Are you considering uprooting your family and starting over somewhere else? There’s a good chance that Fontana is the perfect location for you!
Fontana, nestled against the San Bernardino Mountains, is a modern city that gives its residents and visitors a plethora of community activities, a flourishing local economy, and convenient access to major corporate centers.
The city is a beautiful place to live thanks to its large population of more than 211,815 people and its abundance of recreational opportunities. Originally an industrial town, it is today a multisector economic center for the region.
If you are interested in living the high life in Fontana, look through this summary of pros and cons to determine if you will enjoy the activities and amenities that are available in the local area.
List of Contents
Is Fontana a Good Place To Live In? – California’s Most Prosperous City
The Good Side
The City’s Neighborhoods Are Family-friendly
With approximately two dozen neighborhoods and various community centers, Fontana exudes an atmosphere welcoming to families down every municipal block.
It is the twentieth most significant city in California, comprising 32 neighborhoods. Lytle Creek Road, Cherry Avenue, N Locust Avenue, E Liberty Parkway, South Fontana, Baseline Avenue, Foothill Boulevard, Windcrest Drive, and Highland Avenue are the most popular communities in the area.
Both children and adults can join in a wide range of activities at one of the city’s many community centers. In addition to karate and kickboxing, the Don Day Neighborhood Center also provides gymnastics and mixed martial arts.
As a result of the presence of a senior center and a teen center in the neighborhood, locals of all ages can meet and form relationships with other region residents, helping them keep their lives active and exciting.
Downtown typically comprises a dense and concentrated mix of residential and commercial properties, similar to other area cores. Due to the proximity of restaurants, retail, and recreational activities, the place is ideal for residents who enjoy having more going on outside their front door.
If you live here, you can enjoy all areas in the city center or one of Fontana’s peaceful districts.
It’s a Safe Place To Live
Most individuals and families prioritize safety when deciding where to reside; therefore, a safe and secure city is always desirable. In Fontana, you can be sure that you will be safe.
In this location, you will notice that there are few undesirable neighborhoods. Compared to other cities of comparable population size, its crime rate is significantly lower than the national average.
The town is safer than 44% of all American cities. Its crime rate is 38% lower than the average for California and 29% lower than the national average.
Also, property crime is 32% below the national rate. It indicates that crimes such as burglary, vandalism, and arson are less prevalent here than in other regions of the country.
Plus, violent crimes are 21% less prevalent than the national average. Here, the odds of becoming a crime victim are 1 in 69.
So not only is Fontana a safe place to live, but the overall crime rate has dropped by 18% over the past year.
Fontana Places High Value on Education
Educational options are another essential advantage of residing in this area. Several schools in Fontana are known to be of top quality.
While other adjacent school districts also educate students in the region, Fontana Unified School District’s 45 schools teach the vast majority of students in the area.
With 29 elementary, seven middle, seven high, and one adult school, students are uniformly spread throughout the district as they develop alongside their peers.
The city’s excellent schools include David W. Long Elementary, Heritage Intermediate, East Heritage Elementary, Cecilia Lucero Solorio Elementary, Fontana A. B. Miller High, and Dorothy Grand Elementary.
When it’s time to go to college, students from Fontana leave the city and drive only 10 miles to California State University San Bernardino or Riverside Community College to get their bachelor’s degrees.
Other universities such as Chaffey College, Westech College, the University of Redlands, Loma Linda University, and numerous more schools of higher learning also offer degree programs.
For students living in and around the area, acquiring a quality education is simple and a lot of fun to pursue. Adapting to your new school is crucial to your success, regardless of the institution you attend.
The Place Public Transit System Is Highly Dependable
The three primary motorways in Fontana facilitate travel throughout the region. The most traveled freeways are the San Bernardino, Interstate 10, Foothill, Interstate 210, Ontario, and Interstate 15.
If you opt to take public transit, however, the Omnitrans bus service is the most convenient method to navigate the city.
The Metrolink rail service, which originates in Los Angeles and passes directly through the town, is another option if you need a convenient means of transportation within the city.
And when it is time to fly into or out of Fontana, the Ontario International Airport, which is only ten minutes from the city, serves as the local landing strip.
You could ride a bike or walk if the distance you need to travel is not too great. It would help the environment and allow you to get some exercise in the city at the same time.
The Bad Side
It Frequently Experiences Unpleasant Weather
This California community experiences scorching summers, with numerous days recording temperatures higher than 100°. If you are not inside a building with air conditioning, you will find it difficult to enjoy the season here.
The months of July and August both have daily average temperatures of 94°, and September has an average temperature of 91°. If you live in this town, you can look forward to the next season, which brings in significantly colder temperatures, averaging anything from 80° to 50°.
Like fall, spring temperatures are relatively stable for several months, while winter is always the coldest season of the year. Temperatures can be as low as 43° during December, the coldest month of the year. However, December also has days with highs of 69°.
There is no question that this California town does not see snowfall, but, on average, this city receives over 14 inches of precipitation per year.
Fontana Is a Noisy City
The city is bounded on two sides by major freeways and the other by a major airport, which means that the noise pollution caused by cars and planes can be significant.
There is also a vast raceway known as the Auto Club Speedway, which means that the noise can be overheard from a significant distance when a race is going on.
Therefore, if you are seeking a city where you can find serenity, you should look in another region because Fontana is not the best place for someone like you.
What Is the Cost of Living in Fontana? – A Fairly Priced California City
The Good Side
Fontana Is a Low-cost City in California
Fontana, California, has a relatively inexpensive cost of living when compared to the costs of living in other California communities. The cost of living in California is 49.9 % higher than the national average. However, the price is just 25.6% less in this city.
Although this seems expensive to some people, living here is lower than in many other parts of the state. Consequently, it is one of the most cost-effective locations to reside in the state.
The cost of medical care is also astonishingly low here, ranking far below the national average. It can be because of the Kaiser Permanente Hospital facility that lies within the city.
Other essential expenses, including groceries, transportation, and miscellaneous items, are more reasonable than the California average.
It Has Very Reasonable Tax Rates
It is impossible to avoid paying taxes, so the best thing you can do is reduce the amount of money you have to hand over to the government.
It can be hard in California, where the average state income tax is 9.3%. However, particular areas in California have a lower tax rate than others.
And one of these cities is Fontana. The town’s sales tax rate is 7.8%, which is low compared to other cities that charge up to 9.5%.
However, at 1.15%, the property tax rate in San Bernardino County is among the highest in the state. This tax rate in this county is higher than the tax rate in 48 other California counties.
The City Has Reasonably Priced Housing
In the same line as the cost of living and the tax rate, housing in the city is also very inexpensive compared to other cities in California.
The cost of a home in this area, on average, is $629,999. Compared to the national average price, this is quite pricey; however, when measured against the standards of California, residences are exceptionally reasonably priced.
So, if you want to relocate to California and live in a safe city with houses that aren’t too expensive, Fontana is a better choice than many other cities.
There are numerous property kinds in Fontana, including single-family homes, townhomes, condominiums, co-op apartments, and mobile homes.
Popular residential areas include Kaiser, La Cuesta Fontana, Sierra Heights, South Fontana, Corner, Walnut Ridge, Nealeys, North Fontana, Declez, Southridge Village, and Declezville.
If you would prefer to rent than buy a home in this city, the average rent is approximately $1,598 per month. Also, the cost of home insurance here ranges between $517 and $700 per year, or $43 and $58 per month.
If you want to buy a house on credit, the interest rate for a 20-year mortgage plan in this city is 4.32%.
The Bad Side
The Place Is Still Obviously Costly
Even though it is 24.3% lower than California’s cost, it is still 25.6% higher than the average cost of living across the country.
If you don’t correctly budget before you pass through the area, you can find it challenging to afford to live here because the unemployment rate is higher than the average for the nation.
Why Work in Fontana? – It Is a Professional Town!
The Good Side
Fontana Has a Diverse Workforce
The local economy in Fontana is not dominated by either white-collar or blue-collar jobs, as in many other cities. This city is home to white-collar and blue-collar workers, reflecting the diversity of the city’s economy.
In general, this town consists of people who work in professions such as sales, office jobs, and providing services. Many office and administrative support, sales, and management professionals are here.
Kaiser Permanente, Target Corporation, the Fontana Unified School District, and Auto Club Speedway are the most significant employers in this area.
Although it does not physically lie within the city limits, the neighboring raceway is responsible for the employment of a significant number of locals. It contributes significantly to the town’s economic development by luring visitors who dine and stay at its establishments.
Working here, you can earn an average income of $19,685. On the other hand, the median household income in this city is $64,995, which is higher than the average income in the United States of $53,485.
The Bad Side
It Has High Unemployment and Few Job Opportunities
Despite having a varied labor pool, the city’s unemployment rate is still extremely high, and there are not enough job opportunities.
Even while Fontana’s economy isn’t exactly robust, the city is by no means impoverished.
The area has a higher than average unemployment rate of 7.6%, much higher than the national average of 6.0%. Therefore, if you live in the city, getting employment in the municipality will not always be easy because there will be a scarcity in the number of jobs available.
You will find a job in Fontana if you have some self-assurance, an impressive resume, and the persistence to look for it.
The town is home to a significant trucking industry, shown by the presence of many truck dealerships, industrial equipment sales centers, and other manufacturers.
You can also easily maintain a high standard of living in the city despite its relatively low costs since the city is reasonably priced.
Living in Fontana has numerous advantages. This city in San Bernardino County’s suburbs has many desirable features available for your pleasure.
As with any other city in California, it is not perfect. It’s up to you whether to move to this town given the issues you’ll experience here.
We hope that this summary helped you come to a decision. If you have other pros and cons, please comment below.