Cost of living in Fountain Valley research summary. The cost of living index is set to 100 for the average place in the United States. A cost of living index above 100 means Fountain Valley is expensive. An index value below 100 means the city is a relatively cheap place to live.
On a city-by-city basis in California, home prices and rent have the biggest impact on the cost of living. Here are the key takeaways based on Saturday Night Science:
The cost of living index in Fountain Valley is 186, with 100 being the average.
The cost of living index in Fountain Valley is 1.9x higher than the national average.
Fountain Valley ranks as the #494 cheapest in California out of 634.
Fountain Valley ranks as the #6,239 cheapest out of 6,489 in the US.
The median home value in Fountain Valley is $1,324,826.
The median income in Fountain Valley is $111,797.
According to the most recent data on the cost of living, Fountain Valley has an overall cost of living index of 186, which is 1.9x higher than the national index of 100.
Compared to California, Fountain Valley has a cost of living index that's 1.3x higher than California's index of 141.
The standard of living in Fountain Valley ranks as #494 most affordable out of the 634 places we measured in California. By definition, that implies Fountain Valley ranks as the #140 most expensive place in the Golden State.
For more reading on life in Fountain Valley, check out:
Six factors go into calculating the cost of living index in Fountain Valley. Here is how it fairs on each of the criteria:
The Services index in Fountain Valley is 113.
The Groceries index in Fountain Valley is 113.
The Health index in Fountain Valley is 97.
The Housing index in Fountain Valley is 360.
The Transportation index in Fountain Valley is 126.
The Utilities index in Fountain Valley is 93.
| Living Expense | Fountain Valley | California | National Average | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Overall | 186 | 141 | 100 | |
| Services | 113 | 110 | 100 | |
| Groceries | 113 | 112 | 100 | |
| Health | 97 | 110 | 100 | |
| Housing | 360 | 195 | 100 | |
| Transportation | 126 | 125 | 100 | |
| Utilities | 93 | 128 | 100 | |
Housing swings affordability the most between places in California, so we broke down housing costs into more detail. Home and income data comes from the most recent US Census ACS 2019-2023. The key points are:
The Median Home Value in Fountain Valley is $1,324,826.
The Median Rent in Fountain Valley is $2,507.
The Median Income in Fountain Valley is $111,797.
The Home Value To Income in Fountain Valley is 11.9x.
The Rent To Monthly Income in Fountain Valley is 0.27x.
| Statistic | Fountain Valley | California | United States |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median Home Value | $1,324,826 | $763,287 | $303,400 |
| Median Rent | $2,507 | $1,956 | $1,348 |
| Median Income | $111,797 | $96,334 | $78,538 |
| Home Value To Income | 11.9x | 7.9x | 3.9x |
| Rent To Monthly Income | 0.27x | 0.24x | 0.21x |
| Item | Fountain Valley | California |
|---|---|---|
| Shampoo | $1.34 | $1.28 |
| Movie | $11.04 | $12.13 |
| Bowling | $21.11 | $18 |
| Haircut | $27.27 | $24.26 |
| Beauty Salon | $41.78 | $45.56 |
| Item | Fountain Valley | California |
|---|---|---|
| Ground Beef | $5.89 | $5.84 |
| Fried Chicken | $3.49 | $1.57 |
| Milk | $4.92 | $4.67 |
| Potatoes | $4.92 | $4.93 |
| Pizza | $15.31 | $12.09 |
| Beer | $10.26 | $10.41 |
| Toothpaste | $3.61 | $3.7 |
| Item | Fountain Valley | California |
|---|---|---|
| Optometrist | $112.92 | $125.68 |
| Doctor | $95.5 | $135.78 |
| Dentist | $117.28 | $113.29 |
| Item | Fountain Valley | California |
|---|---|---|
| Gasoline | $4.75 | $3.46 |
| Tire Balancing | $61.38 | $59.92 |
| Item | Fountain Valley | California |
|---|---|---|
| All Electricity | $378.97 | $193.99 |
| Phone | $180.31 | $192.25 |
The cost of living varies in the cities and towns around Fountain Valley. Here's a quick look at the cost of living in the most populous nearby places:
Santa Ana, CA has a cost of living index of 154, 0.8x Fountain Valley.
Huntington Beach, CA has a cost of living index of 189, 1.0x Fountain Valley.
Garden Grove, CA has a cost of living index of 160, 0.9x Fountain Valley.
| City | Population | Cost Of Living | Vs. Fountain Valley |
|---|---|---|---|
| Santa Ana, CA | 311,639 | 154 | 0.8x |
| Huntington Beach, CA | 196,010 | 189 | 1.0x |
| Garden Grove, CA | 170,603 | 160 | 0.9x |
| Orange, CA | 138,723 | 170 | 0.9x |
| Costa Mesa, CA | 110,538 | 186 | 1.0x |
| Mission Viejo, CA | 92,415 | 184 | 1.0x |
| Westminster, CA | 90,147 | 164 | 0.9x |
| Lake Forest, CA | 85,846 | 175 | 0.9x |
| Lakewood, CA | 80,510 | 164 | 0.9x |
| Tustin, CA | 79,035 | 176 | 0.9x |