated list of major US transit systems + population-based estimate. Higher = real subway/rail/bus options.
💻
Remote work fit
76/100
Strong remote-work fit
Composite of city size, housing cost, state tax structure, and region's remote-work track record.

Scores are heuristic estimates from population density, state, and known transit/walkable cities. Not based on a paid Walk Score / Transit Score API — see methodology for the formula.

Rent trajectory · last 5 years

Zillow ZORI · monthly
$1,924/mo$1,327$1,687$2,048202220242026

Home value vs rent · indexed to 100

Both rebased at first month of ZORI data (~2015)
Home valueRent129136100120140202220242026

Rent vs buy

Price-to-rent ratio: 18.8
Lean buy

At a 18.8 price-to-rent ratio, Apple Valley is in the 'depends on horizon' zone. Buy if you'll be there 5+ years and value flexibility on the home; rent if you might move, want zero maintenance friction, or expect rates to drop.

How the momentum score breaks down

methodology →
Home YoY
50 · w22%
Home 5-yr CAGR
66 · w22%
Distance from peak
85 · w18%
Population growth
41 · w16%
Rent YoY
68 · w12%
Home 10-yr CAGR
79 · w10%
Long thesis

Apple Valley has held up across the cycle: home values at $433,460 with +5.2% 5-year CAGR. The bull case is structural — population, location, employer base — and holds even if next year's print is soft.

Short thesis

Apple Valley's bear case is the boring one: the cycle is real and any market that's run hard can stall. Watch for slowing population growth, rising days-on-market, or builder discounts as the early warning signals.

About Apple Valley

Apple Valley is a city in San Bernardino County, California, with an estimated population of 75,029. It anchors the Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario metro area. The median home value in Apple Valley is $433,460 as of 2026-04, up 0.1% over the last 12 months. Over the last five years, home values have averaged +5.2% annual growth, with prices at or near the 5-year peak. Rents in Apple Valley average $1,924 per month, up 3.5% year-over-year. The composite momentum score is 63 of 100 (Rising). The market is healthy with prices supported by underlying demand.

▲ Bull case

●Healthy 5-year run: +5.2% annualized over 5 years, outpacing US inflation.
●Held the highs: currently -0.9% from the 5-year peak — this market refused to give back gains.

▼ Bear case

○Local nuance: city-level data smooths over neighborhood differences. School zones, HOA rules, and street-level character matter — visit before deciding.

About Apple Valley (Wikipedia)

Apple Valley is an incorporated town in the Victor Valley of San Bernardino County, California, United States. Its population was 75,791 as of the 2020 United States census. The town is east of and adjoining to the neighboring cities of Victorville and Hesperia, 35 miles (56 km) south of Barstow, and 49 miles (79 km) north of San Bernardino through the Cajon Pass. It was incorporated on November 14, 1988, and is one of the 22 incorporated municipalities in California that use "town" in their names instead of "city".

Source: Wikipedia · this summary is contributed and licensed under CC-BY-SA.

City facts

Area77.08 sq mi
Elevation2917 ft
Nickname"Apple of the Desert"
Motto"A Better Way of Life"
Density984.22/sq mi
Named forThe apple orchards grown during the town's founding

Extracted from the Wikipedia infobox. Values may be slightly out of date relative to the latest sources.

Playbook

Buyer

You're not in a frenzy but you're not getting bargains either. Make a competitive offer with normal inspection terms. Don't lowball — the listing will move with or without you.

Seller

Price at fair market value; expect movement in 30-45 days. Don't get clever with terms (rent-back, contingencies) — buyers in a Rising market have options.

Investor

Appreciation tailwind exists but cash flow requires discipline on price. Run the numbers conservatively and confirm rent comps before committing.

Local safety & alerts

No active National Weather Service alerts for San Bernardino County right now.

NWS active alerts (CA)California Emergency ManagementHow to prepare (NWS)

Public-safety links are official .gov sources, not curated by us. San Bernardino County routes NWS alerts; check the state EM portal for non-weather emergencies.

Cities like Apple Valley

Highland, CA61 · StablePorterville, CA66 · RisingRialto, CA62 · RisingYucaipa, CA60 · Stable

Run the numbers for Apple Valley

ToolCan I afford Apple Valley?Income → city shortlistToolROI on a Apple Valley rentalCap rate, cash-on-cash, DSCRToolCompare Apple Valley to anywhereSide-by-side up to 3 citiesToolApple Valley cost-of-livingEquivalent income elsewhere

Sources: Zillow ZHVI (home values), Zillow ZORI (rents), US Census ACS + place population. Updated when source agencies publish revisions.

Climate & natural-disaster risk

Winter (Jan)
60° / 41°
avg high / low
Summer (Jul)
82° / 60°
avg high / low
Sunny days/yr
258
~71% of year
Annual precip
22″ rain
8″ snow
Disaster risk (1=very low, 5=very high)
Hurricane
Very low
Tornado
Very low
Wildfire
Very high
Earthquake
Very high
Flood
Moderate

State-level averages from NOAA Climate Normals (1991-2020) and FEMA National Risk Index. City-level conditions can vary significantly within a state.

Local sports teams

Major professional teams the Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario area cheers for. Detailed stats, schedules, and player pages on intherafters.com.

Current weather

Loading current conditions…

7-day forecast on weather.gov →

Find rentals & listings

Open current Apple Valley listings on the major real-estate sites.

Links open the live search on the destination site — results are always current.

Local news & community

Updated 2026-05-21 from Google News + Reddit RSS. Headlines link to original sources.

Local economy & environment

Humidity
65%
Moderate climate
Median household income
$91,500
California state median
Top industries (state-level)
TechEntertainmentAgriculture

Humidity is annual average relative humidity (NOAA). Income is Census ACS 5-year estimate. Industries are largest employment sectors statewide (BLS); the local mix in a given city may vary.

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