A typical home in each town, bought with 20% down at 6.3% for 30 years, plus property tax at the town’s own rate and insurance. Change the numbers to fit you.

Down paymentRate%

Colton$2,860/mo

Typical home $495K (Zillow) · tax rate 0.63% · or rent about $1,661/mo · Housing →

Lompoc$3,410/mo

Typical home $595K (Zillow) · tax rate 0.58% · or rent about $1,589/mo · Housing →

The difference: $550 a month, about $6,600 a year, between Lompoc and Colton.

Estimates, not a quote: your price, rate, tax bill and insurance will differ. Tax rate = the Census median tax bill over the median home value.

Report cards

Grades and rankings, side by side

Our letter grades for safety, schools and health, then every California ranking list both towns are on. A grade is one measure; read the page behind it.

Safety

C−ColtonSafer than 18% of U.S. towns C−LompocSafer than 24% of U.S. towns

Schools

C+ColtonBetter than 38% of districts in the state B+LompocBetter than 67% of districts in the state

Health

CColtonHealthier than 35% of U.S. towns CLompocHealthier than 32% of U.S. towns

11Colton

11Lompoc

Lists won, of 23 where both are ranked. Ties go to nobody.

Closest to a top hospitalHealth · 844 towns #202#734 Lowest depressionHealth · 844 towns #99#420 Lowest obesityHealth · 844 towns #666#456 Fewest smokersHealth · 844 towns #530#679 Rent easiest to affordCost of living · 422 towns #236#164 Most trailsOutdoors · 677 towns #357#458 SafestSafety · 411 towns #311#252 Most remote workersWork · 801 towns #538#624

Left end = #1 in California. Showing the lists where the towns are furthest apart. All of Colton’s rankings →

Life in each

What daily life feels like in each

The weather, the land, the history and the people, row by row. None of it is a grade: more snow is a plus to a skier.

Seasons

ColtonLompoc

Snow a year0″0″

January low43°F 43°F

July high95°F 73°F

Growing season (days)353d 335d

Hazard risk (U.S. pctl)98th 83rd

Outdoors & history

ColtonLompoc

Trails17 mi 9 mi

Conserved land2.7%3.1%

Settled—1888

National Register places1 3

Archive photos1 23

Famous people born here17 31

Community

ColtonLompoc

Library hours a week46 hrs 44 hrs

Colleges in town1 —

Posts this month0 0

Neighbors joined0 0

A dot marks the most on each row. Climate: NOAA 1991–2020 normals at the nearest station. Hazard risk: FEMA National Risk Index, expected yearly damage vs U.S. towns.

Where they are

184 miles apart

Straight-line miles between town centers.

ColtonCA LompocCA

Colton ↔ Lompoc184 miles apart

Everything, side by side

What matters to you?

Pick a few. Those rows jump to the top and the best fit on each is marked. There’s no overall score: what matters is up to you.

Only big differences vs California average

ColtonLompoc

People

Population 53,772Highest 43,646Lowest

Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census +3.4%Lowest CA: +6.1% +4.7%Highest CA: +6.1%

Median age 33.9±1.2Lowest 11% below CA 35.1±1.4Highest 7% below CA

Lompoc and Colton are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.

Kids under 18 23.4%±1.7Lowest CA: 22% 26.1%±2.1Highest CA: 22%

Lompoc and Colton are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.

Age 65+ 11.3%±1.1Lowest CA: 15.7% 13%±1.2Highest CA: 15.7%

Lompoc and Colton are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.

Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ 16.6%Highest CA: 37.1% 13.7%Lowest CA: 37.1%

Enrolled in collegeshare of residents 7%±1Highest CA: 7.6% 5.4%±1Lowest CA: 7.6%

Colton and Lompoc are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.

Cost of living

Household incomemedian $71,208±$3kLowest 28% below CA $72,004±$7kHighest 27% below CA

Lompoc and Colton are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.

Home valuemedian, owner-occupied $443,800±$8kLowest 40% below CA $472,900±$13kHighest 36% below CA

Rentmedian gross, monthly $1,661±$55Highest 18% below CA $1,589±$63Lowest 22% below CA

Colton and Lompoc are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.

Property taxmedian, yearly $2,809Highest 45% below CA $2,737Lowest 47% below CA

Renters paying 30%+of income on rent 56.9%±5.8Highest CA: 55.3% 54%±6.2Lowest CA: 55.3%

Colton and Lompoc are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.

Below poverty line 13.7%Lowest CA: 12% 17.3%Highest CA: 12%

Housing

Homeownersof occupied homes 52.8%Highest CA: 55.9% 49%Lowest CA: 55.9%

Typical home builtmedian year 1979Highest 3 yrs newer than CA 1976Lowest same as CA

Getting to work

Average commuteone way 28 minLowest 4% below CA 28 minHighest 4% below CA

Work from home 9.1%±3.3Highest CA: 17.2% 7.1%±1.6Lowest CA: 17.2%

Colton and Lompoc are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.

Work in townworking residents 6.3%Lowest 22.3%Highest

Typical commute distancemedian, straight-line 12.3 miLowest 22.3 miHighest

Jobs per working residentover 1.5 = a job hub 1.07Highest 0.45Lowest

Top workplaceoutside town San Bernardino (13%)Santa Barbara (9%)

Between these townsresidents who work in the others Few work in LompocFew work in Colton

Outdoors

Conserved landshare of the town 2.7%Lowest 3.1%Highest

Trailsmapped miles 17.4 miHighest 8.6 miLowest

Trail densitymiles per sq mi 1.1 miHighest 0.7 miLowest

Parks & preservesnamed on the map 11 11

Street connectivityintersections per sq mi, a walkability measure 65.7Lowest 72.0Highest

Schools

Public school scoresrank in state, math + reading #382 of 574 in CA #393 of 574 in CA

School district Colton Joint Unified · Rialto UnifiedLompoc Unified

High school in town Colton HighLompoc High

Students per teacherat that high school 19.4Lowest 19.5Highest

California average“±” Census margin of errorACS 2020–2024

Deciding?

Ask the people who live there

The numbers stop at the town line. Neighbors can tell you about the commute at 7am, the schools, the winters and the feel of the place.

Colton neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Colton’s Town Square.

Lompoc neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Lompoc’s Town Square.

Add a town

Set another town beside Colton and Lompoc

One tap adds it. Up to 4 towns at once.

Bordering Colton

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Grand Terrace13,078 people · $518K homes

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San Bernardino222,724 people · $422K homes

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Rialto104,143 people · $488K homes

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Loma Linda25,122 people · $597K homes

Towns like Colton

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Montclair37,810 people · $569K homes

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Yuba City69,471 people · $435K homes

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Atwater32,162 people · $363K homes

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Desert Hot Springs33,200 people · $355K homes

Sources: U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey 5-year estimates, 2010 & 2020 censuses, LEHD commute flows; Zillow Home Value Index; NCES Common Core of Data; FBI crime reporting; CDC PLACES; FEMA National Risk Index; NOAA U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020; USGS PAD-US and OpenStreetMap. “±” is the Census margin of error; differences inside it are never called. Property tax is top-coded by the Census at $10,000+. There is no overall score: which town is better depends on what matters to you.

Colton vs Lompoc

Two towns, two different strengths

Where they differ most

A typical home costs $550 more a month in Lompoc

Grades and rankings, side by side

What daily life feels like in each

184 miles apart

What matters to you?

Ask the people who live there

Set another town beside Colton and Lompoc

Bordering Colton

Towns like Colton

Post to Colton

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