Signals
Valley Center
National City
Opportunity
61 · Top 40%
vs37 · Bottom 13%
Climate
84 · Top 10%
vs100 · Top 4%
Physical resilience
9 · Bottom 3%
vs9 · Bottom 3%
Housing affordability
68 · Bottom 31%
vs27 · Bottom 1%
Access
74 · Bottom 15%
vs49 · Bottom 4%
Economic stability
55 · Bottom 40%
vs56 · Bottom 42%
Measured values
| Metric | Valley Center | National City | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 11,119 | 58,893 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median household income | $132,361 | $66,841 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Per capita income | $52,880 | $30,909 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Population density | 405/sq mi | 8,015/sq mi | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median home value | $883,700 | $612,200 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median gross rent | $1,750 | $1,692 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Homeownership rate | 92.6% | 34.7% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Unemployment rate | 4.4% | 5.4% | June 2026 |
| Employment change (year over year) | -1.1% | -1.1% | June 2026 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 38.4% | 18.1% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Poverty rate | 6.7% | 14.6% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Average July high | 89°F | 74°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Average January low | 37°F | 49°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Annual precipitation | 14.6" | 9.3" | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Distance to major airport | 51 mi | 86 mi | NASR current cycle |
| Average commute | 40.4 min | 27.1 min | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median age | 42.1 | 36.1 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Public schools | 9 | 16 | 2024-25 school year |
| Students per teacher | 22.93 | 24.49 | 2024-25 school year |
| Free or reduced-price lunch eligibility | 63.8% | 82.8% | 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.
National City
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.
Valley Center
58
Your Score
—
Area Score
National City
42
Your Score
37
Area Score
Select your priorities to see which of the two fits them better.
Full profiles: Valley Center, CA · National City, CA · How this is calculated: methodology