Montclair
The west-end's most affordable city — Montclair Place (1.2M sqft mall), Metrolink San Bernardino Line, and a future Gold Line connection (on hold)
Why People Move Here
Montclair is the most affordable city in the Inland Empire's west-end region — a 30-mile-east-of-LA San Bernardino County community where median home prices run $573K-$660K (vs $965K in adjacent Claremont) and the 1.2-million-square-foot Montclair Place (formerly Montclair Plaza) anchors the local economy with Macy's, JCPenney, an AMC DINE-IN IMAX, Main Event entertainment complex (opened January 2025), Lazy Dog, and a 10-unit Food Hall. The city was founded in 1897 as 'Marquette,' renamed Monte Vista in 1900, incorporated in 1956, and renamed Montclair in 1958 after a resident vote. Montclair TransCenter serves the Metrolink San Bernardino Line with 34 weekday trains to LA Union Station, and a future Foothill Gold Line (Metro A Line) extension was planned — but is currently on hold after a September 2025 San Bernardino County Transportation Authority vote to remove local funding. Crime rates materially exceed west-end neighbors (102% above national overall; 1 in 155 annual violent-crime chance), something buyers should weigh against the affordability advantage.
Key Statistics
Data sourced from census records, school district reports, and local transit authorities.
Commute Times
School Districts
Chaffey Joint Union High School District (9-12)
A- Ranked #1 in Best School Districts in San Bernardino County (Niche)
- 22,628 students, 24:1 student-teacher ratio
- Serves Montclair, Ontario, Upland, and other west-end cities
Montclair High School (part of CJUHSD)
B- Niche rating 3.9/5 from 634 reviews
- #770 in Niche Standout High Schools in America; #991 in California
- A Teachers, B- College Prep, B- Diversity, B- Administration
- C+ Clubs & Activities, C+ Sports, C Food
Ontario-Montclair School District (K-8)
C- 33 schools, 17,944 students, 21:1 student-teacher ratio
- 26% math proficiency, 40% reading proficiency
- Standouts in top 25% of CA: Edison Elementary, Monte Vista Elementary, Buena Vista Arts-Integrated
FAQ — Montclair
What is the commute from Montclair to downtown Los Angeles?
Driving from Montclair to downtown LA takes about 40-45 minutes off-peak and 60-90 minutes during rush hour via I-10. Metrolink's San Bernardino Line operates 34 weekday trains and 16 weekend trains through Montclair TransCenter at Monte Vista Avenue and Arrow Highway — a 75-80 minute journey to LA Union Station with full weekend service. The TransCenter shares a 1,600-space parking structure and is the planned site of a future Foothill Gold Line (Metro A Line) station, though that extension is currently on hold.
What schools serve Montclair, CA?
Montclair is split across two school districts. Chaffey Joint Union High School District serves 9-12 — Niche A, ranked #1 in San Bernardino County, 22,628 students. Montclair High School (within that district) holds a Niche B grade (3.9/5), #991 in California, with A Teachers, B- College Prep, and B- Diversity. Ontario-Montclair School District serves K-8 with a Niche C overall grade (33 schools, 17,944 students); standouts in the top 25% of California include Edison Elementary, Monte Vista Elementary, and Buena Vista Arts-Integrated. Verify enrollment eligibility by address.
What is the housing market like in Montclair?
Montclair is the most affordable of the six west-end communities. Redfin reports a February 2026 median sale price of $573K (-3.5% YoY); Zillow reports a typical home value of $611,878 (-4.5% YoY); Movoto reports a February 2026 median of $662,500. The 2023 Census median property value was $549,600. Homeownership rate is 53.9% — lower than Upland, Claremont, or Rancho Cucamonga (all ~62-63%), reflecting a higher rental-housing mix. Homes spend about 63 days on market (up sharply from 1 day last year). Verify current listings on Redfin and Zillow before making decisions.
What is Montclair Place?
Montclair Place is a 1.2-million-square-foot entertainment, shopping, and dining destination at 5060 E Montclair Plaza Ln — the city's primary commercial anchor. It was known as Montclair Plaza until 2015. The mall features Macy's, JCPenney, AMC DINE-IN Theatre with Dolby and IMAX, Barnes & Noble, and 100+ specialty stores including H&M, Pandora, Victoria's Secret, Sephora, and Kids Empire. Main Event (opened January 2025) offers bowling, billiards, interactive games, and a full-service restaurant and bar. A 10-unit Food Hall along Moreno Street houses Boba World, Noodle World, Pokeway, WinWings, Oli's Tacos, Potato Corner, Cinnabon, Auntie Anne's, and Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory. Hours: Mon-Sat 11am-8pm, Sun 11am-7pm.
What outdoor recreation is available in Montclair?
Alma Hofman Park offers a skate park, two tennis courts, a basketball court, two playgrounds, a (temporarily closed) splash pad, a pavilion, restrooms, and grass areas — all dog-friendly. Sunset Park is undergoing a beautification project that adds a concrete lighted walking trail along the San Antonio Creek Channel, an outdoor theater area, a refurbished community fruit park, self-cleaning bathrooms, exercise stations, and a river/creek-themed playground. When complete, Sunset Park's trail will connect to the 21-mile regional Pacific Electric Trail via adjacent Upland. Additional pet-friendly dog parks are ~5 minutes away in Upland (Baldy View Park) and Rancho Cucamonga (Etiwanda Creek Dog Park).
What are the crime statistics in Montclair, CA?
Per NeighborhoodScout and CrimeGrade data, Montclair's total crime rate is 4,289.8 per 100,000 residents — 102% above the national average. The city ranks #433 of 460 California cities in overall safety and #9,384 of 9,896 US cities. Violent crime is 644.1 per 100,000 (1 in 155 annual chance; 241 incidents in the last reporting year). Property crime is 3,645.7 per 100,000 (1,364 incidents) — among the top 10% highest in the US. Residents generally consider the northwest part of the city to be the safest; north Montclair sees the most incidents (~508/year) and central Montclair the fewest (~84/year). The total projected cost of crime for 2025 is $21.7M ($580 per resident / $2,093 per household). Verify current statistics via the Montclair Police Department and FBI UCR.
What healthcare is available in Montclair?
Pomona Valley Hospital Medical Center at 1798 N Garey Avenue in adjacent Pomona (~10 min west) is the region's primary hospital — a Trauma Center with four Centers of Excellence in Cancer Care, Heart/Vascular (Stead), Women's & Children's, and Trauma, plus a full-service ED, NICU, and UCLA-affiliated Family Medicine Residency. Kaiser Permanente Ontario Medical Center at 2295 S Vineyard Avenue (~10 min east) provides a 24-hour ER, maternity, and full specialty services for Kaiser members. Community Extended Care Hospital of Montclair (Kaiser network) provides long-term acute care within city limits. Pomona Valley Health Center Urgent Care — Claremont (1601 Monte Vista Avenue Suite 190, ~5 min north) provides walk-in urgent care. San Antonio Regional Hospital in Upland (~10 min) provides additional ER and specialty coverage.
What is the status of the Gold Line extension to Montclair?
The Foothill Gold Line (Metro A Line) extension to Montclair TransCenter was planned to continue light-rail service from the Pomona-Claremont segment to Montclair, but is currently on hold as of September 2025 after the San Bernardino County Transportation Authority board voted to remove local funding. The A Line's current construction focus is the 2.3-mile Pomona-to-Claremont extension, with major construction expected to begin late 2027 or early 2028 and take approximately four years to complete. The Montclair extension requires future funding action. The Montclair station design calls for a center-platform A Line station north of the existing Metrolink platforms, with a pedestrian tunnel connecting to Metrolink and a 1,600-space shared parking structure.
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