Bostonia vs Chula Vista

Which is the better fit for you?

Bostonia, CA
47
Area Score
Bottom 13% nationally
Chula Vista, CA
49
Area Score
Bottom 16% nationally

Want a third or fourth place beside these? Open them in the shortlist and add more.

Chula Vista receives the higher standardized Area Score. That reflects AreaProfile's weighting, not a judgment about which place is better to live in.

If you are moving

What the difference in prices, rent, homes and weather comes to, using the published figures for the two places. Add your income to see what it would take to keep pace.

Moving from Bostonia to Chula Vista

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Everyday prices
About the same
Regional price level 110.7 against 110.7 (US = 100). Both places sit in the same price region, so the index cannot tell them apart.
Income to keep the same purchasing power
Enter your household income to see it.
A new two-bedroom lease
+$487 a month
HUD benchmarks it at $3,157 in Chula Vista against $2,670 in Bostonia.
The median home
56% more
$758,700 in Chula Vista against $487,600 in Bostonia.
The weather you would swap
Winters 2°F colder
Normal January lows are 44°F in Chula Vista against 46°F in Bostonia; July highs are 78°F against 80°F (summers 2°F cooler).

These are differences between published figures, not a forecast of your budget. Income and sales taxes, commuting, schools, insurance and the job you would actually get are not in them, and a price index describes a metropolitan area, so two places in one metro read the same. HUD’s rent is a benchmark for a new lease, not a listing.

Signals

Bostonia
Chula Vista
Opportunity: Chula Vista is the more favorable of the two.
Opportunity
40 · Bottom 18%
vs
44 · Bottom 25%
Growth: Chula Vista is the more favorable of the two.
Growth
47 · Bottom 44%
vs
60 · Top 29%
Climate
100 · Top 4%
vs
100 · Top 4%
Physical resilience
9 · Bottom 3%
vs
9 · Bottom 3%
Housing affordability: Bostonia is the more favorable of the two.
Housing affordability
46 · Bottom 17%
vs
37 · Bottom 7%
Schools: Chula Vista is the more favorable of the two.
Schools
52 · Top 46%
vs
53 · Top 45%
Access: Bostonia is the more favorable of the two.
Access
60 · Bottom 6%
vs
49 · Bottom 3%
Economic stability: Chula Vista is the more favorable of the two.
Economic stability
52 · Bottom 39%
vs
61 · Top 44%

Measured values

MetricBostoniaChula VistaSource period
Population16,765276,3752024 ACS 5-Year
Median household income$78,878$108,032 — more favorable2024 ACS 5-Year
Per capita income$34,412$41,343 — more favorable2024 ACS 5-Year
Population density8,705/sq mi5,568/sq mi2024 ACS 5-Year
Median home value$487,600$758,7002024 ACS 5-Year
Median gross rent$2,087 — more favorable$2,2292024 ACS 5-Year
Market rent, two bedroom$2,670 — more favorable$3,157FY2026
Cost of living index110.7110.72023
Homeownership rate42.3%59.8%2024 ACS 5-Year
Unemployment rate4.7% — more favorable5.1%July 2026
Employment change (year over year)−2.0%−2.0%July 2026
Bachelor's degree or higher21.9%33.2% — more favorable2024 ACS 5-Year
Poverty rate13.4%8.5% — more favorable2024 ACS 5-Year
Housing units permitted (12 months)10,42494112 months ending July 2026
Permits per 1,000 residents3.23.4 — more favorable12 months ending July 2026
Permit change (year over year)−19.1%+26.6% — more favorable12 months ending July 2026
Average July high80°F78°F1991-2020 Normals
Average January low46°F44°F1991-2020 Normals
Annual precipitation11.0"10.2"1991-2020 Normals
Distance to major airport72 mi — more favorable85 miNASR current cycle
Average commute26.6 min — more favorable30.7 min2024 ACS 5-Year
Median age34.237.12024 ACS 5-Year
Students per teacher22.422.2 — more favorable2024-25 school year
Math proficiency45.3% — more favorable43.5%2018-19 school year
Reading proficiency58.4%62.5% — more favorable2018-19 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.

The number of units permitted is not marked because the larger place always permits more; the per-resident rate is the fair comparison.

Physical risk tradeoff

Bostonia

Elevated or high exposure: wildfire, earthquake.

Chula Vista

Elevated or high exposure: wildfire, earthquake.

Your best match

Weight what matters to you. Your preferences stay in this browser and never change either Area Score.

Bostonia
—
Bostonia: Your Score
47
Area Score
Chula Vista
—
Chula Vista: Your Score
49
Area Score

Select your priorities to see which of the two fits them better.

Full profiles: Bostonia, CA · Chula Vista, CA · How this is calculated: methodology