Signals
Valley Center
Rancho Mission Viejo
Opportunity
61 · Top 40%
vs62 · Top 37%
Climate
84 · Top 10%
vs93 · Top 4%
Physical resilience
9 · Bottom 3%
vs12 · Bottom 7%
Housing affordability
68 · Bottom 31%
vs65 · Bottom 26%
Access
74 · Bottom 15%
vs82 · Bottom 25%
Economic stability
55 · Bottom 40%
vs75 · Top 16%
Measured values
| Metric | Valley Center | Rancho Mission Viejo | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 11,119 | 11,971 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median household income | $132,361 | $192,813 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Per capita income | $52,880 | $86,989 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Population density | 405/sq mi | 317/sq mi | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median home value | $883,700 | $1,110,100 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median gross rent | $1,750 | $3,501 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Homeownership rate | 92.6% | 75.9% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Unemployment rate | 4.4% | 4.1% | June 2026 |
| Employment change (year over year) | -1.1% | -1.8% | June 2026 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 38.4% | 62.9% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Poverty rate | 6.7% | 2.7% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Average July high | 89°F | 80°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Average January low | 37°F | 40°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Distance to major airport | 51 mi | 38 mi | NASR current cycle |
| Average commute | 40.4 min | 31.7 min | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median age | 42.1 | 37.4 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Public schools | 9 | 6 | 2024-25 school year |
| Students per teacher | 22.93 | 24.78 | 2024-25 school year |
| Free or reduced-price lunch eligibility | 63.8% | 18.6% | 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.
Rancho Mission Viejo
Elevated or high exposure: earthquake, inland flooding.
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
Rancho Mission Viejo
65
Your Score
—
Area Score
Select your priorities to see which of the two fits them better.
Full profiles: Valley Center, CA · Rancho Mission Viejo, CA · How this is calculated: methodology