The short answer: is Chino a good place to live?
For many buyers priced out of Orange County or Chino Hills, yes, with a commute attached. Four numbers frame it:
- $746,933: Zillow's typical Chino home value in September 2026, down 0.3% in a year and up 18.1% over five years.
- $104,682: median household income (Census ACS 2020-2024), above California's $99,122.
- 326 violent crimes per 100,000 residents in 2025, from California DOJ counts and the Census population, against about 434 for the state.
- 33.1 minutes: the average one-way commute, against 28.7 minutes statewide (ACS 2020-2024).
Chino is a city of about 92,650 people (ACS 2020-2024) on roughly 30 square miles where San Bernardino, Los Angeles and Riverside counties meet. It grew from ranch and dairy land into a suburb with a large industrial base. The rest of this page weighs the trade-offs.
Pros of living in Chino
Pro: Chino homes cost less than its western neighbors
Redfin's median sale price in Chino was $749,643 for the three months to September 2026. Next door, Chino Hills was $984,531, Rancho Cucamonga $804,617 and Upland $802,118. Ontario ($657,687) and Montclair ($639,695) were lower. For buyers who want a detached house within reach of Orange County job centers, that gap is the main draw.
Pro: a large share of newer homes
About 38% of Chino's housing units were built in 2000 or later, according to the Census (ACS 2020-2024), most of them in The Preserve and College Park. Newer homes mean modern wiring, insulation and floor plans, and fewer surprise repairs in the first years.
Pro: school results above the state average
Chino Valley Unified scored 30.3 points above standard in English and 2.8 below in math on the 2025 California School Dashboard, against 8.1 and 42.4 below for California. Its graduation rate was 95.5%. Results differ widely by school; our Chino schools guide lists each one.
Pro: violent crime below the state rate
The Chino Police Department reported 302 violent crimes to the state Department of Justice in 2025, down from 329 in 2019. Using the Census population, that is about 326 per 100,000 residents, compared with about 434 statewide. See the method and property crime figures on our Chino crime data page.
Pro: Prado Regional Park and open space
Prado Regional Park, run by San Bernardino County at 16700 S. Euclid Avenue, has a 60-acre fishing lake stocked with trout in winter and catfish in summer, 75 full-hookup campsites, an equestrian center and the El Prado Golf Course's two 18-hole courses. The park's Olympic shooting range hosted the 1984 Olympic shooting events. Half of The Preserve's land is planned to stay open space for recreation and farming, according to the city.
Pro: two aviation museums at Chino Airport
Chino Airport, run by San Bernardino County, hosts the Planes of Fame Air Museum, with close to 160 aircraft on a 14-acre campus, and the Yanks Air Museum, with more than 190 aircraft and 176,000 square feet under roof. Few cities of Chino's size have anything comparable.
Pro: freeway access in three directions
State Route 60 crosses the north of the city, State Route 71 runs along the west side toward the 91 Freeway and Orange County, and State Route 83 (Euclid Avenue) leads north to Ontario, according to the city's General Plan. Ontario International Airport is about 10 miles away, and downtown Los Angeles about 36 miles.
Pro: master-planned amenities at The Preserve
Residents of The Preserve share four recreation centers with pools, fitness rooms and sport courts (The Parkhouse, Meadowhouse, Gardenhouse and Club on Main), a community garden with orchards and vines, and the Town Center at The Preserve, where Stater Bros. is open. The master plan site lists a new city park, Glenn Duncan Park, and a community center and library as coming soon.
Cons of living in Chino
Con: long drives to work
Chino's average one-way commute was 33.1 minutes, more than four minutes longer than the state average, and 73.3% of workers drove alone (ACS 2020-2024). Only 0.8% used public transit. If you work in Los Angeles or coastal Orange County, test the drive at rush hour before you buy.
Con: no passenger rail station
The city's General Plan states that there are no passenger rail stations in Chino. Omnitrans buses connect the Chino Transit Center to the Metrolink station in Montclair. Route 84 runs along Mountain Avenue between the Chino and Montclair transit centers about every 60 minutes, which works for some commuters but not most.
Con: property crime above the state rate
Chino reported 1,907 property crimes in 2025, about 2,058 per 100,000 residents, above the state's roughly 1,797 (California DOJ, Census). That was down from 2,075 in 2024. Larceny-theft made up 1,565 of the 1,907, and vehicle theft 158, so ask about garage parking and lighting when you tour.
Con: HOA dues and special taxes in newer areas
Buyers in The Preserve join three master associations, according to the builders' pages, and new tracts in California often carry a Mello-Roos special tax. Those costs can add hundreds of dollars a month. Get the exact figures from the tax bill and HOA budget; our Mello-Roos guide explains them.
Con: warehouses and truck traffic
The General Plan notes that land use in Chino shifted from agriculture to industrial and warehouse or distribution uses from the 1980s, and it calls SR-60 a goods-movement corridor. Much of the land between Schaefer and Pine Avenue is commercial and industrial. Check the truck routes and the nearest distribution center before you choose a street.
Con: prices flat for now
Zillow's typical Chino value slipped 0.3% in the year to September 2026 and sat 2.4% below its January 2025 peak. Condos in 91708 took a median of 70 days to sell (Redfin). Buyers have room to negotiate; owners who need to sell soon may not see much gain.
Con: little new building outside The Preserve
Chino voters passed Measure M in 1988, which bars the City Council from raising residential density or rezoning land for homes without a public vote, according to the General Plan. Fifteen ballot measures since then have proposed changes. The result is that most new homes are in The Preserve, and choice in the older city is limited to resale.
What living in Chino is like
Chino climate and rainfall
Chino is dry most of the year. NOAA's precipitation normals for a station 4.2 miles southeast of the city total 12.40 inches a year, with nearly 10 of those inches falling from December to March and only about half an inch from May to September combined. Ask a seller for a year of electric bills; the city's utilities page lists Southern California Edison for electricity and SoCalGas for gas, while the city itself bills for water, sewer and trash.
Getting around Chino
Most trips are by car: 73.3% of workers drive alone. The General Plan names Central Avenue, Riverside Drive and Philadelphia Street as the main commercial corridors, with Euclid Avenue doubling as State Route 83. Omnitrans buses run from the Chino Transit Center downtown, including Route 84 on Mountain Avenue to Montclair. Ontario International Airport is about 10 miles away, according to the General Plan.
Things to do in Chino
Beyond Prado Regional Park and the two air museums, the city hosts seasonal events at Ruben S. Ayala Park on Central Avenue, such as its Halloween event. The Spectrum shopping center and the Town Center at The Preserve cover everyday shopping. Chaffey College has a campus in the city, listed in the General Plan among its landmarks.
Salary needed to live in Chino
MIT's Living Wage Calculator for San Bernardino County, updated February 15, 2026, estimates the pre-tax income a household needs for basic costs:
| Household | Living wage (hourly) | Annual income before tax |
|---|---|---|
| 1 adult, no children | $27.60 | $57,414 |
| 2 adults (1 working), no children | $35.59 | $74,029 |
| 1 adult, 1 child | $46.35 | $96,401 |
| 2 adults (both working), 2 children | $30.92 each | $128,632 |
Those figures assume renting at county costs. Buying in Chino takes more. At Freddie Mac's 7.24% rate (week of October 29, 2026), 20% down on Redfin's $749,643 median leaves about $4,087 a month in principal and interest plus about $625 in base property tax. Keeping that $4,712 to 30% of gross income needs about $188,000 a year, before insurance and HOA dues, and a down payment near $150,000.
Who is moving to and from Chino
Chino added about 13,400 residents between 2010 and 2020, according to the city's General Plan, which credits relatively affordable home ownership among the reasons. The longer arc is steeper: the city grew from 10,305 people in 1960 to 59,682 in 1990, partly through annexations. Most residents stay put. The Census found 88.4% of residents lived in the same home a year earlier, close to the state's 89.2% (ACS 2020-2024), and 64.0% of occupied homes were owner-occupied, against 55.9% statewide.
The General Plan also notes that the share of renters is growing. Build-to-rent projects such as the 172-unit Main Street at The Preserve point the same way.
Retiring in Chino
The General Plan reports that residents 65 and older were the fastest-growing age group in Chino over the last ten years. Practical points for anyone planning to retire here:
- Single-level living. Many new Preserve plans are three stories. Several builders offer a first-floor bedroom (Lennar's Pathway Residence 1, Shea's Essence Plan 2, Beazer's Willow and Redwood plans), which is worth asking about.
- Moving your tax base. Proposition 19 provides a base year value transfer for owners over 55 or disabled, according to the Board of Equalization. See our Prop 19 guide.
- Age-restricted options. For 55+ communities in the wider region, see our California 55+ communities guide.
- Getting around. With no rail station and hourly buses on key routes, plan on driving or ride services.
Where to live in Chino
Chino splits into two housing markets. ZIP 91710, the older north and central city, had a Zillow typical value of $756,530 in September 2026; Redfin counted 97 detached sales there against 19 attached in the three months to September 2026. ZIP 91708, mostly The Preserve, was $706,585, but that figure blends new detached houses with many condos and townhomes. Redfin's detached median there was $952,260 in the three months to September 2026.
See our Chino homes for sale guide for each area, new homes in Chino for the builders, Chino condos for attached homes and Chino ZIP codes for the data by ZIP.
Should you move to Chino? A checklist
- Drive your commute at rush hour on a weekday, both ways.
- Decide between the older city (91710) and The Preserve (91708), and price each on the same terms, including dues and special taxes.
- Confirm the assigned schools for any address with Chino Valley Unified.
- Look up the parcel on the FEMA flood map and CAL FIRE's hazard zone map, and get an insurance quote.
- Check the nearest warehouses, truck routes and Chino Airport flight paths.
- Read the city crime figures and call the police department's non-emergency line with questions about a specific street.
- Talk to a local agent; our featured Chino agent page profiles one.