Should I Move To
Vista, California comes in at about 98,392 residents. Cost of living comes out very expensive — 40% above the national average. Rent typically lands near $2,002/mo, and the median household income is about $88,715. Overall, 50/100 on our composite score, which works out to a C-, putting it at #497 nationally.
UrbRank Score · General
Each dimension scored 0-100 against every other US city.
Based on overall cost of living vs. other US cities.
Inverse of violent + property crime rate per 100,000 residents.
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.
Cost-of-living index of 140 (with 100 as the US baseline) — that's very expensive territory. With median rent at $2,002/mo and median household income at $88,715, housing takes about 27% of gross income — right inside the standard 30%-of-income guideline. Homes typically value around $622,900.
Full cost-of-living breakdown →Expect warm year-round weather — summers near 75°F, winters around 51°F. Rain (and snow, in some seasons) totals about 10 inches annually. Some neighborhoods are walkable; others aren't. A car is useful, but not required everywhere. Crime sits a notch better than the national norm — not crime-free, but a step above average. Air quality reads good (AQI 41).
Verdict by lifestyle profile — same data, different priorities.
Vista is a tougher sell for families. It earns 42/100 (grade D) on the families profile. Strongest on safety (76/100); weakest on affordability (6/100).
Vista is a tougher sell for retirees. It earns 46/100 (grade D) on the retirees profile. Strongest on safety (76/100); weakest on affordability (6/100).
Vista is a tougher sell for remote workers. It earns 41/100 (grade D) on the remote workers profile. Strongest on safety (76/100); weakest on affordability (6/100).
Vista is a tougher sell for young professionals. It earns 47/100 (grade D) on the young professionals profile. Strongest on safety (76/100); weakest on affordability (6/100).
Vista, California pulls a 50/100 overall on the UrbRank Score (grade C-), currently ranked #497 nationally. The composite weights seven lifestyle dimensions: affordability, safety, climate, walkability, jobs, environment, and education.
Vista's cost-of-living index is 140 (with 100 as the US average), which lands in the very expensive band — 40% above the national average. Median rent runs about $2,002/mo.
Warm year-round — summer averages around 75°F, winter averages around 51°F, with about 10 inches of precipitation a year.
Walk Score: 62/100. Some neighborhoods are walkable; others aren't. A car is useful, but not required everywhere.
Vista has about 98,392 residents, 27% of adults 25+ holding a bachelor's degree or higher with a median age of 35.
Use UrbRank's comparison tool to put Vista head-to-head against any other US city — housing, salaries, demographics, and quality-of-life metrics side by side. The leaderboard pages also show how Vista stacks up for families, retirees, remote workers, and young professionals specifically.
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 Vista with other California cities scored on UrbRank.
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