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San Bernardino County

San Bernardino County: How to Buy a Home Near Warehouses and Truck Routes (November 2026)

By Dr. Hamid Rowshan, Choice of America

How to buy a San Bernardino County home near warehouses and truck routes: map the area, check AB 98 rules and planning records, run the math and negotiate.

October brought three pieces of warehouse news that matter to anyone house-hunting in San Bernardino County.

  • October 5: California Attorney General Rob Bonta issued an enforcement advisory to eight Inland Empire jurisdictions that missed the January 1, 2026 deadline under Assembly Bill 98 to add truck routes to their general plans that steer heavy trucks away from homes, schools, day cares, parks and hospitals. Four of the eight are San Bernardino County cities: Chino, Ontario, Rancho Cucamonga and Rialto. The law allows civil penalties of up to $50,000 every six months. The Attorney General's office says San Bernardino County, Riverside County and 12 cities (Chino, Colton, Fontana, Jurupa Valley, Moreno Valley, Perris, Rancho Cucamonga, Redlands, Rialto, Riverside, San Bernardino and Ontario) make up the state's "warehouse concentration region."
  • October 13: The Highland City Council upheld three-year extensions, through September 19, 2029, for two already-approved warehouses: a 53,665-square-foot building at Fifth Street and Central Avenue and a 47,899-square-foot building near Sixth Street and Del Rosa Drive, according to the city's notices filed with the state. Neighbors and school officials had appealed because of how close the sites are to a preschool and a high school.
  • October 19: San Bernardino County approved the Muscoy Warehouse Project, two buildings totaling 88,174 square feet on 4.59 vacant acres at Cajon Boulevard and June Street, according to the county's Notice of Determination posted October 23.

Meanwhile, the long-running lawsuit over the 213-acre Bloomington Business Park, which opponents say would demolish more than 100 homes, has continued in San Bernardino County Superior Court.

None of this means you should avoid the Inland Empire. Warehouses bring jobs, and homes near them are often priced below similar homes farther away. But a house one block from a truck route can feel very different from one a mile away, and the time to find out is before you sign. This guide walks you through how to check a home's surroundings, how to read the planning records, and how to turn what you find into a better price.

The market snapshot (September 2026, Realtor.com)

Measure (San Bernardino County)September 2026Change vs. Sep 2025
Median listing price$531,944−0.1%
Active listings6,141+1.0%
Median days on market6571 a year ago
Price-cut share (Realtor.com price_reduced_share)18.1%+1.2 points
New listings2,138+3.5%
Pending listings1,952−8.4%

Source: Realtor.com Residential Data, county inventory core metrics, September 2026. The price-cut share is Realtor.com's own price_reduced_share.

San Bernardino County still has the lowest median asking price of the five Southern California counties we cover. Supply is up slightly, fewer homes are going into escrow than a year ago, and nearly one listing in five has had a price cut. That gives buyers room to negotiate, especially on homes with a drawback such as truck noise.

Asking prices in warehouse-region ZIP codes

ZIP code (area)Median listing priceActive listingsMedian days on marketPrice-cut share
92324 (Colton)$509,497624812.5%
92335 (Fontana)$579,900644919.6%
92346 (Highland)$579,975766316.4%
92376 (Rialto)$582,300675113.1%
92337 (Fontana)$600,619414619.5%
92407 (San Bernardino, includes Muscoy)$609,062834814.3%
91764 (Ontario)$625,750554930.8%
92316 (Bloomington)$629,99922617.4%
92374 (Redlands)$649,350594719.7%
91761 (Ontario)$657,8331325917.3%
91762 (Ontario)$673,250994818.5%
92336 (Fontana)$703,5001895115.5%
91710 (Chino)$783,694654017.3%
91739 (Rancho Cucamonga)$1,061,250804420.7%

Source: Realtor.com Residential Data, ZIP inventory core metrics, September 2026. Small ZIPs (such as Bloomington, with 22 listings) can swing a lot month to month.

The payment math at today's rates

Freddie Mac's average 30-year fixed rate was 7.24% for the week of October 29, 2026, down from 7.32% on October 22 and 7.40% on October 15. With 20% down:

PriceDown payment (20%)LoanMonthly P&I at 7.24%Est. property tax (1.1%)P&I plus tax
$531,944 (county median)$106,389$425,555$2,900$488$3,388
$580,000$116,000$464,000$3,162$532$3,694
$600,000$120,000$480,000$3,271$550$3,821
$650,000$130,000$520,000$3,544$596$4,140

Formula: P&I = L × r ÷ (1 − (1 + r)^−360), where L is the loan and r is the annual rate divided by 12. The 1.1% property-tax rate is our rough estimate (California's 1% base plus typical voter-approved add-ons); your actual rate depends on the tax rate area, and any Mello-Roos, HOA, insurance or mortgage insurance comes on top.

What a "truck-route discount" is worth. On a $580,000 home with 20% down at 7.24%:

Price cutNew priceSaved on priceMonthly savings (P&I plus est. tax)Down payment saved
2%$568,400$11,600about $74$2,320
3%$562,600$17,400about $111$3,480
5%$551,000$29,000about $185$5,800

A 3% cut saves about $34,000 in principal and interest over a 30-year loan. Remember the other side too: whatever discount you get to buy near trucks, the next buyer will probably expect when you sell.

What the rules actually say (and don't)

AB 98 truck routes. Cities and the county in the warehouse concentration region had to amend their general plans by January 1, 2026 with truck routes that avoid homes and other "sensitive receptors" and use freeways, arterials and commercial or industrial roads as much as possible. The Attorney General says San Bernardino County met the deadline; Chino, Ontario, Rancho Cucamonga and Rialto had not as of October 5. A truck route on paper does not move trucks overnight, so judge the street you are looking at by what you actually see and hear.

AB 98 warehouse setbacks. Since January 1, 2026, new or expanded warehouses with a loading bay within 900 feet of a home, school, day care or similar site must meet design standards. Loading bays must be at least 300 feet from the nearest home's property line on land zoned industrial (for buildings of 250,000 square feet or more) and 500 feet on land that is not zoned industrial, along with screening walls or berms and truck entrances aimed away from homes (California Government Code section 65098.1; San Bernardino County's AB 98 quick-reference guide). Smaller buildings and projects approved before 2026, such as the Highland warehouses, may not have to meet those distances. Never assume a nearby building is covered.

Seller disclosure. California sellers must fill out the Real Estate Transfer Disclosure Statement, which asks about neighborhood noise problems and other nuisances. Sellers are not required to research future projects for you. Planning research is your job.

How to buy near warehouses: Steps 1 to 10

Step 1. Map the home before you tour it. Open a satellite map and look one mile in every direction. Large flat-roofed buildings with rows of loading doors are distribution centers. Note which streets connect them to the 10, 15, 210 or 215 freeway; those are the likely truck paths.

Step 2. Check the environmental score. Enter the address in CalEnviroScreen, the state's free tool from the Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment. It ranks every census tract on diesel particulate matter, traffic, ozone, asthma rates and more. Compare the home's tract with tracts a few miles away so you know what you are trading.

Step 3. Search the planning records. Go to CEQAnet (the state's database of environmental review documents) and search the city or community name plus "warehouse," "logistics" or "industrial." Look for recent Notices of Preparation, Mitigated Negative Declarations and Notices of Determination. That is how the Muscoy approval and the Highland extensions became public. Then call the city or county planning counter and ask, "Is anything approved or pending within a mile of this address?"

Step 4. Find the truck routes. Ask the city (or the county, for unincorporated areas like Bloomington and Muscoy) for its current truck route map and any draft AB 98 update. If the city is one of the four that missed the deadline, ask when the update is expected and whether the street you are considering is on the draft map.

Step 5. Visit at the wrong times. Go at 6 a.m. on a weekday, at the evening shift change and late at night. Stand in the backyard and in the bedrooms with windows closed. Count trucks for 10 minutes. Many buyers only see a home at a Sunday open house, which is exactly when trucks are lightest.

Step 6. Inspect for the effects. Ask your home inspector to note dual-pane windows, door and window seals, HVAC filter size (can it take a high-rated filter?) and any cracks in walls, slabs or driveways. If cracks show up, ask whether a structural engineer should look.

Step 7. Read the disclosures closely. On the Transfer Disclosure Statement and the seller questionnaire, look for answers about noise, nuisances, neighborhood conditions and any notices received from the city. If the seller checked "no" but trucks are obvious, ask follow-up questions in writing.

Step 8. Run the numbers both ways. Use the payment table above. Then ask yourself what discount would make the trade-off worth it, and what you would need to spend on windows, air filtration or landscaping. Add that to your offer math.

Step 9. Negotiate with evidence. With 18.1% of county listings already cut, sellers expect bargaining. Present your offer with comparable sales that are farther from trucks, your truck count and any approved projects you found. You can ask for a lower price, a seller credit toward dual-pane windows or a rate buydown, or extra time for your planning investigation.

Step 10. Protect yourself in the contract. Keep your investigation contingency long enough to finish Steps 2 to 7. If you learn about a project after you are in escrow, talk with your agent and attorney about your options before the contingency runs out.

Mistakes to avoid

  • Assuming a vacant lot will stay vacant. Check its zoning and any filed applications.
  • Relying on a "truck route" sign alone; drivers often take shortcuts to warehouse gates.
  • Touring only on weekends.
  • Assuming AB 98 setbacks apply to every warehouse. Size, zoning and approval date matter.
  • Paying full price for a home whose drawback the market already discounts.
  • Ignoring resale. Your future buyers will see the same trucks you do.

Quick checklist

  1. Satellite map and freeway connections checked.
  2. CalEnviroScreen score for the tract.
  3. CEQAnet search and a call to the planning counter.
  4. Current and draft truck route map.
  5. Weekday early-morning and evening visits.
  6. Inspection notes on windows, HVAC and cracks.
  7. Disclosures read and follow-ups in writing.
  8. Payment math and target discount.
  9. Investigation contingency long enough to finish.

What this means day to day

Living near logistics can mean a short commute to a warehouse job, more house for the money and quick freeway access. It can also mean early-morning engine noise, more dust on the patio and slower left turns at rush hour. Some buyers are fine with that trade, especially at the right price. Others with young children, asthma or a home office may decide a few extra miles is worth more. Either choice is fine, as long as you make it with your eyes open.

If you are shopping in Fontana, Rialto, Ontario, Highland, Colton, Bloomington or anywhere else in San Bernardino County, call or text Choice of America at 833-THIS-BROKER (833-842-7465). We will help you research the neighborhood, run the payment math and negotiate the right price. Learn more at choiceofamerica.com and on our San Bernardino County real estate page.

Dr. Hamid Rowshan, Choice of America. DRE #02004794, company DRE #02240008.

This article is general information, not legal, environmental, health or financial advice. Planning approvals and truck routes change; confirm with the city or county and with your own attorney and lender before you buy. Payment figures are estimates.

Sources:

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Dr. Hamid Rowshan · DRE #02004794 · Company DRE #02240008 · Orange, LA, Riverside, San Bernardino & San Diego counties.

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