These Are The 10 Worst Ontario Suburbs For 2018

Not everyone is cut out for city life. Some people would prefer to live in the cities and towns that surround Ontario.

So the question arises, do the suburbs maintain a semblance of the larger-than-life appeal of their more famous neighbor?

Today, we’ll use science and data to determine which Ontario ‘burbs need a little tender loving care – the sore thumbs of the Ontario area if you will. Realistically, you can’t expect all the suburbs to live up to Ontario proper, although San Marino certainly tries.

Of course, not all suburbs of Ontario are created equally, which is precisely why we set out to find the best ones. So without further ado…

We examined the 73 biggest suburbs of Ontario to find out the worst places to live. And while you won’t necessarily find them on the worst places to live in California lists, these ten places are a little too far downwind of Ontario in terms of quality of life.

Here are the 10 worst suburbs around Ontario for 2018:

1. Perris (Photos)
2. San Bernardino (Photos)
3. Hesperia
4. Jurupa Valley
5. Colton (Photos)
6. Rialto (Photos)
7. Pomona (Photos)
8. Moreno Valley (Photos)
9. Highland (Photos)
10. El Monte (Photos)

Read on to see how we determined the places around Ontario that need a pick-me-up. And remember, don’t blame the messenger.

Or, if you’re thinking of moving to elsewhere in California check out the best places in California overall or the worst.

And remember, there are some good places to live around Ontario too.

Editor’s Note: If you see a slight difference between the worst in state rankings and this suburb ranking, it’s because of the methodology. We needed a way to include more places, so we eliminated crime and commute times as criteria for this analysis.

For more California reading, check out:

• 10 Best Places To Live In California
• 10 Cheapest Places To Live In California
• 10 Most Dangerous Cities In California

Determining The Worst Suburbs Around Ontario for 2018

To figure out how bad a place is to live in, we only needed to know what kinds of things people like and then decide what cities have the least amount of those things.

We threw a lot of criteria at this one in order to get the best, most complete results possible. Using the most recent American Community Survey data, this is the criteria we used:

• High unemployment rate
• Low median household incomes
• Low population density (no things to do)
• Low home values
• A lot of high school drop outs
• High poverty
• High rate of uninsured families

FYI: We defined a suburb as being within 30 miles of Ontario.

Additionally, we limited the analysis to places that have over 5,000 people. This left us with a grand total of 73 suburbs to evaluate around Ontario.

We ranked each place with scores from 1 to 73 in each category, where 1 was the “worst”.

Next, we averaged the rankings for each place to create a quality of life index.

And finally, we crowned the city with the worst quality of life index the “Worst Suburb near Ontario.” We’re lookin’ at you, Perris.

Read on below to learn more about what it’s like to live in the worst of the worst. Or skip to the end to see the list of all the suburbs ranked from worst to best.

1. Perris

Population: 73,718
Unemployment Rate: 14.2%
Median Home Price: $211,400
Median Income: $51,315
More on Perris: Data | Jobs

We’ll get the ball rolling with Perris, the absolute worst place to live around Ontario according to the data.

And in the world of worst rankings, Perris beat the competition pretty handily thanks to scoring in the bottom 15% in three major categories. Income is the 11th worst in the Ontario area, and to make matters worse, the city ranks 4th worst when it comes to home values.

But hey, at least it’s cheap to live there. But there’s a reason for that… it’s Perris.

You won’t feel bad about not having a great income for the area, there aren’t a bunch of places to spend your money anyway.

2. San Bernardino

Population: 214,581
Unemployment Rate: 14.1%
Median Home Price: $176,800
Median Income: $38,456
More on San Bernardino: Data | Jobs

Welcome to San Bernardino. Home to KMart, Big Lots, and a lot of gas stations.

This city is 19.1 miles to Ontario. Income levels here are the 1st lowest in the metro area, where families bring in about $38,456 a year, which doesn’t go a long ways even on a shoestring budget.

But on the bright side, there are a lot of fast food joints in the area.

3. Hesperia

Population: 92,664
Unemployment Rate: 13.6%
Median Home Price: $172,800
Median Income: $46,446
More on Hesperia: Data | Jobs

Back up the highway we go for the third worst Ontario suburb you can live in. You might have expected to see Hesperia on here. While the cost of living is low, your entertainment and work options are limited. And that’s an understatement.

In terms of numbers, it’s in the worst 15% for insurance, and the adult high school drop out rate is poor compared to other Ontario suburbs.

But at least there are nice parks to bring the kids during the day.

4. Jurupa Valley

Population: 100,737
Unemployment Rate: 12.7%
Median Home Price: $270,700
Median Income: $58,849
More on Jurupa Valley: Data | Jobs

If you live in Jurupa Valley, most likely you struggle to make ends meet every month. It ranks as the 25th lowest Ontario suburb when it comes to residents making money.

Not only that, but this is the 6th worst unemployed suburb you can live in if you choose to live near Ontario. Remember, we looked at 73 cities for this study.

Jurupa Valley is about 8.2 miles to downtown.

5. Colton

Population: 53,856
Unemployment Rate: 9.8%
Median Home Price: $189,500
Median Income: $43,966
More on Colton: Data | Jobs

Colton has the distinction of being a Ontario suburb. Which means that’s about all it has going for it.

All snarkiness aside, Colton has the 3rd lowest home values in the metro Ontario area, where the median price is $189,500. To put that into perspective, in San Marino, the median income is $139,792, which is the best in the area.

Colton has an unemployment rate of 9.8% which ranks 16th worst.

6. Rialto

Population: 102,418
Unemployment Rate: 13.8%
Median Home Price: $236,100
Median Income: $52,347
More on Rialto: Data | Jobs

Rialto has 102,418 residents that probably know it’s a pretty crummy place to live when you look at the data. (Or, if you’ve ever been there, you don’t need to look at the data.)

Incomes are towards the bottom and the poverty rate sits at 18.8%.

7. Pomona

Population: 151,807
Unemployment Rate: 11.0%
Median Home Price: $310,100
Median Income: $50,360
More on Pomona: Data | Jobs

Ah, Pomona. You rank as the 7th worst place to live around Ontario.

It’s the place with the 9th most out of work residents in the Ontario metro area (11.0%).

8. Moreno Valley

Population: 202,061
Unemployment Rate: 12.3%
Median Home Price: $231,400
Median Income: $56,456
More on Moreno Valley: Data | Jobs

Moreno Valley is a city about 24.2 miles from Ontario, but Ontario probably wishes it was further away. It ranks as the 8th worst burb for 2018.

You’d be hard pressed to find a worse place to live. Moreno Valley has the 13th most uninsured people, 19th worst incomes, and has the 7th highest unemployment rate (12.3%) in the entire Ontario metro area.

Homes only cost $231,400 for a reason. That’s cheap for Ontario standards.

9. Highland

Population: 54,490
Unemployment Rate: 11.4%
Median Home Price: $269,000
Median Income: $53,504
More on Highland: Data | Jobs

If you absolutely have to live near Ontario, then Highland might be a place for you to consider as it’s only the 9th worst Ontario suburb.

About 11.4% of residents are out of work.

10. El Monte

Population: 115,665
Unemployment Rate: 9.2%
Median Home Price: $374,900
Median Income: $40,654
More on El Monte: Data | Jobs

Rounding out the ten worst Ontario suburbs to call home is El Monte.

Located 24.4 miles outside the city, El Montes is a real pit when you look at the data. Its residents have the 22nd highest unemployment rate (9.2%), and poverty is far above the area average.

The areas around Ontario where the dream is more of a nightmare for 2018

Well there you have it — the worst of the ‘burbs surrounding Ontario with Perris casting itself ahead of the pack.

As we mentioned earlier, the suburbs around Ontario aren’t all bad. San Marino takes the cake as the best place to live around Ontario.

For more California reading, check out:

• 10 Most Ghetto Cities In California
• These Are The 10 Richest Cities In California
• 10 Safest Places In California
• 10 Worst Places To Live In California

Detailed List Of The Worst Ontario Suburbs

Rank	City	Population	Unemployment Rate	Median Home Price	Median Income
1	Perris	73,718	14.2%	$211,400	$51,315
2	San Bernardino	214,581	14.1%	$176,800	$38,456
3	Hesperia	92,664	13.6%	$172,800	$46,446
4	Jurupa Valley	100,737	12.7%	$270,700	$58,849
5	Colton	53,856	9.8%	$189,500	$43,966
6	Rialto	102,418	13.8%	$236,100	$52,347
7	Pomona	151,807	11.0%	$310,100	$50,360
8	Moreno Valley	202,061	12.3%	$231,400	$56,456
9	Highland	54,490	11.4%	$269,000	$53,504
10	El Monte	115,665	9.2%	$374,900	$40,654
11	Lake Elsinore	60,230	12.8%	$259,700	$63,306
12	Montclair	38,294	9.3%	$281,100	$50,374
13	South El Monte	20,566	7.0%	$363,100	$42,460
14	Riverside	318,678	11.0%	$286,600	$58,979
15	Fontana	205,228	10.2%	$289,400	$65,995
16	Stanton	38,594	8.0%	$322,200	$48,332
17	Baldwin Park	76,511	8.8%	$333,500	$53,651
18	Santa Ana	333,605	7.1%	$383,900	$54,062
19	La Puente	40,384	8.1%	$343,000	$57,174
20	Duarte	21,792	10.4%	$385,600	$65,571
21	Montebello	63,416	8.1%	$413,900	$47,518
22	Rosemead	54,507	8.2%	$455,100	$45,510
23	Azusa	48,498	8.1%	$342,000	$56,569
24	Pico Rivera	63,724	8.6%	$351,300	$57,203
25	Loma Linda	23,859	6.8%	$291,600	$51,390
26	Chino	83,670	9.0%	$365,500	$72,832
27	Anaheim	346,776	8.1%	$457,600	$61,826
28	Norwalk	106,360	8.0%	$350,600	$61,050
29	Grand Terrace	12,393	9.6%	$249,700	$64,188
30	Santa Fe Springs	17,436	4.9%	$371,400	$58,147
31	Garden Grove	174,676	7.6%	$445,700	$60,522
32	Redlands	70,442	7.1%	$326,800	$66,514
33	La Habra	61,660	10.0%	$436,200	$65,799
34	Westminster	91,635	7.4%	$499,400	$55,287
35	Corona	161,614	7.8%	$378,500	$72,309
36	Fullerton	139,491	8.6%	$551,300	$67,110
37	West Covina	107,634	9.9%	$430,800	$71,217
38	Covina	48,539	9.7%	$415,300	$65,451
39	Monrovia	37,090	9.6%	$583,300	$67,167
40	Norco	26,809	8.5%	$445,700	$87,067
41	San Gabriel	40,200	6.9%	$605,600	$54,015
42	Artesia	16,789	5.2%	$419,500	$58,651
43	Glendora	51,285	10.1%	$481,800	$78,448
44	Upland	75,851	5.9%	$444,200	$62,369
45	Rancho Cucamonga	173,309	8.9%	$414,200	$79,973
46	Orange	139,919	7.3%	$565,800	$79,192
47	Buena Park	82,771	5.7%	$448,900	$70,341
48	Whittier	86,630	6.7%	$458,500	$67,431
49	Tustin	79,396	6.8%	$543,200	$70,822
50	San Dimas	34,109	7.0%	$481,000	$79,081
51	Eastvale	58,217	9.6%	$460,100	$104,940
52	La Verne	32,078	7.0%	$500,300	$78,385
53	Chino Hills	77,266	7.0%	$537,800	$97,222
54	Placentia	52,168	6.8%	$554,500	$80,668
55	La Mirada	49,130	6.9%	$448,400	$81,956
56	Diamond Bar	56,456	7.3%	$593,100	$89,845
57	Claremont	35,827	6.8%	$581,100	$94,005
58	Brea	41,351	6.4%	$579,600	$85,555
59	La Palma	15,834	6.4%	$602,000	$83,760
60	Lake Forest	80,658	5.2%	$550,600	$92,415
61	Walnut	30,026	6.6%	$679,700	$97,345
62	Arcadia	57,755	6.5%	$920,700	$83,958
63	Irvine	246,992	6.2%	$718,800	$93,823
64	Villa Park	5,922	8.7%	$1,030,800	$131,386
65	Cypress	48,978	5.2%	$540,900	$84,469
66	El Cerrito	24,646	6.6%	$636,600	$92,670
67	La Habra Heights	5,406	4.9%	$893,200	$110,329
68	Cerritos	49,797	6.6%	$620,500	$95,373
69	Yorba Linda	67,362	6.5%	$728,300	$119,697
70	Rancho Santa Margarita	49,038	3.6%	$584,000	$104,556
71	Mission Viejo	96,178	6.0%	$608,100	$104,886
72	Sierra Madre	11,067	5.3%	$861,200	$95,256
73	San Marino	13,324	4.3%	$1,518,400	$139,792