Vista

Points of Interest

Moonlight Amphitheater

The Wave Water Park

Wildwood Park/Civic Center Park/Veterans Memorial Park (pick one!)

Art Beat on Main Street (downtown)

Avo Playhouse

Rancho Guajome Adobe

Big Plus

The weather is consistently marvelous in Vista and San Marcos since they’re a little more inland. Locals refer to it as a “climatic wonderland.” You’re inland enough to escape the cooler weather and fog that hangs around the coast May through June, yet not far enough inland to suffer the heat of the desert regions.

The Wave Water Park is a popular attraction. They have all the staple water park attractions, a simulated wave for the daring, and our personal favorite—mermaid classes, complete with a tail and monofin!

From Vista it’s a quick 10-minute drive to the beach, which is what living in Southern California is all about, yet housing costs are much more affordable. Spending less on housing can free up your budget for nightlife and travel.

Things to Consider

Be sure to identify whether or not your potential home has air conditioning. The home cooling situation applies to both on and off post housing, so just keep in mind that utility bills for homes off post can routinely exceed $300. Living near the coast will afford you the coastal breezes, so most people say that not having A/C here isn’t a deal-breaker. Pay close attention to this as you move farther inland with your search.

The neighborhoods in Vista can be a little hit-or-miss with some areas of neglect, pockets of higher crime, and reports of gang activity. We recommend that you research crime statistics and not rent or buy sight unseen in Vista. It’s not uncommon to see multiple families living in older homes, with cluttered yards enclosed by chain-linked fences.

How’s the Market?

The median home value for single family homes in Vista is $481,100 according to the Zillow Home Value Index.

Home Values are forecasted to increase by 2.3% in the coming year.

According to Zillow’s Rental Index, the median rental rate for single-family homes in Vista is $2,317.

There is a tax called Mello-Roos, that you’ll need to get acquainted with if you’ll be buying a home in California. Long story short, some communities have the designation of being a Community Facility District (CFD), and they impose an additional property tax to help pay for schools, roads, utilities, and services like police and fire protection. This Mello-Roos tax is above and beyond your typical property tax, and pair that with potentially multiple HOAs, and you could be priced out of some neighborhoods before you know it. Not all neighborhoods are CFDs and HOAs can be for the neighborhood and the city as well. Do your research before you set your heart on a house! The fees add up, and you could be spending well above what BAH allows. An experienced AgentHero can help tremendously.

School Scoop

Vista contains 34 primary and secondary schools. One of the best-rated schools is Casita Center for Science/Math/Technology, which has a rating of 8 according to GreatSchools.org. Public schools in Vista belong to Vista Unified School District or San Marcos Unified School District. San Marcos Unified School District’s average rating is 8, while Vista Unified School District’s average rating is a 6.

The California Department of Education offers open enrollment and intradistrict choice, meaning your child can attend any school inside or outside their district upon approval and space availability. Students at low-performing schools can attend a different school in their district. Children can also attend any of the highly sought after charter or magnet schools.

Vista has a highly recommended Montessori charter school, the Bella Mente Montessori Academy, and other well-rated charters. You can also take advantage of surrounding areas and their charter schools thanks to the choice system if the traditional public schools in Vista aren’t to your liking.

Highlighted Areas

Riviera Estates