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%

Lompoc$3,410/mo

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

Colton$2,860/mo

Typical home $495K (Zillow) · tax rate 0.63% · or rent about $1,661/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−LompocSafer than 24% of U.S. towns C−ColtonSafer than 18% of U.S. towns

Schools

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

Health

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

11Lompoc

11Colton

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

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

Left end = #1 in California. Showing the lists where the towns are furthest apart. All of Lompoc’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

LompocColton

Snow a year0″0″

January low43°F 43°F

July high73°F 95°F

Growing season (days)335d 353d

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

Outdoors & history

LompocColton

Trails9 mi 17 mi

Conserved land3.1%2.7%

Settled1888 —

National Register places3 1

Archive photos23 1

Famous people born here31 17

Community

LompocColton

Library hours a week44 hrs 46 hrs

Colleges in town—1

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.

LompocCA ColtonCA

Lompoc ↔ Colton184 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

LompocColton

People

Population 43,646Lowest 53,772Highest

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

Median age 35.1±1.4Highest 7% below CA 33.9±1.2Lowest 11% 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 26.1%±2.1Highest CA: 22% 23.4%±1.7Lowest CA: 22%

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

Age 65+ 13%±1.2Highest CA: 15.7% 11.3%±1.1Lowest 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+ 13.7%Lowest CA: 37.1% 16.6%Highest CA: 37.1%

Enrolled in collegeshare of residents 5.4%±1Lowest CA: 7.6% 7%±1Highest 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 $72,004±$7kHighest 27% below CA $71,208±$3kLowest 28% 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 $472,900±$13kHighest 36% below CA $443,800±$8kLowest 40% below CA

Rentmedian gross, monthly $1,589±$63Lowest 22% below CA $1,661±$55Highest 18% 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 $2,737Lowest 47% below CA $2,809Highest 45% below CA

Renters paying 30%+of income on rent 54%±6.2Lowest CA: 55.3% 56.9%±5.8Highest 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 17.3%Highest CA: 12% 13.7%Lowest CA: 12%

Housing

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

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

Getting to work

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

Work from home 7.1%±1.6Lowest CA: 17.2% 9.1%±3.3Highest 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 22.3%Highest 6.3%Lowest

Typical commute distancemedian, straight-line 22.3 miHighest 12.3 miLowest

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

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

Between these townsresidents who work in the others Few work in ColtonFew work in Lompoc

Outdoors

Conserved landshare of the town 3.1%Highest 2.7%Lowest

Trailsmapped miles 8.6 miLowest 17.4 miHighest

Trail densitymiles per sq mi 0.7 miLowest 1.1 miHighest

Parks & preservesnamed on the map 11 11

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

Schools

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

School district Lompoc UnifiedColton Joint Unified · Rialto Unified

High school in town Lompoc HighColton High

Students per teacherat that high school 19.5Highest 19.4Lowest

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.

Lompoc neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Lompoc’s Town Square.

Colton neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Colton’s Town Square.

Add a town

Set another town beside Lompoc and Colton

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

Bordering Lompoc

+ Compare

Mission Hills3,859 people · $493K homes

Towns like Lompoc

+ Compare

Paramount52,050 people · $534K homes

+ Compare

Watsonville51,712 people · $686K homes

+ Compare

Atwater32,162 people · $363K homes

+ Compare

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.

Lompoc vs Colton

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 Lompoc and Colton

Bordering Lompoc

Towns like Lompoc

Post to Lompoc

Check your email