Fontana receives the higher standardized Area Score. That reflects AreaProfile's weighting, not a judgment about which place is better to live in.
Signals
Coachella
Fontana
Opportunity
33 · Bottom 9%
vs52 · Bottom 40%
Growth
68 · Top 20%
vs61 · Top 31%
Climate
59 · Bottom 10%
vs89 · Top 5%
Physical resilience
4 · Bottom 1%
vs7 · Bottom 2%
Housing affordability
71 · Bottom 35%
vs66 · Bottom 28%
Access
98 · Top 19%
vs100 · Top 1%
Economic stability
70 · Top 29%
vs68 · Top 35%
Measured values
| Metric | Coachella | Fontana | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 43,307 | 214,169 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median household income | $68,596 | $102,821 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Per capita income | $25,991 | $33,149 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Population density | 1,448/sq mi | 4,948/sq mi | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median home value | $367,600 | $586,800 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median gross rent | $1,144 | $1,839 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Homeownership rate | 63.7% | 66.8% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Unemployment rate | 8.9% | 4.8% | June 2026 |
| Employment change (year over year) | -1.4% | -1.4% | June 2026 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 7.5% | 21.4% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Poverty rate | 10.2% | 9.9% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Housing units permitted (12 months) | 78 | 1,225 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permits per 1,000 residents | 1.8 | 5.7 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permit change (year over year) | 239.1% | -15.2% | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Average July high | 107°F | 94°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Average January low | 39°F | 45°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Annual precipitation | 3.0" | 11.6" | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Distance to major airport | 5 mi | 9 mi | NASR current cycle |
| Average commute | 24.5 min | 34.9 min | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median age | 33.4 | 33.8 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Public schools | 11 | 56 | 2024-25 school year |
| Students per teacher | 22.49 | 22.43 | 2024-25 school year |
| Free or reduced-price lunch eligibility | 80.4% | 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
Coachella
Elevated or high exposure: inland flooding, wildfire, earthquake.
Fontana
Elevated or high exposure: wildfire, earthquake, inland flooding.
Full profiles: Coachella, CA · Fontana, CA · How this is calculated: methodology