Fontana, CA — Momentum Score, Home Values & Best-For

All states·California·Fontana

San Bernardino County · Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario · population 218,455

Fontana, CA
Image: Wikipedia · Fontana, California
OverviewCost of livingMoving guide
View watchlist →
62
Rising
Momentum score · 0–100

Where Fontana stands

Steady, no major recent move.

Median home $641,894
1-year -1.4%
5-yr CAGR +5.0%
vs 5-yr peak -2.5%
Population +1.2%/yr

Home value trajectory · last 10 years

Zillow ZHVI · monthly
peak 2024-12$642k$318k$440k$562k$685k201620182020202220242026

Lifestyle scores

🚶
Walkability
52/100
Somewhat walkable
Estimated from population density. Higher = denser, more amenities within walking distance.
🚉
Public transit
38/100
Minimal transit
Curated list of major US transit systems + population-based estimate. Higher = real subway/rail/bus options.
💻
Remote work fit
70/100
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
$3,065/mo$2,386$2,837$3,288202220242026

Home value vs rent · indexed to 100

Both rebased at first month of ZORI data (~2015)
Home valueRent116121100120202220242026

Rent vs buy

Price-to-rent ratio: 17.5
Lean buy

At a 17.5 price-to-rent ratio, Fontana 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
43 · w22%
Home 5-yr CAGR
65 · w22%
Distance from peak
75 · w18%
Population growth
68 · w16%
Rent YoY
53 · w12%
Home 10-yr CAGR
71 · w10%
Long thesis

Fontana has held up across the cycle: home values at $641,894 with +5.0% 5-year CAGR. The bull case is structural — population, location, employer base — and holds even if next year's print is soft.

Short thesis

Fontana'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 Fontana

Fontana is a city in San Bernardino County, California, with an estimated population of 218,455. It anchors the Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario metro area. The population grew 1.2% annually from 2020 to 2024, a moderate gain. The median home value in Fontana is $641,894 as of 2026-04, down 1.4% over the last 12 months. Over the last five years, home values have averaged +5.0% annual growth (-2.5% from the 5-year peak). Rents in Fontana average $3,065 per month, roughly flat year-over-year (+1.1%). The composite momentum score is 62 of 100 (Rising). The market is healthy with prices supported by underlying demand.

▲ Bull case

●Net positive migration: population up 1.2% per year — demand fundamentals are intact.
●Held the highs: currently -2.5% 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 Fontana (Wikipedia)

Fontana is a city in San Bernardino County, California, United States. Founded by Azariel Blanchard Miller in 1913, it remained essentially rural until World War II, when entrepreneur Henry J. Kaiser built a large steel mill in the area. It is now a regional hub of the trucking industry, with the east–west Interstate 10 and State Route 210 crossing the city and Interstate 15 passing diagonally through its northwestern quadrant. The city is about 46 miles (74 km) east of Los Angeles.

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

City facts

MayorMayor Acquanetta Warren Phillip CothranJohn RobertsJesse SandovalPeter Garcia
Area43.07 sq mi
Elevation1237 ft
Founded1913Cite book
Motto"City of Action"
Density4838.47/sq mi
Named forItalian for fountain or water source; in reference to the Sa

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.

Neighborhoods of Fontana

11 tracked · ranked by median home value
1Coyote Canyon$916,545+0.4%
2Southwest Industrial Park$886,689-1.0%
3Summit Heights$809,540-1.6%
4Hunter's Ridge$760,531-2.3%
5Morningside$758,001-0.9%
6Citrus Heights$751,968-1.8%
7Sierra Lakes$742,501-2.4%
8Rancho Fontana$715,233-2.4%
9West End$710,618-1.7%
10Walnut Village$616,889-0.6%
11Southridge Village$595,414-1.9%

Cities like Fontana

Ontario, CA63 · RisingCorona, CA62 · RisingRiverside, CA60 · StableMoreno Valley, CA61 · Stable

Run the numbers for Fontana

ToolCan I afford Fontana?Income → city shortlistToolROI on a Fontana rentalCap rate, cash-on-cash, DSCRToolCompare Fontana to anywhereSide-by-side up to 3 citiesToolFontana 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 Fontana 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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