Fontana is a city located in San Bernardino County California. Fontana has a 2024 population of 217,561. Fontana is currently growing at a rate of 0.97% annually and its population has increased by 4.01% since the most recent census, which recorded a population of 209,177 in 2020.
The average household income in Fontana is $109,881 with a poverty rate of 10.52%. The median age in Fontana is 32.6 years: 31.3 years for males, and 34.3 years for females.
Fontana is located in San Bernardino County, California along the San Bernardino Mountains. “Fontana” is Italian for “water source,” a nod to the nearby Santa Ana River. Fontana is currently the second largest city in San Bernardino County after San Bernardino, although the cities are close in population. It’s part of the Inland Empire, which comprises San Bernardino and Riverside Counties as well as the Greater Los Angeles area, the second largest metropolitan area in the United States.
Like other cities in the Inland Empire, Fontana is enjoying significant population growth driven by higher-paying professional jobs in the region and the high cost of living in Orange and Los Angeles Counties. Fontana was recently named as the Most Prosperous City in California thans to its stable home values, average income, low unemployment and poverty rates, and population growth. In 2016, Fontana <a href=”https://www.fontanaheraldnews.com/news/fontana-leads-san-bernardino-county-in-population-growth/article_05b593b2-130e-11e6-b61c-0baca8964fff.html”>led San Bernardino County in population growth with an increase of 1.4%, adding nearly 3,000 people in just one year. Since 1990, Fontana’s population has nearly doubled.
Fontana is a fairly young city with a history going back to its founding in 1919. It quickly became an agricultural community with chicken ranches, vineyards, and citrus orchards along Route 66. During World War II, one of just two steel mills in the West was built in Fontana. The mill’s owner, Henry J. Kaiser, then built the Fontana Kaiser Permanente medical facility to provide health care for mill workers. It’s now the country’s largest managed care organization.
Fontana’s economy has largely moved away from agriculture, intead focusing on industry, especially trucking industries. It’s home to many product distribution centers for major companies like Home Shoppig Network, Mercedes-Benz, and Toyota. Kaiser Permanente is Fontana’s largest employer.
By 2000, Fontana had a population of 129,000. Today, it’s estimated at more than 211,000, in large part due to large residential developments in the north part of the city and a successful campaign to annex developed, unincorporated areas in 2006 and 2007.
According to the most recent ACS, the racial composition of Fontana was:
Race | Population | Percentage (of total) |
|---|---|---|
| Other race | 90,459 | 43.22% |
| White | 55,093 | 26.33% |
| Two or more races | 28,879 | 13.8% |
| Black or African American | 17,343 | 8.29% |
| Asian | 14,993 | 7.16% |
| Native American | 2,173 | 1.04% |
| Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander | 339 | 0.16% |
Other race
White
Two or more races
Black or African American
Asian
Native American
Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander
Household Type | Count | Average Size | Owner | Renter |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| All | 55,856 | 3.74 | 66.6 | 33.4 |
| Married | 33,309 | 4.23 | 73.5 | 26.5 |
| Female | 10,121 | 3.87 | 56.1 | 43.9 |
| Non Family | 7,763 | 1.46 | 53.9 | 46.1 |
| Male | 4,663 | 3.72 | 61.3 | 38.7 |
3.98
Average Family Size
3.74
Average Household Size
66.6%
Rate of Home Ownership
Married
Male
Female
NonFamily
owner
renter
Male
Female
Education Attained | Count | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| 9th to 12th Grade | 13,195 | 10.31% |
| Associates Degree | 9,087 | 7.1% |
| Bachelors Degree | 18,850 | 14.73% |
| Graduate Degree | 6,737 | 5.27% |
| High School Graduate | 37,776 | 29.52% |
| Less Than 9th Grade | 14,512 | 11.34% |
| Some College | 27,789 | 21.72% |
Less Than 9th Grade
9th to 12th Grade
High School Graduate
Some College
Associates Degree
Bachelors Degree
Graduate Degree
High School Graduation Rate
Bachelors Rate
Race | Total | High School | Bachelors |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hispanic | 83,584 | 59,398 | 11,111 |
| Other Race | 53,476 | 36,451 | 5,786 |
| White | 19,802 | 18,040 | 5,032 |
| 2+ Races | 15,757 | 12,748 | 3,749 |
| Black | 11,001 | 10,390 | 3,170 |
| Asian | 10,279 | 9,445 | 5,198 |
| Native American | 1,321 | 1,140 | 106 |
| Islander | 244 | 240 | 70 |
The highest rate of high school graduation is among islander people with a rate of 98.36%.
The highest rate of bachelors degrees is among asian people with a rate of 50.57%.
All
Male
Female
Name | Average | Male | Female |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bachelors Degree | $67,232 | $74,531 | $56,067 |
| Graduate Degree | $94,229 | $109,354 | $79,485 |
| High School Graduate | $41,739 | $46,956 | $33,962 |
| Less Than 9th Grade | $35,393 | $43,653 | $27,577 |
| Overall | $46,314 | $52,487 | $39,429 |
| Some College | $47,760 | $57,514 | $42,213 |
$46,314
Average Earnings
$52,487
Average Male
$39,429
Average Female
Only English
Spanish
Other Indo-European Languages
Asian and Pacific Island Languages
Other Languages
42.17% of Fontana residents speak only English, while 57.83% speak other languages. The non-English language spoken by the largest group is Spanish, which is spoken by 50.36% of the population.
rate
Name | Total | In Poverty | Poverty Rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hispanic | 143,634 | 15,448 | 10.76% |
| Other | 89,839 | 9,934 | 11.06% |
| Black | 17,239 | 3,694 | 21.43% |
| Multiple | 28,797 | 1,964 | 6.82% |
| White | 26,573 | 1,854 | 6.98% |
| Asian | 14,964 | 707 | 4.72% |
| Native | 2,159 | 581 | 26.91% |
| Islander | 329 | 33 | 10.03% |
10.52%
Overall Poverty Rate
9.76%
Male Poverty Rate
11.29%
Female Poverty Rate
The race most likely to be in poverty in Fontana is Native, with 26.91% below the poverty level.
The race least likely to be in poverty in Fontana is Asian, with 4.72% below the poverty level.
The poverty rate among those that worked full-time for the past 12 months was 2.18%. Among those working part-time, it was 11.18%, and for those that did not work, the poverty rate was 17.79%.
rate
Rate | Poverty |
|---|---|
| Less Than 9th Grade | 12.26% |
| High School | 9.5% |
| Some College | 8.47% |
| Bachelors or Greater | 3.96% |
rate
Rate | Poverty |
|---|---|
| Male Unemployed | 21.26% |
| Female Unemployed | 17.02% |
| Female Employed | 4.27% |
| Male Employed | 4.14% |
Households
Families
MarriedFamilies
NonFamilies
Name | Median | Mean |
|---|---|---|
| Families | $94,675 | $111,205 |
| Households | $93,230 | $109,881 |
| Married Families | $109,820 | $124,863 |
| Non Families | $54,807 | $79,754 |
mean
median
Married
Widowed
Divorced
Separated
NeverMarried
47.3%
Overall Marriage Rate
48.1%
Male Marriage Rate
46.4%
Female Marriage Rate
male
female
The age group where males are most likely to be married is 55-64, while the female age group most likely to be married is 45-54.
Married
Widowed
Divorced
Separated
NeverMarried
Second Gulf War
First Gulf War
Vietnam
Korea
World War II
5,225
Number of Veterans
4,887
Male Veterans
338
Female Veterans
War | Veterans |
|---|---|
| Second Gulf War | 1,809 |
| First Gulf War | 1,641 |
| Vietnam | 1,496 |
| Korea | 149 |
| World War II | 1 |
count
Age Group | Veterans |
|---|---|
| 35 to 54 | 2,039 |
| 65 to 74 | 1,254 |
| 55 to 64 | 714 |
| 18 to 34 | 680 |
| 75+ | 538 |
count
Name | Veterans | % of Total |
|---|---|---|
| Hispanic | 2,483 | 2.45% |
| White | 2,156 | 5.29% |
| Other Race | 1,068 | 1.64% |
| Black | 1,066 | 8.33% |
| 2+ Races | 623 | 3.38% |
| Asian | 191 | 1.63% |
| Native American | 121 | 7.86% |
Less Than 9th Grade
High School Graduate
Some College
Bachelors or Greater
9.35%
Veteran Poverty Rate
23.61%
Veteran Disability Rate
LaborForceParticipation
66.9%
Labor Force Participation
62.6%
Employment Rate
6.2%
Unemployment Rate
LaborForceParticipation
LaborForceParticipation
Europe
Asia
Africa
Oceania
Latin America
North America
Non citizens include legal permanent residents (green card holders), international students, temporary workers, humanitarian migrants, and illegal immigrants.
Europe
Asia
Africa
Oceania
Latin America
North America
63.88%
Born in Fontana
72.36%
Native Born
27.64%
Foreign Born
13.31%
Non Citizen
14.33%
Naturalized
72.36% of Fontana residents were born in the United States, with 63.88% having been born in California. 13.31% of residents are not US citizens. Of those not born in the United States, the largest percentage are from Latin America.
Year | Population | Growth | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2029 | 228,041 | 2,096 | 0.93% |
| 2028 | 225,945 | 2,096 | 0.94% |
| 2027 | 223,849 | 2,096 | 0.95% |
| 2026 | 221,753 | 2,096 | 0.95% |
| 2025 | 219,657 | 2,096 | 0.96% |
| 2024 | 217,561 | 2,096 | 0.97% |
| 2023 | 215,465 | 1,148 | 0.54% |
| 2022 | 214,317 | 1,828 | 0.86% |
| 2021 | 212,489 | 3,312 | 1.58% |
| 2020 | 209,177 | -5,455 | -2.54% |
| 2019 | 214,632 | 1,400 | 0.66% |
| 2018 | 213,232 | 2,183 | 1.03% |
| 2017 | 211,049 | 2,639 | 1.27% |
| 2016 | 208,410 | 2,773 | 1.35% |
| 2015 | 205,637 | 1,914 | 0.94% |
| 2014 | 203,723 | 1,528 | 0.76% |
| 2013 | 202,195 | 1,105 | 0.55% |
| 2012 | 201,090 | 1,319 | 0.66% |
| 2011 | 199,771 | 2,555 | 1.3% |
| 2010 | 197,216 | 0 | 0% |
| 2000 | 128,929 | 41,394 | 47.29% |
| 1990 | 87,535 | 50,544 | 136.64% |
| 1980 | 36,991 | 16,318 | 78.93% |
| 1970 | 20,673 | 6,014 | 41.03% |
| 1960 | 14,659 | 10,159 | 225.76% |
| 1940 | 4,500 | -223,541 | -98.03% |