Highland and Riverside receive effectively the same standardized Area Score. Which fits you better depends on which dimensions you weight — the differences below are where they actually diverge.
Signals
Highland
Riverside
Opportunity
44 · Bottom 25%
vs50 · Bottom 38%
Growth
73 · Top 12%
vs59 · Top 35%
Climate
90 · Top 5%
vs90 · Top 5%
Physical resilience
7 · Bottom 2%
vs4 · Bottom 1%
Housing affordability
53 · Bottom 13%
vs53 · Bottom 13%
Access
100 · Top 1%
vs97 · Top 23%
Economic stability
50 · Bottom 32%
vs59 · Bottom 47%
Measured values
| Metric | Highland | Riverside | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 56,675 | 319,069 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median household income | $77,120 | $91,045 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Per capita income | $33,970 | $34,896 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Population density | 3,052/sq mi | 3,932/sq mi | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median home value | $485,600 | $584,800 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median gross rent | $1,629 | $1,914 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Homeownership rate | 64.1% | 56.8% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Unemployment rate | 5.0% | 4.9% | June 2026 |
| Employment change (year over year) | -1.4% | -1.4% | June 2026 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 22.7% | 25.7% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Poverty rate | 17.1% | 12.2% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Housing units permitted (12 months) | 534 | 596 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permits per 1,000 residents | 9.4 | 1.9 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permit change (year over year) | 289.8% | 105.5% | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Average July high | 93°F | 93°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Average January low | 44°F | 44°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Annual precipitation | 9.4" | 9.4" | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Distance to major airport | 4 mi | 14 mi | NASR current cycle |
| Average commute | 31.1 min | 33.8 min | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median age | 33.5 | 33.6 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Public schools | 15 | 76 | 2024-25 school year |
| Students per teacher | 20.70 | 22.92 | 2024-25 school year |
| Free or reduced-price lunch eligibility | 80.4% | 77.1% | 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
Highland
Elevated or high exposure: wildfire, earthquake, inland flooding.
Riverside
Elevated or high exposure: wildfire, inland flooding, earthquake.
Full profiles: Highland, CA · Riverside, CA · How this is calculated: methodology