Signals
Valley Center
Escondido
Opportunity
61 · Top 40%
vs57 · Top 49%
Climate
84 · Top 10%
vs84 · Top 10%
Physical resilience
9 · Bottom 3%
vs9 · Bottom 3%
Housing affordability
68 · Bottom 31%
vs42 · Bottom 5%
Access
74 · Bottom 15%
vs69 · Bottom 11%
Economic stability
55 · Bottom 40%
vs60 · Bottom 49%
Measured values
| Metric | Valley Center | Escondido | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 11,119 | 149,668 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median household income | $132,361 | $91,967 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Per capita income | $52,880 | $40,430 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Population density | 405/sq mi | 4,007/sq mi | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median home value | $883,700 | $714,500 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median gross rent | $1,750 | $2,046 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Homeownership rate | 92.6% | 53.4% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Unemployment rate | 4.4% | 4.2% | June 2026 |
| Employment change (year over year) | -1.1% | -1.1% | June 2026 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 38.4% | 28.9% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Poverty rate | 6.7% | 12.2% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Average July high | 89°F | 89°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Average January low | 37°F | 37°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Annual precipitation | 14.6" | 14.6" | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Distance to major airport | 51 mi | 58 mi | NASR current cycle |
| Average commute | 40.4 min | 29.9 min | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median age | 42.1 | 36.9 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Public schools | 9 | 36 | 2024-25 school year |
| Students per teacher | 22.93 | 20.16 | 2024-25 school year |
| Free or reduced-price lunch eligibility | 63.8% | 66.5% | 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
Valley Center
Elevated or high exposure: wildfire, earthquake.
Escondido
Elevated or high exposure: wildfire, earthquake.
Your best match
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Valley Center
58
Your Score
—
Area Score
Escondido
51
Your Score
47
Area Score
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Full profiles: Valley Center, CA · Escondido, CA · How this is calculated: methodology