San Bernardino, CA — Momentum Score, Home Values & Best-For

All states·California·San Bernardino

San Bernardino County · Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario · population 224,775

San Bernardino, CA
Image: Wikipedia · San Bernardino, California
OverviewCost of livingMoving guide
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67
Rising
Momentum score · 0–100

Where San Bernardino stands

At or near all-time high.

Median home $492,059
1-year +0.3%
5-yr CAGR +6.3%
vs 5-yr peak -0.8%
Population +0.3%/yr

Home value trajectory · last 10 years

Zillow ZHVI · monthly
peak 2025-01$492k$194k$301k$408k$516k201620182020202220242026

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
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
$1,958/mo$1,305$1,690$2,075202220242026

Home value vs rent · indexed to 100

Both rebased at first month of ZORI data (~2015)
Home valueRent136141100120140202220242026

Rent vs buy

Price-to-rent ratio: 20.9
Lean rent

At a 20.9 price-to-rent ratio, the math is starting to lean toward renting in San Bernardino. Owner-occupier ROI requires longer holds and the assumption that prices keep appreciating roughly at the rate of rent.

How the momentum score breaks down

methodology →
Home YoY
52 · w22%
Home 5-yr CAGR
71 · w22%
Distance from peak
85 · w18%
Population growth
51 · w16%
Rent YoY
65 · w12%
Home 10-yr CAGR
85 · w10%
Long thesis

San Bernardino has held up across the cycle: home values at $492,059 with +6.3% 5-year CAGR. The bull case is structural — population, location, employer base — and holds even if next year's print is soft.

Short thesis

San Bernardino'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 San Bernardino

San Bernardino is a city in San Bernardino County, California, with an estimated population of 224,775. It anchors the Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario metro area. The median home value in San Bernardino is $492,059 as of 2026-04, up 0.3% over the last 12 months. Over the last five years, home values have averaged +6.3% annual growth, with prices at or near the 5-year peak. Rents in San Bernardino average $1,958 per month, up 3.0% year-over-year. The composite momentum score is 67 of 100 (Rising). The market is healthy with prices supported by underlying demand.

▲ Bull case

●Healthy 5-year run: +6.3% annualized over 5 years, outpacing US inflation.
●Held the highs: currently -0.8% 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 San Bernardino (Wikipedia)

San Bernardino is a city in and the county seat of San Bernardino County, California, United States. Located in the Inland Empire region of Southern California, the city had a population of 222,101 in the 2020 census, making it the 18th–most populous city in California. The Riverside–San Bernardino metropolitan area at 4.74 million residents is the 12th-largest metropolitan area in the nation. San Bernardino is the economic, cultural, and political hub of the San Bernardino Valley, sharing that distinction for the wider Inland Empire with its twin city of Riverside.

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

City facts

MayorHelen Tran (D)
Area62.46 sq mi
Elevation1053 (Downtown) ft
IncorporatedAugust 10, 1869
Density3574.7/sq mi
Named forSan Bernardino de Sena Estancia, named for Bernardino of Sie

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 San Bernardino

55 tracked · ranked by median home value
1Ridgeline$640,767+0.7%
2Verdemont$622,248-2.6%
3Nena$596,868-0.2%
4Small Canyon$580,223+0.6%
5Amber Hills$575,014-0.8%
6Crossroads$568,819+2.6%
7North Park$562,970+0.5%
8Barton$551,874+2.2%
9Cimmeron$543,181-2.2%
10Rancho West$536,267+0.0%
11Kendall$532,873-0.2%
12Belevedere$532,522+1.3%
13South Pointe$529,176-1.5%
14Shirrells$512,458-0.3%
15Terrace$511,070+0.5%
16HI-30$503,147-0.8%
17San Gorgonio$502,661+1.8%
18NE – Sterling$498,451-1.0%
19Hudson$498,404+0.6%
20Cajon$492,027+2.0%
21Riverview$485,763+1.3%
22Wildwood Park$483,167-0.5%
23Arrowhead$482,114+2.4%
24DRNAG$481,767+0.4%

See the full neighborhood ranking →

Cities like San Bernardino

Santa Ana, CA66 · RisingAnaheim, CA63 · RisingHesperia, CA66 · RisingBakersfield, CA66 · Rising

Run the numbers for San Bernardino

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