Should I Move To
Roughly 56,754 people live in Fountain Valley, California. Living here costs very expensive relative to the rest of the country, 38% above the national average. Median rent runs about $2,412/mo; the typical household pulls in $108,860. On the UrbRank Score it pulls a 37/100 — a F, putting it at #872 nationally.
UrbRank Score · General
Each dimension scored 0-100 against every other US city.
Based on overall cost of living vs. other US cities.
Temperate summers & winters, moderate precipitation.
Walk Score — how feasible daily errands are on foot.
Unemployment rate plus household income vs. national median.
Air quality index (EPA AQS data).
Share of residents 25+ with a bachelor's degree or higher.
By the composite index, Fountain Valley sits at 138 — very expensive when stacked against the rest of the country. Running the rent-to-income math ($2,412/mo against $108,860 median household income), housing eats roughly 27% of a typical paycheck — right inside the standard 30%-of-income guideline. Buying-side, the median home value is $932,800.
Full cost-of-living breakdown →The weather here is mild: roughly 75°F in summer, 50°F in winter. Annual precipitation lands near 12 inches. Walkability varies a lot by neighborhood — denser pockets work fine on foot, the rest leans on driving. AQI is in the moderate range at about 56.
Verdict by lifestyle profile — same data, different priorities.
For families, Fountain Valley isn't the strongest match. The profile-weighted score is 37/100 — a F. Its standout dimension is education (70/100); the soft spot is environmental quality (2/100).
For retirees, Fountain Valley isn't the strongest match. The profile-weighted score is 31/100 — a F. Its standout dimension is education (70/100); the soft spot is environmental quality (2/100).
For remote workers, Fountain Valley isn't the strongest match. The profile-weighted score is 24/100 — a F. Its standout dimension is education (70/100); the soft spot is environmental quality (2/100).
For young professionals, Fountain Valley isn't the strongest match. The profile-weighted score is 49/100 — a D. Its standout dimension is education (70/100); the soft spot is environmental quality (2/100).
Our overall score for Fountain Valley is 37/100 — a F, sitting at #872 in the national ranking. It's a weighted average across the seven UrbRank dimensions.
By the composite index, Fountain Valley sits at 138 — very expensive, 38% above the national average. Median renter pays around $2,412 a month.
Fountain Valley runs mild on the weather. Summer's near 75°F, winter's near 50°F; 12 inches of precipitation annually.
Walk Score: 65/100. Walkability varies a lot by neighborhood — denser pockets work fine on foot, the rest leans on driving.
Roughly 56,754 people live here, with 44% college-educated (bachelor's or higher) among adults 25+ with a median age of 44.
Drop Fountain Valley into the comparison tool with any other US city and you'll get housing costs, salaries, demographics, and quality-of-life data lined up side by side. Profile-specific leaderboards (families, retirees, remote workers, young professionals) are linked from the navigation.
Every US city is scored 0-100 on seven dimensions using public data from the US Census Bureau, Bureau of Labor Statistics, FBI Crime Data Explorer, EPA Air Quality System, NOAA NCEI, and Walk Score. Each dimension is a percentile rank against every other city — so a score of 80 means the city is in the top 20% nationally on that dimension.
The overall score is a weighted average. Five lifestyle profiles — general, families, retirees, remote workers, young professionals — weight the dimensions differently to reflect what each cares about. Families get more weight on safety and schools; young professionals get more weight on jobs and walkability; retirees get more weight on climate.
Compare Fountain Valley with other California cities scored on UrbRank.
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