Murrieta receives the higher standardized Area Score. That reflects AreaProfile's weighting, not a judgment about which place is better to live in.
Signals
Colton
Murrieta
Opportunity
39 · Bottom 16%
vs51 · Bottom 39%
Growth
30 · Bottom 18%
vs52 · Top 46%
Climate
90 · Top 5%
vs100 · Top 4%
Physical resilience
6 · Bottom 2%
vs4 · Bottom 1%
Housing affordability
48 · Bottom 9%
vs58 · Bottom 18%
Access
100 · Top 1%
vs83 · Bottom 26%
Economic stability
57 · Bottom 43%
vs71 · Top 28%
Measured values
| Metric | Colton | Murrieta | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 53,772 | 112,064 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median household income | $71,208 | $114,081 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Per capita income | $27,391 | $45,886 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Population density | 3,441/sq mi | 3,166/sq mi | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median home value | $443,800 | $639,800 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median gross rent | $1,661 | $2,388 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Homeownership rate | 52.8% | 69.5% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Unemployment rate | 5.1% | 5.1% | June 2026 |
| Employment change (year over year) | -1.4% | -1.4% | June 2026 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 16.6% | 32.6% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Poverty rate | 13.7% | 5.4% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Housing units permitted (12 months) | 41 | 672 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permits per 1,000 residents | 0.8 | 6.0 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permit change (year over year) | -39.7% | -37.0% | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Average July high | 93°F | 87°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Average January low | 44°F | 47°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Annual precipitation | 9.4" | 15.3" | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Distance to major airport | 6 mi | 36 mi | NASR current cycle |
| Average commute | 28.8 min | 39.8 min | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median age | 33.9 | 36.6 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Public schools | 15 | 24 | 2024-25 school year |
| Students per teacher | 23.04 | 23.59 | 2024-25 school year |
| Free or reduced-price lunch eligibility | 87.1% | 52.4% | 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
Colton
Elevated or high exposure: wildfire, inland flooding, earthquake.
Murrieta
Elevated or high exposure: wildfire, inland flooding, earthquake.
Full profiles: Colton, CA · Murrieta, CA · How this is calculated: methodology