Mountain Center is a small town of 44 in California, with a median household income of $41,786
.
Its cost of living index is 108 (US average = 100), which is
8% above the national average.
Strengths:
Mountain Center's profile is close to national averages across most measures.
Trade-offs:
No major red flags stand out in the available data. Whether Mountain Center is right for you depends on your priorities — the full breakdown is below.
All Mountain Center city data on this page comes from official government sources —
the US Census Bureau, FBI, NCES, BEA, and NOAA — updated annually.
Cost of Living
Index: 107.9
Mountain Center's overall cost of living index is 107.9,
where 100 represents the US national average.
Living in Mountain Center costs roughly 8% more than the average American city.
Metric
Mountain Center, CA
National Avg
Median Home Value
$345,500
$244,900
Median Monthly Rent
N/A
$1,163
Homeownership Rate
63.2%
65.9%
Median Household Income
$41,786
$74,755
Crime & Safety
Safer than Average
Mountain Center's violent crime rate is 293.7 per 100,000 residents
— 23% lower than the national average of ~380 per 100,000.
Violent Crime
293.7 /100k
Property Crime
1825.0 /100k
Vertical marker = national average. Source: FBI UCR Program.
Schools & Education
Metric
Mountain Center, CA
National Avg
School District
N/A
—
Elementary Schools
N/A
—
Middle Schools
N/A
—
High Schools
N/A
—
Student/Teacher Ratio
N/A
16:1
Bachelor's Degree or Higher
13.6%
35.4%
High School Diploma or Higher
100.0%
91.1%
Weather & Climate
Mountain Center sees average highs of 55.3°F in January
and 85.3°F in July,
with 24.5 inches of annual precipitation
and 30.7 inches of snow per year.
Mountain Center's cost of living index is 108, where 100 is the national average.
That puts Mountain Center roughly 8% above the national average in cost.
The median home price is $345,500 and median rent is N/A/month.
Mountain Center's violent crime rate is 293.7 per 100,000 residents — the national average is ~380 per 100,000. Property crime is 1825.0 per 100,000 (national avg ~2,100). Data from the FBI Uniform Crime Reporting Program.
School district information is sourced from NCES Common Core of Data.
Mountain Center, CA has a population of 44, a median household income of $41,786, and an unemployment rate of 0.0%.
Whether it's right for you depends on your priorities — use the compare tool above to stack it against another city you're considering.
Mountain Center averages 55.3°F in January and 85.3°F in July. Annual rainfall is 24.5 inches
with about 30.7 inches of snow per year.
Based on NOAA 30-year climate normals (1991–2020).
Mountain Center, CA is covered by 1 ZIP code: 92561.
The population of Mountain Center, California is 44 with a median age of 72.7. Source: US Census ACS 5-Year Estimates.
Key numbers for living in Mountain Center: cost of living index 108 (100 = US average), median home $345,500, median household income $41,786, crime index 81 (100 = US average, lower is safer). Whether these are benefits or drawbacks depends on where you're coming from — compare Mountain Center side by side with your current city to see the trade-offs.
