Ontario, California
What It Is Like to Retire in Ontario
Ontario is a city in southwestern California, with a diverse population of 175,841 (2017), located within the Inland Empire, and is 35 miles east of downtown Los Angeles. It was founded as a Model Colony in the late 1800's, and would offer the perfect balance between agriculture and church, schools and commerce, and takes its name from the Ontario Model Colony development established by a Canadian engineer George Chaffey and his brothers. Today Ontario is home to museums, and many schools of higher education including nine trade schools, and is a fast growing town which provides many parks and all types of recreation, artistic venues, an active senior center, and the Toyota Arena, a multipurpose 11,000 seat arena. There are several 55+ communities in the area as it is becoming a popular spot for retirees. Photo of Downtown Ontario, in the public domain, courtesy of Wikipedia and U.S. Department of Agriculture; picture of Ontario City Library in 2006 courtesy of Wikipedia and Rockero; photo of Metrolink train at the East Ontario Station courtesy of Wikipedia and Lvi56, Licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0/
Where to Retire in Ontario and Home Prices
There are several new housing developments springing up in and around the town, offering single family homes and manufactured home communities. Zillow reports the median home value in Ontario is $490,387.
What Is Special about Ontario
Ontario is in a nice location, not far from the ocean, mountains, and desert. There is an arena for sporting events and performances, a large shopping mall, many events hosted by the town.
What Is Not Special about Ontario
The town is rapidly growing and traffic to LA makes for a long commute, summer has some hot and humid days with temperatures in the 90's.
Who Will Like Retirement in Ontario
Retirees who want to live outside of LA but with transportation into the area, may like living here. There are cultural events hosted by the Toyota Arena along with the city of Ontario which promotes the arts and cultural venues. The town also has many parks a library, a hospital, and sporting events. The Senior Center offers classes, programs, activities and events.
Local Economy Is Driven by
The economy is driven by healthcare, manufacturing and retail.
Climate and Physical Environment
January's average temperature is 56 degrees, with July's average at 77 degrees.
Restaurants & Cultural Scene
There are many choices of restaurants in Ontario from cheap eats to more expensive menus, and many with take out choices and outside dining. The cultural scene is provided by the town which is dedicated to enriching the artistic and cultural heritage of the community. It is home to the Inland Conservatory for the Perfoming Arts, and the Ontario Museum of History and Art; The Graber Olive House provides for tours that tells the history of the production of olives, which is the oldest existing business in Ontario; the Toyota Arena host over 125 events annually including sporting events, concerts and family productions.
Crime
Violent crimes are lower than the national average, but property crimes, mainly theft are higher than the national average.
Medical facilities
Kindred Hospital and Kaiser Permanente are located here.
Transportation
Ontario has a Metrolink station which connects to the Greater Los Angeles area and Orange County, there is also an Amtrak station and public bus transportation; the Ontario International Airport provides domestic and international travel; Ontario is not considered to be a walkable community.
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