Population 58,654 · Census ACS 2020–24
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Population and households in Fountain Valley
Household size in Fountain Valley
| Period | Fountain Valley | Los Angeles area | California | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 3.01 | 3.14 | 3.04 | 2.68 |
| 2010–14 | 3.08 | 3.20 | 3.10 | 2.73 |
| 2015–19 | 3.11 | 3.16 | 3.09 | 2.71 |
| 2020–24 | 3.03 | 3.01 | 3.01 | 2.65 |
| Change | +0.02 | −0.13 | −0.03 | −0.03 |
Fountain Valley is a place of big households: 3.03 people per home on average, compared with 2.65 nationally. Numbers like that usually point to plenty of families with kids. Households are largest in the west and smallest in the east.
Household size: the average number of people living in each occupied home. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25010).
Median age in Fountain Valley
| Period | Fountain Valley | Los Angeles area | California | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 42.4 | 35.6 | 35.8 | 37.7 |
| 2010–14 | 43.5 | 36.7 | 36.8 | 38.6 |
| 2015–19 | 44.1 | 38.0 | 37.9 | 39.6 |
| 2020–24 | 45.2 | 39.5 | 39.0 | 40.1 |
| Change | +2.8 | +4.0 | +3.1 | +2.3 |
Fountain Valley skews older: half of its residents are older than 45.2, well above the national median of 40.1. That usually means more empty nesters and retirees, and fewer young families. The median age has climbed from 42.4 in 2006–10, as it has nationally.
Median age: the age that splits residents into two equal halves. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B01002).
Single-parent households in Fountain Valley
| Period | Fountain Valley | Los Angeles area | California | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 8.6% | 14.3% | 13.5% | 12.3% |
| 2010–14 | 8.1% | 14.1% | 13.5% | 12.3% |
| 2015–19 | 7.6% | 12.5% | 12.3% | 11.6% |
| 2020–24 | 9.0% | 12.3% | 12.3% | 11.6% |
| Change | +0.4 pts | −2.0 pts | −1.2 pts | −0.6 pts |
Single parents head just over one in twelve households in Fountain Valley (9.0%), below the national share of 11.6%. The single-parent share is little changed from 2006–10, while the national share fell.
Single-parent households: households where one adult with no spouse present lives with children under 18. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B11003).
Housing in Fountain Valley
Renters in Fountain Valley
| Period | Fountain Valley | Los Angeles area | California | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 28.1% | 48.8% | 42.6% | 33.3% |
| 2010–14 | 30.0% | 50.8% | 45.2% | 35.6% |
| 2015–19 | 31.1% | 51.4% | 45.2% | 36.0% |
| 2020–24 | 36.2% | 51.6% | 44.1% | 34.8% |
| Change | +8.1 pts | +2.8 pts | +1.5 pts | +1.5 pts |
Renting in Fountain Valley is about as common as it is nationally: 36.2% of households rent, against 34.8%. Renters make up a smaller share here than in the Los Angeles area as a whole (51.6%). Just over four in ten owners (42.2%) have paid off their mortgages, about the same as nationally. Since 2006–10, the renter share has risen 8.1 points, a much bigger shift than nationally.
Renters: occupied homes that are rented rather than owned. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25003).
Vacant homes in Fountain Valley
| Period | Fountain Valley | Los Angeles area | California | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 4.0% | 7.0% | 8.7% | 11.4% |
| 2010–14 | 3.3% | 6.7% | 8.1% | 11.4% |
| 2015–19 | 3.6% | 6.6% | 7.5% | 11.1% |
| 2020–24 | 3.7% | 6.7% | 7.3% | 9.6% |
| Change | −0.3 pts | −0.3 pts | −1.4 pts | −1.8 pts |
Empty homes are scarce in Fountain Valley: just 3.7% sit vacant, compared with 9.6% nationally, a sign of a tight housing market. Only 43 of the 689 California cities with 5,000+ people have a lower vacancy rate.
Vacant homes: homes with no one living in them, including vacation homes and homes for sale or rent. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25002).
Age of homes in Fountain Valley
| Period | Fountain Valley | Los Angeles area | California | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 1972 | 1965 | 1972 | 1974 |
| 2010–14 | 1972 | 1966 | 1973 | 1975 |
| 2015–19 | 1972 | 1966 | 1974 | 1977 |
| 2020–24 | 1972 | 1969 | 1976 | 1980 |
| Change | +0 | +4 | +4 | +6 |
Homes in Fountain Valley run older than the national norm, with a median build year of 1972 against 1980. The picture is much the same across the Los Angeles area.
Age of homes: the year that splits the housing stock into older and newer halves. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25035).
Rent in Fountain Valley
| Period | Fountain Valley | Los Angeles area | California | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | $1,624 | $1,328 | $1,298 | $965 |
| 2010–14 | $1,651 | $1,415 | $1,379 | $1,040 |
| 2015–19 | $2,309 | $1,755 | $1,721 | $1,213 |
| 2020–24 | $2,999 | $2,279 | $2,229 | $1,571 |
| Change | +$1,375 | +$951 | +$931 | +$606 |
The median renter in Fountain Valley pays $2,999 a month for rent and utilities, well above the national median of $1,571. Rent has climbed $1,375 a month since 2006–10, up 85%, faster than rents rose nationally. The typical renter here spends 34.6% of household income on rent, well over the 30% mark often used to define affordable rent, so many renters here are stretched. The priciest rents are in the southwest; the most affordable are in the center.
Rent: monthly rent plus the utilities renters pay themselves. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25064).
Education in Fountain Valley
Bachelor's degrees in Fountain Valley
| Period | Fountain Valley | Los Angeles area | California | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 36.3% | 29.7% | 29.1% | 28.4% |
| 2010–14 | 37.3% | 30.7% | 30.1% | 29.6% |
| 2015–19 | 42.2% | 33.7% | 32.9% | 32.1% |
| 2020–24 | 45.4% | 37.6% | 36.3% | 35.6% |
| Change | +9.2 pts | +7.9 pts | +7.1 pts | +7.2 pts |
College degrees are more common in Fountain Valley than nationally: 45.4% of adults 25 and older have a bachelor's or higher, against 35.6%. Since 2006–10, the share with a degree has risen 9.2 points, in line with the national trend.
Bachelor's degrees: adults 25 and older with a bachelor's degree or higher. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B15003).
High school graduates in Fountain Valley
| Period | Fountain Valley | Los Angeles area | California | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 87.9% | 76.7% | 79.9% | 84.9% |
| 2010–14 | 88.2% | 77.7% | 80.7% | 86.1% |
| 2015–19 | 88.9% | 80.0% | 82.6% | 87.7% |
| 2020–24 | 90.7% | 82.1% | 84.2% | 89.3% |
| Change | +2.8 pts | +5.4 pts | +4.3 pts | +4.3 pts |
About as many adults in Fountain Valley have finished high school as nationally: 90.7%, against 89.3%. The rate is higher than in the wider Los Angeles area (82.1%). The share with a diploma has risen 2.8 points since 2006–10, as it has nationally.
High school graduates: adults 25 and older with a high school diploma, GED or more. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B15003).
Jobs in Fountain Valley
| Period | Fountain Valley | Los Angeles area | California | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 6.6% | 8.5% | 9.2% | 8.1% |
| 2010–14 | 8.2% | 10.6% | 11.3% | 9.4% |
| 2015–19 | 4.3% | 5.8% | 6.3% | 5.6% |
| 2020–24 | 5.5% | 6.7% | 6.6% | 5.4% |
| Change | −1.1 pts | −1.7 pts | −2.6 pts | −2.7 pts |
Unemployment in Fountain Valley is close to the national rate: 5.5% of the labor force, against 5.4%. The rate is lower than in the wider Los Angeles area (6.7%). Each figure pools five years of surveys (2020–24), so it describes that whole stretch rather than today's job market.
Unemployment: people looking for work as a share of everyone working or looking. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B23025).
Fountain Valley compared with nearby cities
| City | Household size | Median age | Single parents | Renters | Vacant homes | Median year built | Median rent | Bachelor's degree | High school diploma | Unemployment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fountain Valley | 3.03 | 45.2 | 9.0% | 36.2% | 3.7% | 1972 | $2,999 | 45.4% | 90.7% | 5.5% |
| Midway City | 2.90 | 45.3 | 10.3% | 60.0% | 10.0% | 1973 | $1,827 | 24.9% | 75.0% | 7.6% |
| Huntington Beach | 2.57 | 44.3 | 8.2% | 44.4% | 6.2% | 1976 | $2,736 | 48.6% | 93.6% | 5.3% |
| Westminster | 3.30 | 42.8 | 10.8% | 47.1% | 5.4% | 1970 | $2,401 | 26.0% | 77.6% | 6.4% |
| Costa Mesa | 2.67 | 37.8 | 9.7% | 60.2% | 5.8% | 1972 | $2,596 | 44.9% | 88.0% | 4.6% |
| Santa Ana | 4.01 | 35.2 | 15.6% | 55.1% | 4.3% | 1967 | $2,154 | 17.4% | 66.4% | 4.8% |
| Garden Grove | 3.54 | 40.8 | 12.8% | 46.9% | 4.3% | 1966 | $2,275 | 25.3% | 74.2% | 5.8% |
| Stanton | 3.24 | 40.0 | 12.1% | 50.1% | 5.2% | 1971 | $2,112 | 21.5% | 71.0% | 6.8% |
| Newport Beach | 2.25 | 46.5 | 5.8% | 52.5% | 13.1% | 1975 | $3,161 | 69.1% | 97.8% | 4.6% |
| Sunset Beach | 1.95 | 49.5 | 4.0% | 53.1% | 32.9% | 1971 | $2,353 | 57.8% | 97.5% | 1.7% |
| Tustin | 2.96 | 38.0 | 11.7% | 50.8% | 4.5% | 1981 | $2,636 | 46.3% | 87.6% | 5.6% |
All figures 2020–24.
Cities with similar populations: Davenport, FL · Novato, CA · Mentor, OH · Monterey Park, CA · Howell, MI · Fountainebleau, FL · Garner, NC · Lakeville, MN · Newport Beach, CA · Huntsville, TX
About these numbers
Every figure on this page is a BestNeighborhood calculation from the Census Bureau's American Community Survey (ACS), built up from the Census block groups that make up Fountain Valley. Each ACS 5-year release pools five years of responses; this page shows the last 15 releases, 2006–10 through 2020–24. Neighboring releases share four of their five years, so they move gradually and small changes between them are within the survey's margin of error; in small places the lines can jump from one release to the next for the same reason. The maps show the same measures for each neighborhood, ranked against the whole country.
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