Waterford 59 Below average
Waterford Livability #632 ranked city in California#19,870 ranked city in the USARanks better than 32% of areas
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Pros and Cons of Living in Waterford

PROS
  • Crime Crime

    This area boasts a crime rate that is far below the national average, making it a very safe place to live. These crime statistics encompass both property and violent offenses.

  • Housing Housing

    Impressive scores in the housing category characterize this area, potentially attributed to the availability of affordable housing, strong appreciation rates and high home values.

  • Ratings Ratings

    According to recent surveys and polls, locals had excellent ratings for walkability to nearby amenities, safety, access to public transit and the overall sense of community in the area.

CONS
  • Amenities Amenities

    The majority of amenities will be difficult to reach within a short walk, often requiring residents to use a vehicle or public transportation for access.

  • Commute Commute

    Low commute scores could be due to limited access to public transit in this area, as well as longer-than-average work commute times for residents.

  • Cost Of Living Cost Of Living

    This area is known for its high cost of living, which means you should anticipate higher costs for everyday goods and services, housing, groceries, and health care.

  • Health & Safety Health & Safety

    Subpar air quality and the limited availability of certain health-related facilities such as hospitals, police stations, doctors and pharmacies may have contributed to the low score in this category.

  • Schools Schools

    The low schools score might be a result of factors like lower than average education levels, lackluster reading and math scores and the inaccessibility of local elementary and high schools.

What's it like Living in Waterford?

Waterford is a smaller city located in the state of California. The city has a population of 9,228 inhabitants. With a population density of 3,913 people per square mile, Waterford is well above the nation's average density level. The majority of Waterford residents report their race to be White; this is followed by Asian and Black. Additionally, more than a quarter of the population of Waterford are of Hispanic or Latino origin, and 34% of the population also speak Spanish. When traveling to work, spending unnecessary time in your vehicle is not ideal and downright frustrating. Across all of America, the average one way commute time is 26 minutes, unfortunately, living in Waterford offers up a higher than average one way commute time of 32 minutes.

Whether you’re moving to a new city to be closer to family, friends or for a new job, living in Waterford could be a positive experience compared to other cities in California if you know where to look. Don't forget to determine what matters most to you in a neighborhood. Consider factors such as safety, proximity to work or school, access to amenities (like parks, fitness facilities, grocery stores, restaurants), public transportation options, community atmosphere and the overall vibe you're looking for. To help you find the best places to live in and around Waterford, AreaVibes has created a livability score using key metrics like amenities, crime, commute, employment and more.

Using data and statistics Waterford has received a livability score of 60 out of 100. This score is ranked in the 38th percentile when compared to all other cities. This score ranks well below the national average. With such a low livability score, it might be worth investigating a little further. Based on the grades for each individual category, Waterford has received high marks for crime (A-) and housing (A+). The bad news for Waterford, there are some categories for which it does not score well, this includes: amenities (F), cost of living (D) and education (D-).

Ensuring a sense of security is paramount for the majority of residents in any area. Low crime rates exert a positive influence on various aspects, including home prices, rates of home appreciation and the cultivation of positive community dynamics and social cohesion. In the case of Waterford, it boasts a notably low violent crime rate of 181 crimes per 100,000 residents, which significantly outperforms the national average.

A healthy real estate market serves as a key economic indicator. It could signify overall local economic strength, stability and reflects consumer confidence in the area. Based on multiple factors including: median home and rental prices, appreciation rates and home affordability, Waterford has received high marks in the housing category. Based on these calculations, the apartment rental and real estate market appears to be very healthy.

There are many factors that go into deciding if an area is the right fit for your lifestyle. Certain “must haves” like low crime, great schools and nearby amenities are all at the top of most people's lists. But before even considering if those options are attainable, we'll need to know if the real estate in Waterford is actually affordable. The median home price for Waterford homes is $489,290, which is 33.1% lower than the California average. If we take a closer look at the affordability of homes in Waterford, we’ll see that the home price to income ratio is 5.4, which is 29.9% lower than the California average.

Best Places to Live in and Around Waterford

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      Waterford transportation information

      Statistic Waterford California National
      Average one way commute32min28min26min
      Workers who drive to work78.6%73.5%76.4%
      Workers who carpool15.2%10.6%9.3%
      Workers who take public transit0.0%5.2%5.1%
      Workers who bicycle0.6%1.1%0.6%
      Workers who walk0.6%2.7%2.8%
      Working from home5.0%5.4%4.6%
      Source: The Waterford, CA data and statistics displayed above are derived from the United States Census Bureau American Community Survey (ACS) and include 2026 modeled data developed using proprietary methodologies.