Poway, CA

Census place 0658520 · pop 48,713

D53/ 100
😐 Meh
B
in CA
📍 California ranks #49 of 50 states →
🏆 Obesity23.0% · top 4%
🚽 Cost$1,034,800 · bottom 3%
Taxes
0.66% property · US 0.99%8.99% sales · US 7.00%up to 13.30% income · US 4.63%

Sales & income are statewide.

The breakdown — worst first

Housing cost$1,034,8003

U.S. median $214,900 · worse than most cities

$1,034,800 median home value · Median home value — how expensive it is to buy in. Higher = less affordable.

Air quality (AQI)County-level71 AQI5

U.S. median 42 AQI · worse than most cities

71 median AQI · Median air quality index — lower is cleaner air. Published by county, not city — every city in the county shares this figure.

Natural disaster riskCounty-level100/1006

U.S. median 77/100 · worse than most cities

100/100 FEMA risk (higher = riskier) · FEMA National Risk Index — wildfire, flood, earthquake, heat and more. Published by county, not city — every city in the county shares this figure.

Unhealthy air daysCounty-level52 days6

U.S. median 1 days · worse than most cities

52 unhealthy-air days per year · Days per year with unhealthy air (AQI above 100). Published by county, not city — every city in the county shares this figure.

Rent$3,119/mo6

U.S. median $1,756/mo · worse than most cities

$3,119/mo typical rent · Typical monthly rent (Zillow Observed Rent Index, all home types).

Population growth (5yr)-2.0%19

U.S. median +2.4% · worse than most cities

-2.0% population change (5yr) · 5-year population change — are people moving in, or fleeing?

Unemployment rateCounty-level4.1%32

U.S. median 3.6% · worse than most cities

4.1% unemployment · Share of the labor force out of work. Published by county, not city — every city in the county shares this figure.

Commute time25 min40

U.S. median 24 min · worse than most cities

25 min average one-way commute · Average one-way commute to work, in minutes.

Income inequality0.4258

U.S. median 0.43 · better than most cities

Gini 0.42 (0 = equal, 1 = unequal) · Gini index of household income (0 = equal, 1 = unequal).

Violent crime rate134/100k64

U.S. median 152/100k · better than most cities

134 violent crimes per 100k · Violent crimes (murder, rape, robbery, aggravated assault) per 100,000 residents.

Property-tax burden0.66%77

U.S. median 0.99% · better than most cities

0.66% of home value paid in property tax · Median real-estate taxes paid as a share of home value.

Homeownership75.2%78

U.S. median 67.2% · better than most cities

75.2% own their home · Share of occupied homes that are owner-occupied.

Property crime rate594/100k79

U.S. median 964/100k · better than most cities

594 property crimes per 100k · Burglary, theft, motor-vehicle theft and arson per 100,000 residents.

Poor mental health14.7%81

U.S. median 17.4% · better than most cities

14.7% of adults · Adults reporting frequent poor mental health (14+ days a month).

Poverty rate5.6%83

U.S. median 12.1% · better than most cities

5.6% live in poverty · Share of residents living below the federal poverty line.

Broadband access95.6%83

U.S. median 90.0% · better than most cities

95.6% of homes have broadband · Share of households with a broadband internet subscription.

Bachelor's degree or higher54.2%86

U.S. median 24.3% · better than most cities

54.2% have a bachelor's degree or higher · Share of adults 25+ with a bachelor's degree or higher.

Adult smoking8.6%89

U.S. median 14.6% · better than most cities

8.6% of adults · Share of adults who currently smoke.

Physical inactivity17.0%90

U.S. median 26.5% · better than most cities

17.0% of adults · Adults with no leisure-time physical activity.

Uninsured adults5.3%91

U.S. median 9.3% · better than most cities

5.3% of adults · Adults 18–64 without health insurance.

Median household income$148,35994

U.S. median $67,857 · better than most cities

$148,359 median household income · Median household income — a proxy for local economic health.

Adult obesity23.0%96

U.S. median 36.5% · better than most cities

23.0% of adults · Share of adults with obesity (BMI ≥ 30).

Frequently asked

Is Poway, CA a good place to live?
By the numbers, Poway scores 53/100 — a D (Meh) on Shcity, which ranks U.S. cities on public data across 22 metrics like crime, cost, jobs and health. Its strongest area is adult obesity and its weakest is housing cost. California overall ranks #49 of 50 states. Whether it's "good" depends on what you value — re-weight the factors to score it your way.
How safe is Poway, CA?
Poway reports 134 violent crimes per 100k and 594 property crimes per 100k — better than most U.S. cities on violent crime.
Is Poway, CA expensive to live in?
Poway has a median home value of $1,034,800 and typical rent around $3,119/mo — pricier than most U.S. cities.
What's the biggest downside of living in Poway, CA?
Its weakest measured area is housing cost ($1,034,800) — 3/100, worse than most U.S. cities.
What is Poway, CA best at?
Its strongest measured area is adult obesity (23.0%) — 96/100, better than most U.S. cities.

Sources: U.S. Census (ACS), CDC PLACES, FBI Crime Data Explorer, BLS, EPA AirData, FEMA National Risk Index, and Zillow.