California · Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA metro area

Buying a home in Fontana, California

In Fontana, the median value of owner-occupied homes is $586,800, San Bernardino County's effective property tax rate is 0.7%, a purchase mortgage carried a median $11,854 in total loan costs in 2025, and median gross rent is $1,839 a month.

Data as of : Census ACS 2020-2024, Census Vintage 2024, HMDA 2025, HUD FY 2027. Sources

Fontana home costs, fact by fact

About Fontana

Buyers in Fontana are looking at a median home value of $586,800, the median value of owner-occupied homes as estimated by owners, not a sale price. 66.8% of homes are owner-occupied, and median gross rent is $1,839 per month. Fontana is part of the Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA metro area, ranked 12th among U.S. metro areas.

Reading the Fontana figures

Taxes first. The county, not the city, supplies the numbers: San Bernardino County posts a median annual bill of $3,538 against a 0.7% effective rate, calculated from a county home value of $505,000. Fontana's own owners put their homes at $586,800, higher than the county figure, so a Fontana bill could end up above $3,538. Read the county number as a budgeting guide and not as a quote for one address.

Within California, Fontana is priced below the state median of $770,700 and far below Los Angeles, where owners estimate $921,200. Closer to home, Riverside lands at $584,800, a hair under Fontana. Pomona comes in a little higher at $593,800, and Ontario higher again at $607,600. Vallejo posts $589,500, while Jurupa Valley registers $574,600. Moving up the scale, Vacaville reaches $620,900; moving down, Menifee drops to $537,300 and Sacramento to $506,300, which shows how quickly values fall away below this band.

Renting costs less than in several comparable places. Fontana's median rent of $1,839 looks low beside Ontario's $2,030. Moreno Valley asks $2,135. Vacaville asks $2,299. Yet Fontana edges past Pomona's $1,810 and Jurupa Valley's $1,741. HUD's own benchmark for the metro area begins at $2,103 and reaches $2,771 for larger homes, so both numbers exceed every median rent just listed. Keep in mind that it is a HUD benchmark covering a wide region, never a market median, so use it only as a rough outside check.

On ownership, Fontana's share is 66.8%. Ontario registers 58%. Riverside registers 56.8%. Pomona registers 54%. Fontana therefore leans more strongly toward owning. Jurupa Valley is higher at 70.1%, and Menifee higher still at 80.2%. Vacaville, with 67.5%, is the nearest match. Sacramento's 51.7% and Moreno Valley's 63.3% fill in the middle of that range, which helps if you are weighing a purchase against a rental.

Population adds context. At 218,455 residents, Fontana is larger than Ontario, Pomona or Jurupa Valley in this comparison, though smaller than Riverside, so its median draws on a broad base of homes. Riverside reports $1,914 in rent beside its $584,800 value, which makes it the cleanest benchmark: Fontana's value is a little higher and its rent a little lower, while its owner share is well above Riverside's 56.8%. Santa Maria and Sacramento show that cities with lower values can still charge $1,925 and $1,779.

For closing costs, the county's lenders recorded 12,896 loans in 2025; the median cost was $11,854 and ordinary quotes ranged between $6,762 and $16,923. Lenders price each loan separately, so ask for a written estimate early, because your own quote may sit far from the median. Every value on this page is an owners' estimate.

Calculate for California

If you buy

California state transfer tax

California has no state transfer tax; counties and cities may charge one.

Price$770,700
State transfer taxnot computed
Who paysSet by the purchase contract

Default price: the California median value of owner-occupied homes, $770,700 (Census ACS 2025). Not computed: No state tax. The tax is set by county and city, so it cannot be computed from the state alone. Who pays: Neither the state statute nor the City of Los Angeles FAQ assigns the tax; the purchase contract and escrow instructions decide. Not included: county and city transfer taxes, recording fees, title insurance and lender charges. California transfer tax guide · all 50 states.

If you sell

Capital gain and the federal tax on it

Same federal rule in every state: Section 121 of the Internal Revenue Code excludes up to $250,000 of gain on a main home ($500,000 for a married couple filing jointly).

Capital gain$350,000
Section 121 exclusion$250,000 (limit $250,000)
Taxable gain$100,000
Type of gainLong-term (owned over 1 year), 15% chosen
Federal tax on the gain$15,000

Section 121 excludes $250,000; the rest is taxable.

Gain = sale price minus your adjusted basis (purchase price, buying costs and improvements); selling expenses reduce it (IRS Publication 523). Long-term rates for sales in 2026, by taxable income including the gain (IRS Rev. Proc. 2025-32, section 4.03): 0% up to $49,450 single or $98,900 married filing jointly, 15% up to $545,500 single or $613,700 jointly, 20% above. Not included: California state income tax on the gain (not computed), the net investment income tax, depreciation recapture on a rental or home office, and the reduced exclusion for an early sale. Agent commissions are negotiated and never set by law. Capital gains on a home sale.

Questions about buying a home in Fontana

How much is property tax in Fontana?

Homeowners in San Bernardino County pay a median $3,538 a year in property tax, 0.7% of the county median home value of $505,000 (Census ACS 2020-2024). Your bill depends on your assessed value and local rates.

What are closing costs on a mortgage in Fontana?

Home-purchase mortgages in San Bernardino County carried median total loan costs of $11,854 in 2025; half of the 12,896 loans fell between $6,762 and $16,923 (HMDA). Total loan costs are the lender and settlement-service charges of the Closing Disclosure; transfer taxes and prepaid items come on top.

Is there a transfer tax when you buy a home in Fontana?

California has no state transfer tax. Counties may charge $0.55 per $500 of value under the Documentary Transfer Tax Act, and cities such as Los Angeles add their own, with Measure ULA adding 4% or 5.5% on very high-priced sales.

Is it cheaper to rent or buy in Fontana?

It depends on your mortgage rate, down payment and how long you stay. As a benchmark, the median value of owner-occupied homes in Fontana ($586,800) equals 26.6 years of the median gross rent ($1,839 a month), both from Census ACS 2020-2024.

What natural hazards affect home insurance in Fontana?

Across California, the main hazards for home insurance are earthquake, wildfire, flood and landslide, and the insurer of last resort is California FAIR Plan. A standard California homeowners policy does not cover earthquake damage; insurers must offer earthquake coverage (Insurance Code 10081), and the FAIR Plan sells limited fire coverage up to $3 million for residential policyholders.

Run your own numbers: rent vs buy calculator · closing costs calculator.

California rules that apply in Fontana

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Sources

California · All states · Federal guides