Menifee receives the higher standardized Area Score. That reflects AreaProfile's weighting, not a judgment about which place is better to live in.
Signals
Blythe
Menifee
Opportunity
31 · Bottom 8%
vs49 · Bottom 35%
Growth
16 · Bottom 5%
vs76 · Top 8%
Climate
53 · Bottom 2%
vs100 · Top 4%
Physical resilience
4 · Bottom 1%
vs4 · Bottom 1%
Housing affordability
85 · Top 43%
vs52 · Bottom 12%
Access
59 · Bottom 7%
vs88 · Bottom 37%
Economic stability
20 · Bottom 2%
vs56 · Bottom 41%
Measured values
| Metric | Blythe | Menifee | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 17,396 | 110,305 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median household income | $56,625 | $93,454 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Per capita income | $20,619 | $39,521 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Population density | 656/sq mi | 2,374/sq mi | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median home value | $225,000 | $537,300 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median gross rent | $938 | $2,110 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Homeownership rate | 57.3% | 80.2% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Unemployment rate | 5.4% | 5.3% | June 2026 |
| Employment change (year over year) | -1.4% | -1.4% | June 2026 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 8.5% | 22.5% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Poverty rate | 18.9% | 9.5% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Housing units permitted (12 months) | 0 | 687 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permits per 1,000 residents | 0.0 | 6.2 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Average July high | 109°F | 87°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Average January low | 43°F | 47°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Annual precipitation | 3.6" | 15.3" | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Distance to major airport | 65 mi | 28 mi | NASR current cycle |
| Average commute | 19.1 min | 42.7 min | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median age | 38.3 | 38.1 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Public schools | 6 | 21 | 2024-25 school year |
| Students per teacher | 22.50 | 23.75 | 2024-25 school year |
| Free or reduced-price lunch eligibility | 82.1% | 65.7% | 2024-25 school year |
A bolded value is the more favorable of the two where the metric has a clear direction. Metrics like population and density have no inherent better or worse and are shown unweighted.
Physical risk tradeoff
Blythe
Elevated or high exposure: inland flooding, wildfire, earthquake.
Menifee
Elevated or high exposure: wildfire, inland flooding, earthquake.
Full profiles: Blythe, CA · Menifee, CA · How this is calculated: methodology