About Chino Hills 

When people describe Chino Hills, California they make it sound like extraordinary forces came together to create this place. And indeed, Chino Hills is one of the most sought after locations in the United States. Beautiful vistas, rolling hills, a village atmosphere, and proximity to some of the most prestigious areas of California are just some of the elements that combined to produce this newly incorporated city. Throw excellent schools and a strong economy into the mix, and it’s no wonder Money Magazine has rated it as one of the best places to live in the United States. (If you’re wondering how a city or town is chosen by Money Magazine, click here.)

Although the city was only incorporated in 1991, Chino Hills was artfully master-planned in true village style, with parks and shopping areas intentionally situated within walking distance of one’s home. The city is located in the southwestern corner of San Bernardino County and rubs elbows with Orange County, Los Angeles and Riverside. Chino Hills is, in fact, only 35 miles east of downtown Los Angeles, making it a commuter’s paradise.

There is still a lot of rural land in Chino Hills, which was once a center for dairies and horses. The 1980’s and 1990’s saw Chino Hills develop into one of the fastest growing communities in San Bernardino County. When Chino Hills was incorporated in 1991, the population was only 42,000 people. By 2006 there were almost 78,000. Houses and retail shops popped up, and now on the agenda are a new City Hall, upscale shopping centers, a larger library, a $16 million sports park, and offices for the Police and Fire Departments.

This is very much a family community, in the real sense of the word. Read their newsletter  to get a sense of what a down home, cooperative, integrated community this really is. And they set a high marker on education—the Chino Valley Unified School District employs almost 14 times as many people as any other industry in the area.

All these attributes, and yet housing is still affordable. Median home prices hover at about $180,000 for a single family home, and there are plenty of million dollar and multi-million dollar properties available as well. The median family income tends to be higher in Chino Hills, at about $107,000.    

Public transportation in Chino Hills is just as unique and user-friendly as the rest of the city, with OmniLink, an on-demand curb-to- curb service offered for only $2.50 each way. (Children 46 inches or shorter get to ride free.) Otherwise, it’s a short hop over to state highways that link Chino Hills to all of the major arteries in Southern California. For domestic flights, Chino Hills is well served by the lovely John Wayne Airport in Orange County, and for international flights, Los Angeles International is about an hour away.