Fontana receives the higher standardized Area Score. That reflects AreaProfile's weighting, not a judgment about which place is better to live in.
Signals
Blythe
Fontana
Opportunity
31 · Bottom 8%
vs52 · Bottom 40%
Growth
16 · Bottom 5%
vs61 · Top 31%
Climate
53 · Bottom 2%
vs89 · Top 5%
Physical resilience
4 · Bottom 1%
vs7 · Bottom 2%
Housing affordability
85 · Top 43%
vs66 · Bottom 28%
Access
59 · Bottom 7%
vs100 · Top 1%
Economic stability
20 · Bottom 2%
vs68 · Top 35%
Measured values
| Metric | Blythe | Fontana | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 17,396 | 214,169 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median household income | $56,625 | $102,821 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Per capita income | $20,619 | $33,149 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Population density | 656/sq mi | 4,948/sq mi | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median home value | $225,000 | $586,800 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median gross rent | $938 | $1,839 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Homeownership rate | 57.3% | 66.8% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Unemployment rate | 5.4% | 4.8% | June 2026 |
| Employment change (year over year) | -1.4% | -1.4% | June 2026 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 8.5% | 21.4% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Poverty rate | 18.9% | 9.9% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Housing units permitted (12 months) | 0 | 1,225 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permits per 1,000 residents | 0.0 | 5.7 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Average July high | 109°F | 94°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Average January low | 43°F | 45°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Annual precipitation | 3.6" | 11.6" | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Distance to major airport | 65 mi | 9 mi | NASR current cycle |
| Average commute | 19.1 min | 34.9 min | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median age | 38.3 | 33.8 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Public schools | 6 | 56 | 2024-25 school year |
| Students per teacher | 22.50 | 22.43 | 2024-25 school year |
| Free or reduced-price lunch eligibility | 82.1% | 77.9% | 2024-25 school year |
A bolded value is the more favorable of the two where the metric has a clear direction. Metrics like population and density have no inherent better or worse and are shown unweighted.
Physical risk tradeoff
Blythe
Elevated or high exposure: inland flooding, wildfire, earthquake.
Fontana
Elevated or high exposure: wildfire, earthquake, inland flooding.
Full profiles: Blythe, CA · Fontana, CA · How this is calculated: methodology