The Town FilesFontana, California
City in San Bernardino County · population 208,393 (2020 Census)
- Median home
- $586,800
- Household income
- $102,821
- Jan low / Jul high
- 45° / 94°
- Snow a year
- 0 in
- Tornadoes ≤10 mi since 1950
- 2
- Median age
- 33.8
Fontana is a city of 208,393 people in San Bernardino County, California. The median home is worth $586,800, close to the typical California town ($596,900). It ranks more of a college town than 92% of California towns, more vibrant than 81% of California towns, more walkable than 78% of California towns.
How Fontana ranks
Percentile among California towns with at least 500 people on The Town Files lifestyle rankings. 50 is typical for the state; 90 means better than 90% of California towns.
Homes and cost of living
The median home in Fontana is worth $586,800, close to the typical California town ($596,900). Homes cost about 5.7 times the median household income of $102,821, which is more affordable than 63% of California towns. Median rent is $1,839 a month. 66.8% of households own their home.
| Housing | Fontana | Typical California town |
|---|---|---|
| Median home value | $586,800 | $596,900 |
| Median rent | $1,839 | $1,827 |
| Median household income | $102,821 | $91,557 |
| Home value ÷ income | 5.7× | 6.4× |
| Homeownership | 66.8% | 67.4% |
| Median year built | 1989 | 1977 |
| Seasonal / vacation homes | 0.0% | — |
Who lives in Fontana
| People | Fontana | Typical California town |
|---|---|---|
| Median age | 33.8 | 40.2 |
| Age 65 and over | 9.7% | 17.7% |
| Under 18 | 27.3% | — |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 21.4% | 27.7% |
| Below the poverty line | 9.9% | 10.3% |
| Veterans | 3.2% | — |
| Born outside the U.S. | 28.3% | — |
| Work from home | 13.0% | 13.4% |
| Average commute | 33.4 min | 27.5 min |
| Homes with broadband | 96.3% | 93.3% |
Weather in Fontana
July highs average 93.8°F and January lows 44.6°F. About 11.6 inches of rain and melted snow fall a year, with 0.0 inches of snow (typical California town: 0.0 in). Expect about 93 days a year at 90°F or hotter and 2 nights at or below freezing.
Tornadoes, storms and disasters
2 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of Fontana since 1950, compared with 2 for the typical California town. The strongest, an F0, struck on March 4, 2005 about 1.8 miles from the town center. The most recent was on March 4, 2005.
Severe weather in San Bernardino County since 1996
San Bernardino County has been included in 61 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1953, most often for fire, flood, freezing.
| Declared | Incident | Declaration |
|---|---|---|
| September 11, 2024 | Fire | FM-5537: Bridge Fire |
| September 7, 2024 | Fire | FM-5535: Line Fire |
| April 3, 2023 | Severe Storm | DR-4699: Severe Winter Storms, Straight-Line Winds, Flooding, Landslides, And Mudslides |
| March 10, 2023 | Flood | EM-3592: Severe Winter Storms, Flooding, Landslides, And Mudslides |
| January 9, 2023 | Flood | EM-3591: Severe Winter Storms, Flooding, And Mudslides |
Jobs and pay in San Bernardino County
San Bernardino County had 845,908 jobs in 2024, paying an average of $62,368 a year. Unemployment was 4.7% in 2023; in Fontana itself the ACS puts it at 6.5%.
Public schools in Fontana
59 public schools with 46,297 students, about 21.7 students per teacher.
| School | Grades | Students | Per teacher |
|---|---|---|---|
| Etiwanda High | 9-12 | 3,540 | 25.5 |
| Summit High | 9-12 | 2,626 | 24.1 |
| Fontana High | 9-12 | 2,455 | 21.0 |
| Options for Youth-Acton (charter) | 7-12 | 2,182 | 37.6 |
| Fontana A. B. Miller High | 9-12 | 1,961 | 19.4 |
| Henry J. Kaiser High | 9-12 | 1,794 | 20.2 |
| Jurupa Hills High | 9-12 | 1,737 | 20.0 |
| Wayne Ruble Middle | 6-8 | 1,371 | 21.8 |
| Heritage Intermediate | 6-8 | 1,158 | 22.7 |
| Fontana Middle | 6-8 | 1,119 | 21.9 |
| Alder Middle | 6-8 | 951 | 20.2 |
| Southridge Tech Middle | 6-8 | 942 | 21.4 |
Towns near Fontana
- Rialto, CA4.2 mi · 104,026 people · home $487,900
- Bloomington, CA4.9 mi · 24,339 people · home $469,200
- Rancho Cucamonga, CA6.1 mi · 174,453 people · home $740,200
- Muscoy, CA7.3 mi · 10,719 people · home $422,600
- Jurupa Valley, CA7.4 mi · 105,053 people · home $574,600
- Colton, CA8.8 mi · 53,909 people · home $443,800
- Ontario, CA9.6 mi · 175,265 people · home $607,600
- San Bernardino, CA9.9 mi · 222,101 people · home $422,300
Fontana questions
Is Fontana, California a good place to retire?
On The Town Files lifestyle rankings, Fontana scores better for retirees than 8% of California towns and quieter than 9%. 9.7% of residents are 65 or older (median age 33.8).
How much does a house cost in Fontana?
The median owner-occupied home in Fontana is valued at $586,800 (Census ACS 2020–2024), against a median household income of $102,821, so homes cost about 5.7 times income. Median rent is $1,839 a month.
What is the weather like in Fontana?
July highs average 93.8°F and January lows 44.6°F (NOAA 1991–2020 normals). It gets about 11.6 inches of precipitation a year and 0.0 inches of snow.
Does Fontana get tornadoes?
2 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of Fontana since 1950 (NOAA Storm Events); the strongest was a F0 on March 4, 2005. The typical California town has had 2.
- U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-year estimates (2020–2024)
- U.S. Census Bureau, 2020 Census and 2025 Gazetteer (2020 / 2025)
- NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals (1991–2020)
- NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database (1950–2026)
- FEMA OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations (this product uses the FEMA OpenFEMA API but is not endorsed by FEMA) (1953–2026)
- NCES Common Core of Data (2023–24)
- BLS Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages; USDA ERS county unemployment (BLS LAUS) (2000–2024)
- The Town Files lifestyle rankings, built from federal demographic, school, crime and housing data (2025)