Housing Market Overview
The median home price (often called the average home price), rent costs, affordability metrics, and housing stock characteristics for this housing market.
Housing Market Overview
| Metric | Fountain Valley | California Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median Home Price | $641,328 | $642,203 | $242,182 |
| Price Trend (Annual %) | 161.5% | 10.0% | 8.2% |
| Median Gross Rent | $2,460 | $1,955 | $1,342 |
| Rent Trend (Annual %) | 5.1% | 6.0% | 5.1% |
| Household Income Trend (Annual %) | — | — | — |
The median home price in Fountain Valley is about the same as in California. Rent is about 26% higher than the California average.
Median Home and Rent Price Trends
Median Home Prices, 2015-2023
Median Rent Prices, 2015-2023
Both home prices and rent are rising in Fountain Valley, up about 161.5% and 5.1% a year respectively. Home prices are changing faster.
Median rent in Fountain Valley rose about 46.9% between 2015 and 2023, from $1,675 to $2,460. Over the same span, rent in California rose about 55.7%.
Affordability
On average, housing unit costs 5.7 yearly household incomes in Fountain Valley.
Buying the median-priced home in Fountain Valley costs roughly 21.7 years of rent at the median monthly rate. That is a relatively high price-to-rent ratio, which tends to favor renting over buying in Fountain Valley. The price-to-rent ratio in California is about 27.4.
| Metric | Fountain Valley | California Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median Home Price | $641,328 | $642,203 | $242,182 |
| Median Household Income | $112,773 | $96,718 | $78,145 |
| Price-to-Income Ratio | 5.7 | 6.6 | 3.1 |
Home Prices vs Income Over Time
Between 2015 and 2023, the median home price in Fountain Valley rose about 1267.8%, while median household income rose about 40.8% between 2009 and 2023 — the home price grew faster than income.
Income Growth vs Housing Cost Growth (Year-over-Year %)
Compare income and housing cost trends.
Occupancy & Tenure
| Metric | Fountain Valley | California Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Homeownership Rate | 63.5% | 51.6% | 58.2% |
| Rental Rate | 34.4% | 40.9% | 31.3% |
| Vacancy Rate | 2.1% | 7.6% | 10.6% |
| Median Tenure (years) | 18.0 | 15.0 | 15.0 |
| Median Year Moved In | 2008 | 2011 | 2011 |
Fountain Valley has a homeownership rate of 63.5%, higher than the California average of 51.6%. Its housing vacancy rate is 2.1%, compared with 7.6% in California.
Housing Stock
| Metric | Fountain Valley | California Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average Household Size | 2.97 people | 2.85 people | 2.54 people |
| Median Structure Built Year | 1972 | 1975 | 1978 |
| Median Number of Rooms | 6.0 | 5.0 | 5.5 |
The typical housing unit in Fountain Valley was built around 1972. On average, 3.0 people live in a home with about 6.0 rooms, staying for about 18.0 years on average.
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about the housing market in Fountain Valley, California.
What is the median home price in Fountain Valley, California?
The median home price in Fountain Valley, California is $641,328, about the same as the California average.
What is the average home price in Fountain Valley, California?
The typical home price in %s, reported as the median sale price, is %s. The median is used instead of a mathematical average because it is not skewed by a small number of very expensive or very cheap homes, so it better reflects what a typical buyer pays.
What is the median rent in Fountain Valley, California?
The median gross rent in Fountain Valley, California is $2,460 per month, higher than the California average of $1,955.
What was the median gross rent in Fountain Valley in 2020?
In 2020, the median gross rent in Fountain Valley, California was $2,055 per month.
What is the price-to-rent ratio in Fountain Valley, California?
The price-to-rent ratio in Fountain Valley, California is about 21.7, meaning it would take roughly 21.7 years of rent payments at the median rent to equal the median home price. That is a relatively high price-to-rent ratio, which tends to favor renting over buying in Fountain Valley.
Are home prices or rent rising faster in Fountain Valley, California?
Both home prices and rent are rising in Fountain Valley, up about 161.5% and 5.1% a year respectively. Home prices are changing faster.
What is the homeownership rate in Fountain Valley, California?
63.5% of households in Fountain Valley, California own their home, higher than the California average of 51.6%.
What is the vacancy rate in Fountain Valley, California?
The housing vacancy rate in Fountain Valley, California is 2.1%, lower than the California average of 7.6%.