The 10 Best Fontana Suburbs To Live In For 2026

The best Fontana suburbs are Yorba Linda and Villa Park for 2026 based on Saturday Night Science.

Fontana has plenty to offer, but the price of admission usually comes with traffic, sky-high rent, and a calendar that fills itself.

If you want the upside of Fontana without the daily grind, the answer is almost always a good suburb. The catch: not every suburb is worth the move.

So we ranked them. Using Saturday Night Science, we pulled the numbers on every place within commuting distance of Fontana: incomes, home prices, unemployment, schools, the works. The result is a no-nonsense ranking of where you actually want to live.


Table Of Contents: Top Ten | Methodology | Summary | Table


What’s the best suburb of Fontana? Yorba Linda ranks as the best suburb of Fontana for 2026 based on the most recent Census and FBI data. If you happen to be a resident of Yorba Linda, you’re probably not too surprised to find it on the top our list.

We’ll tell you what makes each of these 10 Fontana ‘burbs better than the rest–but first, a bit about our methodology.

Feel free to check out some more reading about California:

The 10 Best Fontana Suburbs To Live For 2026

Yorba Linda, CA

Source: Wikipedia User Orange County Archives from Orange County, California, United States of America | CC BY 2.0
Overall SnackAbility

10
/10

Population: 67,170
Median Income: $157,582
Unemployment Rate: 4.7%
Poverty Rate: 5.8%
More on Yorba Linda: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Movers

Yorba Linda is always mentioned as one of the best suburbs in the Fontana area. We’ll tell you the good about “Awesome Yorba Linda.”

Everyone here is rich; families average $157,582 a year, which is the 4th highest in the Fontana region. And only 4.66% are out of work. Homes average more than $1,419,512 each.

Villa Park, CA

Source: Wikipedia User Jeaniac | CC BY-SA 3.0
Overall SnackAbility

6
/10

Population: 5,748
Median Income: $202,245
Unemployment Rate: 2.9%
Poverty Rate: 7.8%
More on Villa Park: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Movers

Villa Park is the second best ‘burb we looked at near Fontana for 2026.

It ranks 1st for incomes in the area and only 0.84% of residents lack insurance, good for best.

El Cerrito, CA

Source: Public domain
Overall SnackAbility

8.5
/10

Population: 25,994
Median Income: $127,876
Unemployment Rate: 5.8%
Poverty Rate: 6.9%
More on El Cerrito: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Movers

Here in El Cerrito, it’s really safe, and residents are just about as rich as you’ll see in the Fontana metro area.

The bad side? Schools are more crowded, and the cost of living puts a large part of the city out of reach for most families.

But price is based on demand and a lot of people want to live in El Cerrito.

Eastvale, CA

Source: Wikipedia User Photograph by Brien Clark | CC BY-SA 2.5
Overall SnackAbility

9
/10

Population: 70,633
Median Income: $160,069
Unemployment Rate: 4.7%
Poverty Rate: 4.8%
More on Eastvale: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Movers

Eastvale ranks as the 4th best suburb of Fontana for 2026.

You won’t find many better places to raise your kids in the region than in Eastvale and the schools are some of the best around.

La Habra Heights, CA

Source: Flickr User sergei.gussev | CC BY 2.0
Overall SnackAbility

9
/10

Population: 5,478
Median Income: $179,583
Unemployment Rate: 2.8%
Poverty Rate: 4.9%
More on La Habra Heights: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Movers

Coming in as the fifth best is La Habra Heights.

La Habra Heights gets kudos for having the 3rd most expensive homes in the Fontana area, where houses sell for an average of $1,399,870. However, the cost of living here is among the highest in the area.

Brea, CA

Source: Public domain
Overall SnackAbility

9
/10

Population: 47,469
Median Income: $131,129
Unemployment Rate: 5.1%
Poverty Rate: 6.6%
More on Brea: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Movers

Brea is proud of its 6th place finish on this list. And here’s why.

Most residents have great jobs and the unemployment rate sits at 5.1%.

According to online reports, Brea is quickly becoming one of the more affluent suburbs in the Fontana area, meaning you need to get in soon.

Claremont, CA

Source: Wikipedia User Cliff Hutson | CC BY 2.0
Overall SnackAbility

9
/10

Population: 36,595
Median Income: $125,647
Unemployment Rate: 5.1%
Poverty Rate: 6.9%
More on Claremont: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Movers

The 7th best suburb on our list goes to Claremont.

Claremont schools are some of the best in the region, and crime is really low. The cost of living makes it a lot more desirable for many families, especially first-time home buyers.

And, it’s only 14.4 miles to downtown, which is a good thing.

Walnut, CA

Source: Wikipedia User Trackinfo | CC BY-SA 3.0
Overall SnackAbility

9
/10

Population: 27,611
Median Income: $129,449
Unemployment Rate: 3.5%
Poverty Rate: 10.1%
More on Walnut: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Movers

Walnut is growing quickly, and for a good reason. Crime is far below average, and most residents are gainfully employed. Even the cost of living is reasonable.

A solid 4.01% of people lack insurance, good for 10th in the area.

Placentia, CA

Source: Wikipedia User Courtesy of Orange County Archives | CC BY 2.0
Overall SnackAbility

8.5
/10

Population: 52,826
Median Income: $115,929
Unemployment Rate: 5.5%
Poverty Rate: 7.9%
More on Placentia: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Movers

Is ‘Everything Better In Placentia?’

Almost.

It placed 9th on our list thanks to the fact that it’s really expensive to live here, but the schools are great, so you get what you pay for in that regard.

Diamond Bar, CA

Source: Wikipedia User THylbom | CC BY-SA 4.0
Overall SnackAbility

9
/10

Population: 53,355
Median Income: $108,281
Unemployment Rate: 4.9%
Poverty Rate: 10.0%
More on Diamond Bar: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Movers

And rounding out the top ten for 2026 is Diamond Bar.

This city is far above average in every category, and the best part? It’s far more affordable than the other cities listed above. So, you get a big bang for your buck here.

Methodology: How We Determined The Best Suburbs Around Fontana for 2026

Figuring out the best suburbs around Fontana was simple. We used Saturday Night Science to find things people like about living in the suburbs and then locate the suburbs with those things.

We analyzed the newest American Community Survey data for 2020-2024 to research each suburb. We decided upon the following criteria:

  • Low unemployment rate
  • High median household incomes
  • Population density (lots of things to do)
  • High home values
  • A lot of college-educated people
  • Low poverty
  • High rate of insured families

We defined a suburb as being within 30 miles of Fontana.

Additionally, we limited the analysis to places that have over 5,000 people. This left us with a grand total of 44 suburbs to evaluate around Fontana.

We ranked each place with scores from 1 to 44 in each category, where 1 was the “best.

Next, we averaged the rankings for each place to create a quality-of-life index.

Finally, we crowned the city with the best quality of life index, the “Best Suburb near Fontana.” We’re lookin’ at you, Yorba Linda.

This result may differ from our state-wide data as we did not include commute times and crime for this analysis to allow for a more extensive selection of suburbs.

We updated the data for 2026. This report is our eleventh time ranking the best Fontana suburbs. Skip to the end to see the list of all the suburbs ranked from best to worst.

Summary: Welcome to the Best Fontana ‘Burbs of 2026

We said it once, and we’ll say it again–life in the big city isn’t for everyone. At least not all the time.

The best suburbs of Fontana are .

So if you’re craving the amenities of a larger city like Fontana but don’t want to deal with the drawbacks, one of these suburbs might be for you.

For more California reading, check out:

Table: Best Fontana Suburbs

Rank City Population Median Income Average Home Price
1 Yorba Linda, CA 67,170 $157,582 $1,419,512
2 Villa Park, CA 5,748 $202,245 $2,343,977
3 El Cerrito, CA 25,994 $127,876 $1,142,478
4 Eastvale, CA 70,633 $160,069 $949,255
5 La Habra Heights, CA 5,478 $179,583 $1,399,870
6 Brea, CA 47,469 $131,129 $1,140,405
7 Claremont, CA 36,595 $125,647 $1,039,337
8 Walnut, CA 27,611 $129,449 $1,197,951
9 Placentia, CA 52,826 $115,929 $1,117,227
10 Diamond Bar, CA 53,355 $108,281 $1,028,880
11 Glendora, CA 50,926 $113,569 $893,349
12 Rancho Cucamonga, CA 175,411 $111,895 $792,764
13 La Verne, CA 30,600 $103,761 $951,547
14 Norco, CA 25,054 $127,566 $918,950
15 Upland, CA 79,257 $105,830 $825,788
16 San Dimas, CA 33,789 $105,321 $927,055
17 Chino Hills, CA 77,927 $126,334 $996,262
18 Corona, CA 159,670 $109,242 $764,386
19 Duarte, CA 22,184 $105,483 $801,444
20 Calimesa, CA 10,902 $87,181 $566,184
21 West Covina, CA 107,037 $101,065 $852,372
22 Covina, CA 49,888 $98,671 $804,340
23 Redlands, CA 73,375 $105,041 $636,035
24 Anaheim, CA 344,521 $95,227 $950,503
25 Chino, CA 92,652 $104,682 $761,425
26 Grand Terrace, CA 13,078 $83,628 $587,468
27 Azusa, CA 49,031 $90,721 $715,154
28 Loma Linda, CA 25,122 $82,353 $640,816
29 Riverside, CA 319,069 $91,045 $646,784
30 Yucaipa, CA 54,421 $90,794 $570,222
31 La Puente, CA 37,142 $86,602 $723,134
32 Baldwin Park, CA 70,138 $80,663 $722,511
33 Ontario, CA 180,547 $88,941 $672,742
34 Jurupa Valley, CA 107,011 $97,550 $672,514
35 Moreno Valley, CA 211,666 $93,222 $551,283
36 Montclair, CA 37,810 $77,659 $660,566
37 Pomona, CA 147,943 $79,479 $690,985
38 Rialto, CA 104,143 $88,857 $588,566
39 Highland, CA 56,675 $77,120 $545,939
40 San Bernardino, CA 222,724 $67,415 $487,988
41 Colton, CA 53,772 $71,208 $493,149
42 Perris, CA 80,511 $88,911 $543,988
43 Victorville, CA 137,627 $74,410 $436,008
44 Hesperia, CA 100,775 $72,160 $460,686
Chris Kolmar
About the author

Chris Kolmar has been in the real estate business for almost ten years now. He originally worked for Movoto Real Estate as the director of marketing before founding HomeSnacks.

He believes the key to finding the right place to live comes down to looking at the data, reading about things to do, and, most importantly, checking it out yourself before you move.

If you've been looking for a place to live in the past several years, you've probably stumbled upon his writing already.

You can find out more about him on LinkedIn or his website.

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