Rancho Cordova vs San Bernardino
The short version
- Overall prices are about the same in both metro areas (BEA 2024).
- The median home costs $422,300 in San Bernardino and $477,600 in Rancho Cordova.
- Households earn more in Rancho Cordova ($89,585 vs $67,415 median).
- San Bernardino has the warmer winter: January highs of 67°F vs 57°F.
- Rancho Cordova is growing faster: +10.4% since 2020 vs +0%.
- Commutes are shorter in Rancho Cordova (27 vs 30 minutes each way).
Side by side
| Rancho Cordova, CA | San Bernardino, CA | |
|---|---|---|
| People | ||
| Population (2025) | 87,554 | 222,044 |
| Growth since 2020 | +10.4% | +0% |
| People per square mile | 2,533 | 3,575 |
| Median age | 36.0 | 32.2 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 32% | 13% |
| Money and housing | ||
| Median household income | $89,585 | $67,415 |
| Median home value | $477,600 | $422,300 |
| Home value to income | 5.3× | 6.3× |
| Median rent (with utilities) | $1,787 | $1,508 |
| Metro price level (US = 100) | 106.7 | 106.4 |
| Housing price level (US = 100) | 130.2 | 129.3 |
| $75,000 elsewhere equals | $80,000 | $79,800 |
| Homeowners | 58% | 50% |
| Top state income tax | 13.3% | 13.3% |
| Combined sales tax | 9.03% | 9.03% |
| Work and commute | ||
| Average commute (minutes) | 26.7 | 29.7 |
| Work from home | 20% | 6% |
| Take public transit | 1% | 1% |
| Unemployment (2020-24 avg) | 7.3% | 6.1% |
| Poverty rate | 12.2% | 18.6% |
| Weather | ||
| January high / low | 57° / 41° | 67° / 41° |
| July high / low | 94° / 61° | 95° / 63° |
| Precipitation per year | 19 in | 13 in |
| Snowfall per year | 0 in | 0 in |
| Days 90°F or hotter | 90 | 104 |
| Nights below freezing | 4 | 3 |
| Comfortable months | 6 | 6 |
| Risks, air and home prices | ||
| Natural hazard risk (FEMA, county) | Relatively High | Very High |
| FEMA risk score (lower is safer) | 98.1 | 99.8 |
| Good air days, 2025 | 35% | 7% |
| Home prices, past year | +0.1% | +0.8% |
| Home prices, past 5 years | +19.9% | +35.9% |
Highlighted cells are the better value where "better" is clear (lower prices, higher income, shorter commutes). Sources: Census Bureau 2025 estimates and ACS 2020-2024, BEA 2024, NOAA 1991-2020, Tax Foundation 2026.
Weather, month by month
Most comfortable months: Rancho Cordova: February to May and October to November. San Bernardino: February to May and October to November.
Full monthly tables: Rancho Cordova weather by month and San Bernardino weather by month.
What $75,000 is worth
A $75,000 salary in an average-priced US city buys about the same as $80,000 in Rancho Cordova and $79,800 in San Bernardino. Moving from Rancho Cordova to San Bernardino, you would need about $74,800 to match a $75,000 salary.
Moving between Rancho Cordova and San Bernardino
IRS county-to-county migration, 2022 to 2023 tax years, for the counties that contain each city. See where else people move from Rancho Cordova and San Bernardino.
Which would you pick?
One vote per person. Results show after you vote.